THE TRAINING OF NURSES
(A paitar read at the Twelfth Annual Presbyterian Workers’ Con
ference, held at Johnson C. Smith University, Jan. 25-28.)
By Mrs. A.
Gillespie Normal >01, Cordele, Ga.
Cordele is the center of a vast
territory. Within a stone's
throw it has a 35,000 acre pecan
farm. It is a great peach sec
tion. The Hale Farm has 25,
000 trees. The town has four
trunk lines of railroad. The
medical profession is favorable
and helpful. The races get on
well together. There are three
Negro schools. All cooperate
with the whites.
They say that necessity is
the mother of invention. Be that
as it may, there is one thing cer
tain, that necessity is the moth
ed of Gillespie Normal School in
Cordele, and also the mother of
the hospital idea we are trying
to put into realization.
There is not a hospital where
colored people can go and be as
sured attention in our section
within a radius of a hundred and
seventy-five miles.
You see the necessity of this
work in Cordele and at Gillespie
Normal School. Dealing with
children from untrained homes
—rough, uncouth, not knowing
how to take care of themselves
along the simplest lines of life
—we are brought into contact
with all sorts of accidents. Un
der circumstances like these we
all see the necessity of knowing
the value of first aid and what
to do until the doctor comes or
in case you have no doctor at all.
Quite naturally we thought
what a blessed thing it would
be to have a health department
in our school. Being without
money it could only remain an
’•’■Hiifc -- * ¥
A girl came into our school
who was a graduate and a
trained nurse and she inspired
us.
Persons entering any profes
sion should fit in. One of our
doctors said that there is no
profession higher than that of a
nurse. The trained nurse must
meet the needs of the day. They
are to spread the gospel of hy
giene which will mean better
homes and more happiness. We
believe that nurses and doctors
should be Christians. It is al
most a tragedy to see a nurse
or a doctor who is not a Chris
tian. Often times for them to
be Christians means more than
medicine.
The nurse has the opportunity
to rendqv valuable service and
in the f.-jantime help herself.
Not only does the well-trained
nurse make a good living but
she comes in contact with many
different kinds of people and
thereby makes for herself
friends. This means ‘•‘Capital
in stock”—education, culture,
means.
The trained nurse is better
prepared for a wife and mother.
She can serve better the wife
and mother. Professional eth
ics is based on the golden rule—
she must be loyal to the doctor
and to the patient. There is
never a time when sne should
criticise the doctor or complain
of surroundings. She ever
needs a cheery, sunshiny dispo
sition. We all need this. She
should love the profession. Her
responsibility to the family and
friends is great. The child
knows that the mother loves it.
The patients should also know
that the nurses love them. The
nurse should not complain and
shirk duty. So many person^
will do as little as possible and
exact full pay. How easy it is
for a nurse to launder a garment
for a patient. “If you are asked
to go a mile,” etc., etc.
Not only are grown-ups living
in unsanitary conditions, but
their offspring so often die from
the effect. The venereal diseas
es, tuberculosis, etc., are causing
too many deaths in the human
race. If these diseases are not
handled rightly they will be
handed down to the offspring.
No group can afford to have a
sickly, disabled set of young
people. Let us see to it that the
right kind of teaching before
birth is done. This is a great
opportunity for nurses.
The work of the world would
be incomplete without the hos
pital. The Church—the great
est of all institutions—is doing
a wonderful work, pointing souls
to the Lamb of God. The school
is- training the youth and pre
paring them to live better in this
world, but the hospital is caring
for the lame, blind and womout
servants of both the church and
school and thereby making their
last days> and hours more com
fortable ; and which is better
than that—it is helping to
build up a set of strong young
people who will be able to carry
the burdens fo life with far more
ease than did their parents.
We succeeded in securing the
service of Miss 1 ~ik Burke, a
registered graduate nurse, who
is doing a splendid work at Gil
lespie. Many concrete cases of
service could be cited.
We have clinic days three
times a week. More than 300
children have been helped.
Children from all three of the
schools in town have been treat
ed and their wounds dressed.
Our nurse worked at the white
hospital side by side with the
white nurses and gave satisfac
tion. We could keep at least
two nurses all the time at work
at the white hospital.
Our white physicians have
giyen thfir services unreserved
ly. What the doctors are doing
for the sick in Cordele can be
done for all sections if their ser
vices are solicited. After all it
amounts to this—“Inasmuch as
you did it unto the least of these
my little ones, ye did it unto
me.” k
PAST EVENTS AW JOHN
HALL, CARTHAGE.
