Earlier text: The Society IslandsDecisions and Recommendations of the General Conference Committee
By George B. Thompson
THE following are some of the more important actions taken at the recent council of the General Conference Committee in Washington:— That the time of the week of prayer be set for December 15 to 23 inclusive, that the general theme be that of the Ministry of the Holy Spirit, and that the readings be published in the REVIEW AND HERALD, as last year. To take favorable action in response to the request of Elder Gates for help in the Philippine Islands, and that we ask the treasurer to ascertain by correspondence the amount required. To authorize the officers of the Board to appropriate a sum not to exceed five thousand dollars for this purpose. That it is the sense of this council that the biennial council of the General Conference be held in Europe, at such time and place as may be agreed upon by the European brethren in counsel with the General Conference Committee. The following action was adopted relating to the support of aged workers and the families of deceased laborers:— “1. That we urge upon every State conference, union conference, and mission field both the duty and the privilege of supporting faithful dependent workers and their families who are unable to support themselves because of sickness, declining years, or death. “2. That we advise that workers be supported, as far as practicable, by the conference or mission field where their labors cease, or by the conference where the principal part of their work has been performed. “3. That this support be given cheerfully as unto the Lord, and that all embarrassment of having to ask or petition for the same be removed by the respective conferences and mission fields placing these workers upon their regular pay-roll, and remitting to them as to workers who are actively engaged in service. “4. That we urge our General Conference men to request State and union conferences not to endeavor to shift the responsibility of supporting these workers, but to show a warm, hearty loyalty to dependent ministers and their families, and make arrangements for their support where they have done their work, and where they may be located.” The committee appointed to make recommendations concerning the policy which the General Conference advises to be followed in the organization, holding, and operating of denominational institutions throughout the country, submitted the following report:— “Whereas, The General Conference Committee has been requested to give information concerning the policy they recommend in the holding of institutional property, which is built up and maintained by the donations and sympathetic co-operation of the people; therefore,— “We recommend, (1) That we recognize the principle that the people who build up and support an enterprise should own and direct the control and management of said property; (2) that future corporations for holding property be organized on a membership basis; (3) that the membership of such institutions be not placed upon a monetary basis, but be so arranged as to make the constituency represent the field from which the support is to come; (4) that all institutions or enterprises built up by the contributions, and fostered by the patronage and sympathy of the denomination, shall have their property held by a corporation whose membership is representative of the people, and whose charter and by-laws are subject to change by the membership only and secures the property to the denomination.” It was voted to notify the secretary of the Centenary Conference that the Seventh-day Adventist Mission Board accepts the invitation to send a representative to attend that conference, which is to convene in Shanghai, April 25, 1907. The following recommendations relating to the work in the South and in Washington, D. C., were passed:— “Whereas, The Southern Union Conference has petitioned the General Conference Committee to assist it in raising the sum of forty thousand dollars for the development of its institutional work in the South; and,— “Whereas, The spirit of prophecy has repeatedly instructed this denomination to assist the South in opening up its work in many of its large cities; and further,— “Whereas, The work at Washington, D. C., is still in need of additional help to finish the buildings which have already been started, and to place them in a condition where they can command the respect of the public in this important center; therefore,— “1. That a fund of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars be raised for the work in the South, and to complete the work in Washington, D. C. “2. That the first fifty thousand dollars received from this fund shall be donated to the work in the South. “3. That the funds shall be sent to the treasurer of the General Conference at Takoma Park, Washington, D. C. “4. That our church paper, the REVIEW AND HERALD, the Watchman, the Signs of the Times, and the foreign papers in the United States open their columns for suitable articles from various persons agitating the raising of these funds, and that a list of these donations be printed in the REVIEW AND HERALD. “5. That the president of the General17 Conference open up the campaign for these funds by publishing an article in the REVIEW AND HERALD and other papers, accompanied by the recommendations of the General Conference Committee favoring the raising of this fund. “6. That the editors of these papers are invited to make frequent favorable mention of this