Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1907-10-16
ARE AGAINST change
Action Of Alma College Trustees
Declaring il Non.Sectarian
Not Upheld by Synod.
TO PENSION OLD TEACHERS
Board Con 20 Ahead With Plans De.
spite the Synod, Under Articles
of Incorporation.

The following dispatch dated Bay
City, October o appeared in the De.
troit Free Press of last Thursday
Whether Alma college shall retain
its identity as denominations col.
lege or in the future be known, on
the surface at least, as non-sectar-
ian, was the question that just be
fore adjournment to-day brought on
lively discussion in the meeting OF
the Michigan Presbyterian synod,
The board OF trustees Of the col
lege desires to place Alma within the
Carnegie retired teachers pension
fund TO do this it is necessary to
declare Alma non-sectarian col.
lege, the Skibo philanthropst draw.
ing the line on pensions for aged and
deorepit instructors in denomination.
al Institutions
/ The trustees some time ago voted
TO remove from the charter the for.
nal declaration proclaming Alma a
Presbyterian college, but left stand
ing the clause which provides for the
election of the trustees by the Mich
gan synod While there is some di
vision of sentiment. the majority is
said to be overwhelmingly in favor
of sticking to the declaration that
Alma is a Presbyterian college-pen.
sion fund or no pension fund.
1t was argued that the action OF the
trustees in retaining the provision
that the trustees be elected by the
synod bars the college anyway from
participating in the teachers pen.
sions, and that the removal of the
formal declaration of denomination.
al control is therefore OF no effect.
Let's be Presbyterians; nail the
flag TO the mast and stick to it, The
retention OF the election OF the trus
tees by the synod stands in the way
and most of this talk is hot air
declared DR. w. II. Clark, of De
troit
There is an element that desires to
remove the attachment OF denomina
tionalism from the college on geuer
al principles and enc man of Detroit
made a plea in favor OF dropping the
dcnominational phase, declaring that
Obcrlin, Albion, and nearly All other
deaomnational colleges we're doing
away with the denominations name
and advertised themselves as non.
sectarian i'm the effort to cxteud their
work and attract students
The trustees Of the college, how.
ever. believe that the mere removal
OF the formal declaration that Alma
is a Presbyterian denominations col
lcge will be sufficient to bring the
institution within the scope outlined
by Carnegie.
The action of the trustees is laid
before the synod for ratification. but
there are hints that the action OF the
trustees may be binding, without the
approval of the synod 1t is beyond
question that the synod would sit
down emphatically upon any propo-
sition to give up the power to ap.
point the trustees The committee
report OF the action OF the trustees
brought the question to the front
It will be decided tomorrow morn
ing
President Bruske, of Alma college
also outlined plan to appeal to the
| lumbermcn of the state for a fund
for "Lumbermen's memorial hall
Of science and arts" saying that
Alma was essentially lumbcrmen's
institution, most OF its big gifts com
ing from lumbermen Alexander
Folsom gave the first $4,000 to the
endowment fund: A. w. Wright has
given thousands of dollars and a
large tract OF land. and Nathan b
Bradley, another lumberman, gave
thousands
The synod also adopted favorable
report on the plan to ask the Presby
terians OF the state 20 increase by
about 20 per cent the funds to be
raised the coming year for benevolent
purposes. Last year slightly over
$4,000 was raised; this year slightly
over 100000 is wanted Detroit pres
bytery. with I2.I4 members. led dur.
ing the last year with S34o32 raised.
The total membership OF the church
in Michigan is $500
| Under date OF October roth the
Saginaw Courier sad after three
hours OF warm debate this morning
the Presbyterian synod. by a vote Of
% to 80, declined to approve the ac-
tion of the trustees of Alma college
IN declaring that institution non-scc.
tartan in order that the instructors
employed there might profit by the
Carnegie pension fund for teachers
in their old age j. r. Wylie of Grand
Rapids. a member of the board OF
trustees OF the college and a delegate
20 tho synod. announced cmphaiically
that the hoard did not require the
approval OF the synod to go ahead