Friends Intelligencer: A Religious and Family Journal

to do except to call attention to the fact in a brief The mysterious pine that, green through all the year, statement made in Twelfth month last, that the Is yet more green when the sweet spring is here; publications of value referred to were entirely unThe sky's deep curve, where close against it press

warrented and imaginary, as at the time of publiThe hills whose strength doth comfort my distress; The pure solemnity of winter snow,

cation no one was informed as to the value of the Under whose silence muted life tides flow;

properties. The bronze-hued shadow 'neath each green wave's crest The question, therefore, which has been so fully Whose following phalanxes thy power attest.

discussed all over the land with so much interest, These things there are that hush my heart,

proves to have been purely a supposititious one, And lift it nearer Thee.

and at no time had any reasonable foundation in - Josephine Horton Bruorton.

fact. In The Christian Register.

It is the general judgment of the Board that the

matter should be decided at this time, and on DECISION OF THE SWARTHMORE MANA- motion, it was “Resolved that the devise to Swarth

GERS AS TO THE JEANES BEQUEST. more College in the will of the late Anna T. Jeanes, The usual spring meeting of the Board of Mana

notice of which was given to the Board of Managers of Swarthmore College was held at 15th and

gers at their meeting in Tenth month, 1907, by the Race Sts., Philadelphia, on Third-day afternoon,

Executors of Anna T. Jeanes, be and is hereby

declined." Third month 10th; Isaac H. Clothier, Chairman, Rebecca C. Longstreth, Secretary.

The Board again affirms its belief and sympathy At the opening of the meeting the Chairman

with many of the views as to Intercollegiate spoke with regret of the unavoidable absence of

Athletics which have been expressed by Friends four valuable members of the Board-Joseph

from time to time, especially in the columns of the Wharton, Lydia H. Hall, Emmor Roberts and

Intelligencer, and it is believed that good may grow Robert M. Janney ; the three first named from ill

out of the otherwise fruitless discussion, and that ness, and the latter because of absence abroad.

a healthful and restraining influence may result not After the transaction of the usual business rou

only at Swarthmore, but over a wider field. To this tine the Committee appointed at the meeting in

end we recommend to the President and faculty Tenth month last to investigate as to the value of

the widespread concern of Friends on the subject, the properties included in the conditional bequest

with which concern we symyathize, and we ask of Anna T. Jeanes, submitted a careful and detailed

that increased attention be given by them to a report, the conclusion of which was as follows:

restraining influence on the whole subject, and “Your Committee therefore find as a matter of

especially with reference to the game of foot-ball. fact, after careful consideration of all the evidence produced, that Swarthmore College, if it accept He will certainly fail who hopes to know men deepthe conditional devise of Anna T. Jeanes, and if it ly and only to get happiness, never to get anxiety, is held by the Courts that the Carbon County lands distress, disappointment, out of knowing them; are included in the gift, would come into possession and he has mistaken the first idea of human comof property worth from $24,000.00 to $47,000.00. If panionship who seeks companionships, friendships, 'coal or mineral rights' are not found on the Car- and contacts with mankind directly and simply for bon County tract and they do not pass to Swarth- the pleasures they will give him.- Phillips Brooks.

FRIENDLY INFLUENCES AT SWARTHMORE. meeting. The evident aim was to provide an

It was rather a fine sample of Friendly heroism, institution, which while being mindful of the when that company of concerned members of the

limitations and besetments of our personal and Society, during the most strenuous year of the

collective life, should in spirit, influence and Civil War, projected the founding of Swarthmore atmosphere be of the genuinely Friendly type. College. The act of incorporation, commonly

IN LINE WITH THE PURPOSE. called “the charter,” passed the Pennsylvania legislature in 1864, and was approved by Governor

The query naturally follows, “What are the Andrew G. Curtin, the first day of Fourth month

conditions and influences now existing and operin that year. From that day the college existed ating at Swarthmore, which in whole or in part on paper, and has been growing with its growth correspond with this purpose?” In this connecand strengthening with its strength as a reality tion it is quite natural to look at the college ever since.

faculty, and the individual religious connection of The scope of the college is very briefly and

its members, as indicating the answer to the

query. simply defined in the second section of its charter,

Yet it has to be remembered that the which consists of the following provisions:

Friendly spirit may be possessed and the Friendly

influence exercised by persons who are not yet “That the said corporation be authorized to establish and maintain a school and college, for the purpose of

members of our Society. It is evident that in an imparting to persons of both sexes knowledge in the vari

educational institution, membership in any relious branches of science, literature and the ts, and the gious organization cannot be considered either the Board of Managers shall have the power to confer upon only or the controlling qualification for service. the graduates of the said college, and upon others, when, Looking over the faculty at Swarthmore we find by their proficiency in learning, they may be entitled

that eight of its members are now in full connecthereto, such degrees as are conferred by other colleges or universities in the United States."

tion with the Society. Of the instructors and lec

turers a like number are members of meeting, and By this act the co-educational character of the of the college force whose connection is more or college was fundamentally fixed, beyond any less clerical, five have their membership with us. power short of the amendment of the charter to It will thus be seen that twenty-one of the persons alter.

responsible for the educational and other activities As a matter of course all of the first corporators at Swarthmore are Friends. Two members of the were Friends. The basis of Friendly control be- faculty have united with the Society since their ing vested in the holders of stock, it soon ap- connection with the college. It should be stated peared that the thread which should continuously in case of one of the faculty and one of the lectie the control of the college to Friendly hands turers, that the application for membership inwas exceedingly slender and uncertain. In 1891

cluded the wife and children. It is also true that this uncertainty was removed by creating a other members of the faculty, not now members “Board of Corporators." This act contained the of the Society, are concerned attenders of meetfollowing qualification for eligibility: “The officers ing, and helpers of the Friendly activities. and managers of the corporation shall be members We believe that previous to about four years of the Society of Friends under whose auspices ago there had been no accessions to the SwarthSwarthmore College was founded, and no others

more Monthly Meeting from the student body. may be elected to said offices."

Since that time eight students have united with This much of preliminary to show the actual the meeting by request. At the last Monthly relationship existing between the Society and the Meeting two students were received as members, college, a matter which is not very clear in the and the application of another student for memminds of many Friends. The commission con- bership was presented. tained in the charter evidently provided for some- At the present time it is required that all resithing more vital and far-reaching than the estab- dent students, under twenty-one years of age, shall lishment and perpetuation of a mere sectarian in- | attend the First-day meeting, unless their parents stitution. At the heart of the founders there direct that they go to some other church. The seems to have been a desire to provide a means of present college year has marked a considerable higher education which should not carry with it increase in the student attendance of meeting, the influences of dogmatic theology. The dangers such attendance being one-third more than it was of mere officialism were guarded against when the last year, while the interest is more evident and control was lodged in a self-perpetuating board of vital. On a First-day a few weeks ago, the only Friendly managers, rather than placing the insti- vocal service in the meeting for worship, was by tution under the care of a yearly, or any other the students, more than a dozen of the young men

« Предыдущая Продолжить »

Книги

Friends Intelligencer: A Religious and Family Journal, Том 65,Выпуск 11