fund. “7. That in our efforts to raise this fund we earnestly solicit the sympathetic co-operation of our union and State conferences, and of our people everywhere.” “That a collection for the International Publishing Association be taken the first Sabbath in November, 1906. “That a publishers’ convention be held in the United States at such time and place as may be decided later. “That the matter of publishing Spanish books and literature be pushed from the Pacific Press, and that they secure such assistance from Prof. G. W. Caviness as may be necessary in doing this work. “That we fully approve of the plan of continuing the great missionary campaign inaugurated, on the same general plan as last year. “That we recommend each union conference where the work with ‘Christ’s Object Lessons’ is not yet finished to take steps for the early completion of this work. “That from the information and data we have on hand, we are unable to suggest a better plan for the handling of the funds accruing from the sale of ‘Ministry of Healing’ than the one recently adopted by the Relief Bureau. “That union conferences be advised to appoint a relief committee for the energetic prosecution of the sale of the book ‘Ministry of Healing’ within its territory, and by such other means as may be necessary take steps for the successful prosecution of this relief enterprise.” The following additional recommendations on finance were adopted:— “1. Resolved, That we open a fund known as the Dollar Fund. “2. That we endeavor to persuade our people to each donate one dollar a year to this fund, the same to be used in liquidating the obligations owing by the General Conference, and other imperative demands made upon it. “3. That the ten thousand dollars called for with which to assist in establishing a much-needed school for Great Britain be raised by our union conference presidents in soliciting liberal donations from those who are best able to give. “4. That articles be frequently printed in all our papers setting the needs of the school before our people. “5. That we appropriate five per cent of the October donations for 1905 and 1906 to the development of the work among the colored people of Washington, D. C., the same to be expended under the direction of the District Executive Committee.” The matter of rendering help for the school in the Maritime Conference was presented by Wm. Guthrie. The present capacity of the school is filled, and it is necessary to provide additional accommodations. About sixteen hundred dollars is needed for this purpose. It was recommended that two thousand dollars be added to the call for the school in England, and that this additional two thousand dollars be used, when raised, for the Maritime school. A number of other actions were taken regarding laborers for the different fields, also in reference to some other matters; but as it is necessary to correspond with the persons involved before definite arrangements can be assured, these, with later recommendations, are deferred till another time. “The Church Is Growing”
By A. O. Tait
ONE of our brethren, in ordering his club of twenty-five Signs renewed, says:— “Our work in this place is encouraging. The church is growing in numbers and spirituality. The interest is widening, and new faces are seen in the congregation almost every Sabbath.” There is not a very large church at the place from which this brother writes, and still they are taking a club of twenty-five copies of the Signs, and are distributing them from week to week. Please observe that as a result of work of this character they have a “growing” church, that their “spirituality” is increasing, and that “new faces are seen in the congregation almost every Sabbath.” Are not the foregoing facts suggestive to many of our other churches? Are you taking a club of the Signs in your church? Are you circulating them from week to week? Is your membership increasing? and are you growing in spirituality? If not, the fact is certainly due to your inactivity and negligence in this work. If these paragraphs appeal to you, the undersigned would be glad to correspond with you concerning work with the Signs in your locality. Address in care of Pacific Press Publishing Co., Mountain View, Cal. A. O. TAIT. South Carolina
By D. E. Blake
SPARTANBURG.—I am thankful to the Lord for the privilege of connecting with the work among the colored people in this most needy field. Because of the strong prejudice which exists against the colored people, the white workers can not work to any extent among them, and as there are no colored workers in this State, the knowledge of the truth among the colored people here is very limited. Many years ago, however, a seed was sown by a white sister who was selling “Gospel Primers” in a colored community in this city; that seed found a fertile soil in the heart of an honest-hearted, truth-loving colored sister. The sower watched the growth of the seed, watering it frequently with tears of joy until it was strong enough to weather the gales of criticism and ridicule, then committed it to the custody of heavenly watchers. That seed has been bearing fruit now for years, and as a result there is a church of about twenty members here. Our force has now been strengthened, and we are planning to carry this good work forward aggressively by the Lord’s help. Our most urgent need at present is a church building. We have been meeting in the home of one of our sisters; but as the room is very small, we are in need of a larger place in which to hold