Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-07-15

quirement will be extended to the
| Junior and Senior classes. Much
depends upon the preparation and
| the spirit Of the teachers. A Bible
| course may be made most popular
| in fitting school. Something
| should be done by the members of
our board to interest the teachers of
study of book which has proved to
be the best means Of cultivating
moral life. In other states the
State Teachers Convention has
| promoted this unsectarian Bible
study in connection with the high
| schools. l recommend that this
| subject be proposed by our board as
worthy Of a place on the program of
| the annual convention Of the teach
| ers.
One great reason for this kind of
Bible study is the need of doing
away with the present bitter an
| tagonismS b t ween conservative
| Christians and those who read their
Bibles in the light of modern
science. From personal experience
with college students I know that
| the high schools and churches and
| homes do very little to prepare
young people to understand the
Bible. When they leave home to go
| to college or to enter business those
young people incline either to give
up altogether their religious beliefs
or to become ultra conservative.
| Such a course of study as we offer
Is well calculated to help young
people make that difficult transition
| from their childhood faith to their
| later rational thinking without suf-
| fering a shipwreck of their faith.
The Plan of Bible Study
This plan of Bible study is pro-
NOTED by Board of Control, ap-
| pointed by the State commissioner
| of education, with the cooperation
of the Maine Council Of Religious
Education, the four colleges Of
! tons of the State. The churches
have complete freedom with respect
to the Interpretation Of the Bible
| and the teaching of doctrine in
connection with the subjects here
| offered. Courses given in high
schools or academies should be
kept free from sectarian bias. The
| Board of Control simply aims to
secure a faithful study of the facts
| of the Bible as one means of de-
veloping moral life in the young
| people of this State.
! The requirements respect n 6
|
| and the number of weeks in the
school year are the same as in the
| local high school.
The State examinations are given
during the first week of February
and June. Those who pass the eX-
aminations will be credited with
| points that count toward their
| graduation from high school, If the
local committee so votes. The State
Department of Education approves
of such action on the part of the
!, school committees throughout the
State. Those who attain certificate
rank in these examinations will be
credited, after taking the four
mission to college. While some will
seek the credit. many others will
! study these subjects for the good
they get out of them. and this is the
chief aim of the course.
Board of Control
The State Board of Control con-
sists of: President, L. f. Moulton
of Edward Little high school, Au-
burn; secretary, Prof. H. r. Purin-
ton Of Bates College, Lewiston; Fred
| w. French, Portland; Mrs. Milo G..
Folsom, Gardiner; Herbert L. New
man, Waterville; Alfred V. Bliss,
| Miss Adele Fitzpatrick, Hallowell;
, Stanley Manning. Augusta; Wilmot
b. Mitchell, Brunswick; Drew T.
Hawthorn, Waterville; Josiah W.
Taylor, Augusta; James S. Stevens,
Orono; Alice Louise Brown, Port
, land; Fletcher II. KnoWlin, Water
vile.
Examining Committee: Profess
sor Edward S. Hammond of Bowdoin
! College and Miss Adele Gilpatrick,
Hallowell.
State Inspectors: Josiah w TayS
lor, Augusta; Professor II. r. Purin-
ton, Lewiston.
Course of Study
The courses of study are as fol-
| lows: First year, Literature of the
Old Testament: second year, The
! Achievement ofs Israel; third year.
Literature of the New Testament;
fourth year, The Achievement of
the Master.
A great deal of the credit for the
success of the project is due to Pro-
| fessor II. r. Purinton, secretary of
the board Of control, who has given
much time, effort and thought to
the development Of the work. Pro-
fessor Purinton who is at the head
| of the department of Biblical
Literature at Bates College, has pre-
pared several books for use in con-
nection with the courses, these hav-
ing been widely accepted in other
states, and he has done much to or
ganize the work here in Maine.