The School Work in the Eastern Union Conference.
By Frederick Griggs
On the 18th of September the South Lancaster Academy will open, for its twentieth-year's work. It should be well filled with earnest, competent young men and women who are preparing for the work of the Lord. There never was a greater need of consecrated laborers than there is to-day. Special arrangements will be made to accommodate those who are of mature years. There should be a large number of men and women in the school this year whose age and experience will enable them to receive a rapid preparation to engage in the work. No one need feel that because he is old there is no opportunity for him to prepare for the work of the Lord. It is a great mistake to hold this opinion, and many are thereby hindered from preparing for usefulness. Already we have learned of a number of this class who are planning to attend school, and I wish to urge all who ought to attend school to do so, no matter what their age or educational qualifications may be. There are many men and women of middle age who, by attending school for one or two years, would make valuable Bible workers, canvassers, ministers, and would be qualified to fill many positions of usefulness. It will be of interest to those who are contributing so liberally to the industrial fund to know that we have received, to the present time, August 15, about $240. We have been greatly pleased with the kind feeling and deep interest which our people all over the Eastern Union Conference manifest in this work. The individual contributions which we have received have not been large, none over ten or twelve dollars, the majority averaging one dollar; so it can be seen that we have had, so far as numbers are concerned, a very general response. Donations for this work will be thankfully received until the middle of October or the first of November, by which time we shall have to purchase our corn. We would also appreciate it if any of our people who know of any good manual work which we could provide for either our young men or women, at little expense, and conduct in a profitable manner, would inform us of the same, and give us instruction concerning it. We are anxious to introduce various lines of manual work which can be conducted profitably in the school, and will appreciate suggestions to this end. We believe that the people in the Eastern Union Conference feel that this is their school, and it is because of this interest which our people have in our work that I feel free to ask for these suggestions. I would again call attention to the church-school work, and urge upon our people where schools should be established, the necessity of taking up this work which the Lord has said so plainly should be carried on.