our services, and have our friends come and be comfortably entertained. Should any of our brethren feel moved upon to aid us in getting a little church building, their donation would be thankfully received, either through the Southern Publishing Association, Nashville, Tenn., or through Elder E. W. Webster, Greenville, S. C. In sending the donations it should be stated that it is for the colored church in Spartanburg, S. C. There is a good interest awakening among some prominent people here. I met and talked with two of the ministers a few days ago on some of the most important points in connection with the Sabbath truth, and I sincerely believe, from our interview, that they will eventually take their stand for the truth. We earnestly solicit an interest in your prayers for the progress of the work here. Memories of Early Days
By Geo. O. States
ON receiving the REVIEW of April 5, containing the sad news of the death of Prof. August Kunze, my mind recalled some, to me, very interesting incidents of years ago. It was over thirty years ago that Elder S. N. Haskell visited the Lapeer (Mich.) church, and his earnest talks on the tract and missionary work encouraged me to do all I could to inspire our people to engage in that work. About 1880 I was director of the tract and missionary work in District 13, and as our ministering brethren would raise up companies of believers, I used to go and organize them into tract societies. I shall always remember visiting Elder G. K. Owen and his wife, who had raised up a small company of believers. After giving some earnest talks on the importance of all engaging in the work of spreading the message through the printed page, Sister Owen said to me, “Brother States, don’t you think you ought to give your life to the work of the ministry?” I had been thinking of that work for some time, but that was the first encouragement I had to enter that branch of the message. Not long after that Brother Kunze visited our home and urged me to go with him to hold a series of meetings. That fall I attended the Michigan Conference, and Brother Kunze got them to give me my first license. For years whenever I met him, he was always an inspiration to me. Elder Jerome Fargo was the president of the conference, and was always an inspiration to young men entering the ministry. Brethren Fargo and Kunze and Sister Owen await the first resurrection, but the Lord has spared our dear Brother Haskell to still encourage this people. While I am not able to do public work, yet the memory of these dear ones lingers, and I rejoice to see this message encircling the earth as we believed so many years it would. One by one those who have labored so faithfully in the past are laying down the armor, and may those of us who are spared stand by the grand old truths we loved so long ago, and not be led away from the pillars of this message. Let us hold up the hands of our leaders whom God has called to bear heavy burdens in this critical time through which we are passing. ONE who has recently received the truth at San Diego, Cal., under the labors of Elder W. W. Simpson, writes as follows concerning his experience in coming to a knowledge of the truth:— “In the autumn of 1904 I came to San Diego, Cal., from Oregon, and finding no work that was satisfactory, I returned to Oregon in the spring of 1905. Soon I found a very pleasant position, and could have remained the year round; but why I could not be contented to remain in Oregon I did not know. San Diego was in my mind continually, in spite of the fact that I had failed to find profitable employment there. The impression became so strong finally that I could endure it no longer, and so I left Oregon, and reached San Diego Oct. 3, 1905. “When I refused a good situation in Oregon at good wages for six months, and a free pass to the place of labor, the man who made this offer was surprised at my foolishness, as he considered it, and told me I would starve in San Diego; but to San Diego I came, nevertheless, and felt certain that there was something in this city for me more important than what I had found or been offered anywhere else. I did not know what it was, however, until a few days after arriving, when I was offered good pay to go twelve miles out of town and work at steady employment. I wanted work, and here was a good opening, but for some reason I could not take it. Something seemed to keep me back, and so I refused to go. I soon began work with a business firm in town, and have remained with them ever since. Soon after beginning work for this firm, I was offered a free pass to Isis theater by an acquaintance at the house in which I was rooming, and was told that I would hear good preaching if I would go that night to the opera-house. I said, ‘I'll go;’ and I went, more out of curiosity, however, than with any real expectation of receiving benefit from the sermon. The name of the evangelist was on the ticket that passed me into the theater, but I had never seen him before, nor heard of him. “That night was the turning-point of my life. Many warnings had come to me in dreams and in other ways, but when I heard Evangelist W. W. Simpson preach in Isis theater on the subject of the millennium last October, and saw his charts, I knew that God was speaking to my soul, and I praise him that he gave me strength and courage to listen and obey. In a few weeks I was baptized by Elder Simpson. The one who gave me the ticket to the theater was baptized the same day I was.” An Encouraging Reminiscence
By L. C. H.
“Bread upon the waters cast
Shall be gathered at the last.” It was the autumn of 1878. A timid girl of sixteen was attending school at the Baptist College, Kalamazoo, Mich. A limited number of tracts on the third angel's message was issued from the office of THE ADVENT REVIEW, and she had supplied herself with quite a number of these, which she desired to distribute. How to do this was a problem long studied. There seemed no opening for their distribution. Urged forward by a tender conscience, she set out one day. Calling at each house as she passed along, she would modestly present a tract to the person answering the ring at the door. Each was received with becoming respect. It is safe to presume that there was not another Seventh-day Adventist in the place at that date. Just what became of this precious seed so faithfully, prayerfully, cast upon the waters we may never know. But the recent notice in the REVIEW of the death of Prof. August Kunze, recalls the fact that a little later we read that a student of theology in the Kalamazoo Baptist College, a German by the name of August Kunze, had discovered in the waste a Sabbath tract from the press of THE ADVENT REVIEW, and was led by perusing this tract to observe the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, and wrote requesting further doctrinal tracts which he had found advertised on the cover. Later Professor Kunze removed to Battle Creek, and became connected with the work there. In an after acquaintance with Professor Kunze the young lady, while a student at Battle Creek College, never mentioned to any one the struggle with conscience and timidity, but could only wonder if that Sabbath tract “found in the waste,” possibly might be a return after many days of the “bread cast upon the waters” amid such buffetings of Satan. Dear timid reader, remember the promise, “Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.” Our kind heavenly Friend keeps account of these efforts made for his sake. He may not be able to trust us with the knowledge of results, but be sure “he knows.” L. C. H. The One Hundred Thousand Dollar Fund
By I. H. Evans
AMOUNT reported .......... $112,568 96
Chas. G. Berglin and family .......... 500 00
Northern Union Conference .......... 102 50
Oklahoma Conference .......... 66 00
L. D. Pfender .......... 25 00
Central Union Conference .......... 23 37
Dr. M. C. Heilson .......... 20 00
North Michigan Conference .......... 12 48
Atlantic Union Conference .......... 12 00
Central Union Conference .......... 10 50
C. W. McAllister .......... 10 00
Thomas Buck .......... 10 00
Mrs. James C. Johnson .......... 7 00 A. G. Thayer, W. W. Prescott, F. E. Wagner, J. S. Neall, Mary E. Gunn, Tobias Hicks, M. L. Keller, P. H. Mangan, H. R. Finch. A friend (sale of brooms), $4.05; Phebe H. Hamp, $3; West Michigan Conference, $2.95; H. C. Kranz, $2.50; Alice I. Teeple, $2.50; Pacific Union Conference, $2.50; H. W. and B. S. Oliver, $2; Wm. Stykes, $2; Mrs. Ruckets, $2; H. A. Stephenson, $1.95; Mrs. John Ogren, $1.90; Philip Porter, $.97; Ray Millet, $.50; Elizabeth Ruckets, $.24. Mrs. Henry Burke, Venice Burke, Mrs. Chas. Temple, W. H. Millet, Alberta McLeod, Lake Union Conference, sale of “Story of Joseph” by E. A. Bristol, I. T. Woodward. Total reported .......... $113,449.77 TWO new Sabbath-keepers are reported at Lynden, Ontario. It is announced that three tent companies will be at work in Utah the coming summer. FIVE persons received baptism on a recent Sabbath at the Chicago South Side church. DEFINITE steps have been taken toward the erection of a church building at Antelope, O. T. THE Pacific Union Recorder reports the recent baptism of four students of Walla Walla College. TEN persons are keeping the Bible Sabbath at Sidney, Neb., as a result of the labors of Brother and Sister G. R. Hawkins. THE Portland Sanitarium at Mt. Tabor, Ore., was taken over, on April 4, by the North Pacific Union Conference Association. Two persons were baptized at Cleburne, Tex., the last Sabbath in March, and there is prospect of the organization of a church there. SEVEN persons have accepted the Sabbath truth in Gunnison, Utah, as a result of recent work by Brethren Paul Iverson and Chas. Nelson. A SABBATH-SCHOOL of twenty-eight members was recently organized at Crandon, Wis. Arrangements are also being made there for the opening of a church-school and the erection of a house of worship. THE following item of interest appeared in the Missionary News Letter of April 12: “Counting converts as some people count them, there would have been quite a glowing report of the meeting held by Elder Franke in the Auditorium of the Odd Fellows’ Hall, Philadelphia, one week last Sunday night, when out of an audience of approximately one thousand people about one hundred and fifty persons arose or raised their hands requesting special prayers. As a result of the meetings held thus far there have been a number of apparently genuine conversions, and several persons have told Brother Franke they are keeping the seventh-day Sabbath, and have asked him to baptize them. One of these writes as follows: ‘I am glad to tell you I am happy in the Lord. The first Sabbath I am keeping is the best, the happiest, and the sweetest one in seven years. Brother Franke, I feel as if tons of weight had been lifted from me. I can praise the Lord now for his goodness and his love. Over fifteen years I have been under this burden. I praise God that he has sent you to this city to free me. I give God all the praise.’ Elder Franke has recently received some letters of encouragement and commendation. One of these is from a Baptist minister, and another is from a physician who exhorts him for the Lord’s sake to go on with the good work.” What Spring Means to Our Church-Schools
By F. G.
There is, perhaps, no other season of the year when nature is so abundant in her teachings as in the spring. New life is awakening everywhere and in everything. The teacher's opportunities are consequently never so great at any other season as this. These opportunities should be seized upon by every one of our primary teachers all over the country. The study of the birds that come north to build their nests and erect their homes is in itself a most delightful one. Even the study of the bird songs is indeed most charming and profitable. The springing of the flowers brings great opportunities for the teacher who is in love with nature and with its God. Children love flowers. This love seems inborn in every one. Every teacher should seek to have a garden. To insure the most good from the garden and its proper care, it should be a missionary garden, so that after the school is closed, there may be a real interest in caring for it until it has been brought to maturity, and the things which are grown are harvested and disposed of, and the money turned over to the cause to which it may be assigned. The children should also be encouraged to plant and care for gardens at their own homes. These different lines of study naturally break up the ordinary routine of study, and it is a wise teacher who can take the school out into the field and by the wayside and still preserve a spirit20 of study and discipline. Hundreds of teachers are doing it continually, and every progressive teacher will seek to get from this outdoor work that knowledge and education which forms an essential feature of every system for the proper education of children. This work, though it requires extra study and effort on the part of the teacher, yields abundant returns in developing an active mind and spontaneity of thought. Children are more or less weary with the close confinement of the schoolroom during the winter. Here they have an opportunity for rest from it, and for recreation. We hope that those teachers who have experience in this work, and have met and overcome some of the difficulties which are naturally encountered in it, will give others the benefit of their experience. More Letters From Congressmen
“DEAR SIR: Replying to your letter of February 27, in which you state that you are sending me a document entitled ‘Liberty,’ I write to say that I shall take great pleasure in carefully perusing it, as you suggest. “Very truly yours.” “DEAR SIR: I am in receipt of petition against H. R. 3022 and 10510. I shall take pleasure in presenting the petition to the House of Representatives. I am personally in sympathy with the petition. Yours very truly.” “DEAR SIR: I am in receipt of your recent favor enclosing petition in regard to Sunday closing in the District. In acknowledging it I beg leave to say that I am glad to get this expression of opinion from the residents of my own district, and to advise you that it will give me pleasure to present the petition on the floor of the House. “Very truly yours.” “DEAR SIR: Your kind letter of the thirteenth enclosing a petition from Michigan, remonstrating against H. R. 3022, has been received and noted. I thank you very much for sending it to me, and I will be glad to have it presented to the House of Representatives. With great respect, I am, “Very truly yours.” “DEAR SIR: I have your recent favor with the enclosed petitions in regard to the proposed Sunday legislation for the District. In reply I beg leave to say that I am glad to get this expression of opinion from the residents of my district, and have taken pleasure in presenting those petitions on the floor of the House to-day. Very truly yours.” “MY DEAR SIR: I have yours enclosing petition. . . . I will take much more than ordinary pleasure in presenting this petition to the House, and furthermore, I am in absolute sympathy with this protest against the bill mentioned. Yours very truly.” “DEAR SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge receipt from you of six petitions against the Sunday bills now before Congress. Shall take pleasure in presenting these to the House. I have recently received several petitions from you from different parts of my district, which have not been directly acknowledged to you, but I have tried to acknowledge their receipt to some of the individual signers of the petitions. “Very respectfully yours.” Experiences in Circulating the Petitions
From Michigan: “I believe we have the names of all the lawyers in the village, five of the bankers, two doctors, almost all the business men, also the president of the village, but we have not gotten the signature of a single minister as yet.” From Rhode Island: “I could have gotten more names if I had shown it to everybody, but I thought best to get men of influence on first. The list is headed by the head of the largest department jobbing house in New England. There are also some retail merchants, real estate owners, and a bank director.” From Kansas: “I know this petition work is a great means of educating the people. I have had many good experiences. Among these names are those of a lawyer, an editor, and a Catholic priest.” From Alabama: “I have not found it very difficult to get signers. My experience with this work has been good. I visited an infidel family to-day who were only too glad to sign, and requested that I get him two or three petition blanks, and he would circulate them.” From Wisconsin: “I live on a farm three and one-half miles from ——, and I have seen but few people since I received the blank. I secured the names of all the people I interviewed except two. I do feel encouraged over this result now when the union of church is so imminently a fact in our land.” From New Mexico: “We have found comparatively few who refused to give us their names; and the most of these were courteous.” From Minnesota: “I did not have very much trouble to get signers. Some would not sign, but the most would. I hope and pray that the blessed Father will give us liberty a little longer to spread the precious truths to the world.” From Oregon: “Please find enclosed two petitions well filled out. One is the effort of one day, and the other is the work of about one week, and in doing this work I had many and varied experiences, and met with many men of as many different notions. But I feel that I have only done my duty. May the Lord bless the work.” From Idaho: “The experience has been good for me, and it will surely set those to thinking who have signed the petition.” From Texas: “After we had been at —— about two weeks, we received some blank petitions to be signed by those who were opposed to ‘Sunday legislation;’ but as we were in an entirely new field, we agreed to wait until we had spoken on the Sabbath question, setting forth the truth before the people on that subject, then to preach once or twice on the Christian’s relation to the ‘civil law’ or ‘government.’ Having done this, we presented the petition, and soon filled one and about half of another. The people seemed anxious to sign it. Some said, ‘We are not signing away our rights, but are helping these people to have the same rights that we enjoy.’ One man said, ‘I believe every man in —— would sign it.’ This experience is an evidence that there are some yet who have at least a degree of sympathy for the people of God.” Progress in New South Wales
The following extract is taken from the recent address of the president of the New South Wales Conference:— “This important work [the religious liberty work] has been too long neglected. The time has come when earnest, intelligent efforts should be made to redeem the time, and as the union conference is putting an able man into the field in the interest of this work, our local conference should make every effort possible to assist such laborers in placing the principles of religious liberty before the people in a proper light, thus helping them to stand upon the right side of this great question, when these important issues are pressed upon them. I trust these delegates will not overlook this line of work, but will lay plans to help it forward as the importance of the question may demand.” A further report of the New South Wales Conference says: “The much neglected phase of our message, ‘religious liberty,’ occupied the major part of Thursday’s proceedings, and several important resolutions were adopted. Pastor W. A. Hennig, who was recently appointed secretary of the union conference Religious Liberty Department, was present, and earnestly appealed for greater vigilance on the part of every Seventh-day Adventist regarding this phase of the message. The burden of the committee’s report was the creation of a department within this State for active service in the dissemination of suitable literature to our own and the outside people generally, and to maintain a live interest in the important question. The third Sabbath in each quarter was voted to be set apart to a study of religious liberty principles.” Conducted by the Department of Education of the General Conference. Frederick Griggs, Chairman, C. C. Lewis, Secretary. Our Intermediate Schools
By F. M. Burg
THE object of these schools is to provide Christian education for that class of our youth who, being somewhat advanced in their school work, fail to see the importance of continuing their studies, and therefore are in danger of listening to the offers which the world holds out to them, and having an inadequate education and no well-defined aims for their future, become lost in the mad rush to obtain the riches which perish with the using. There is no more dangerous point in the young person's life than just at this time; and fortunate is he if he has the opportunity of obtaining an education that is designed to give him a definite purpose in life,—a purpose to fill whatever place God has for him in his great work,—and in this to prepare for the life eternal. Nothing better can be done by the parents for their dear boys and girls for whom Satan is setting his snares, than to turn their attention and interests in that direction. And just such an end as this is involved in the establishment of our intermediate schools. If parents will awake to the importance of the situation, and will co-operate with conference workers in an effort to pluck our youth from the grasp of the world, encouraging them to enter the schools which are established and adapted for them, we shall see many in our training-schools or colleges getting a better fitting for God's work, and an army of energetic young men and women will soon go forth as soldiers for God and as workers in his vineyard. Space is too limited to say what might be said on the possibilities for good in these schools. To our people in western Washington I can say from personal knowledge that the results already accomplished in the conversion of young men and women, bringing them to a definite purpose to devote their lives to God's work, and the excellence of the work done for them in educational lines and in good discipline, demonstrate what good may be done when all will work together to make these schools what they may and should be. A large percentage of those who have attended the two schools in western Washington or the schools of this class in western Oregon have experienced a good conversion, and are fitting themselves for a place in God's great cause for to-day. Praise the Lord for this, and let all the people come to the help of these schools which so urgent a necessity has called into existence among us. Who should attend these schools? This has been answered in what has already been said. Much more might be said, but lack of space forbids. However, in passing I will suggest that these schools are not designed for mere children. It is right that parents keep their children under their own care and under the influence of home till they reach a point where it is clear that their going from home will not jeopardize their moral and spiritual welfare, but that it will be for their best interests to go to such a school. There are many of each of these two classes; hence there is more than an excuse for the existence of the schools which have been established for them. We have an obligation which can not be evaded. During my visit at the Meadow-glade School near Manor a program which the young people had prepared with the help of those in charge of the school and also of Elder T. H. Watson, was rendered in the Methodist church before a large and very appreciative audience. It can be said to the credit of these young people, and as an illustration of what can be done under properly directed effort, that the program and its rendering, and the exemplary and Christian conduct of the young men and women who took part in it, call for the highest commendation. As a result the community is thoroughly interested in our work. For some weeks the attention of the people near the school has been turned toward our people and their work in a favorable manner as a result of the work the school is doing, and many are inquiring about the truths which we hold. This program, which in so attractive and happy a way gave them so good an idea of many features of our work and message, came as a providential climax to the efforts that had been put forth. The Lord is at work in the school in a signal manner, and many marked conversions have resulted. We look for good days for these two schools in western Washington.