According to The Trenton
Times the recent death of Miss
E. Johnson, of that city, re
moves from life die of John
Hall’s best friends. She had al
ways been interested in the
work here and the many good
deeds she did will long be re
membered and cherished.
,The Annual Sermon to the
Brotherhood was preached on
the 5th Sunday by Rev. F. C.
Shirley, of Charlotte, and was
considered one of the best
heard in a long time. The total
amount realized was $50. The
last meeting of the Brotherhood
was held at the home of Elder
H. Hayes. After listening to an
excellent journal by Mr. Everett
Kelly and a debate by two of
the Juniors we were delicious
ly served. Number present, 22.
The Week of Prayer was a
great success. The preaching
was done by the three lead
ing white ministers of the
city nnd Dr. Chas. Lincoln Jack
son, of Pine Bluff. At the close
a pageant was presented by the
young ladies under the leader
ship of Miss Florence Stafford.
The amount raised was $7.
The Banner class for the
month was the Young People’s
Division. The largest number
in attendance was 25. The
largest amount raised by this
class during one Sunday was
$5.01.
A joint meeting of the two
sessions was held recently to de
vise plans for supplementing
the pastor’s salary to the sum
of $300 or $400. The Ladies’
Aid Society, of which Mrs. L.
A. McDonald is President, has
decided to defray the light bill,
and the Brotherhood, with Mr.
H. A. Goins as President, is to
furnish all fuel. The splendid
(Continued eta Page 4)
STORY OF THE
NEGRO
By Rev. John
D. D.
The Presbyterian Church in
the U. S. A. had decided to send
colored missionaries to Africa,
under the same conditions which
they send white missionaries.
A large Missionary Confer
ence on Foreign Work was held
at the rooms of the Board of
Foreign Missions, 156 Fifth
Avenue, New York, N. Y.f on
February 7th, 1927, to consider
plans for sending colored mis
sionaries to Africa.
The Presbyterian Church in
the U. S. A. sent its first mis
sionaries to Africa in 1832, all
of whom were white, until 1842.
During that time about twenty
were sent out. In 1842 the first
colored missionaries were sent
out and from 1842 to 1865 about
sixty colored missionaries were
sent to Africa. From 1860
to 1865 most of these mission
aries were sent from the old
Ashman Institute, now Lincoln
University* Among them were
such men as Revs. John Debety,(
J. R. King, Wm. H. B. Blain,
Thos. Amos, and later Dr. Ed
ward Wilmot Blyden, with many
others. These men established
missionary churches and
schools in Monrovia, Liberia,
West Africa.
It is also true that the late
Dr. Henry Highland Garnett,
who was one of the first resident
United States Consul Generals
to be appointed to Liberia, had
a daughter, who married an
African by the name of Barboza.
They had two daughters. Mrs.
Barboza established a school on
that field, where she was princi
pal, and she also taught there
until her death. It is said that
many of the statesmen of Libe
ria attended that school, some
of whom continued their courses
of study in other colleges and
became the leading statesmen
of that Republic.
For a time the work of the
missionaries grew and flourished
but difficulties arose, (P"'/ite
gration set in and the wd ’. .. e
gan to wane, growing weaker
and weaker each year until it
became very small and insignifi
cant. The Methodist Episcopal
Church had the strongest mis
sionary work on that field. They
invited the Presbyterian Church
to turn over their work to them
which they did. The two works
were correlated, so whatever
support the Presbyterian
Church in the U. S. A. gave it
was given through the Method
ist Episcopal Church.
It was then that the Board of
Foreign Missions of the Presby
terian Church in the UC S. A.
withdrew from the* Liberian
field, in 1890, about forty years
ago, and has not sent any colored
missionaries to the Foreign
Field since. However, a few of
these colored Presbyterian mis
sionaries refused to be with
drawn and have remained
through these nearly forty
years, establishing themselves
permanently. In order to ac
complish this they organized in
to a local Presbytery known as
the Pres1 ^tery of West Africa,
remainin al to the Presbyte
rian Church until today. These
men with their families have
lived through many hardships
and much sacrifice, enduring
illness and poverty in order to
maintain their identity as Pres
byterians.
Dr. Solomon Porter Hood, who
was appointed United States
Resident Consul to Liberia in
1921, by President Warren G.
Harding, discovered a group of
men and some women with
whom he had been acquainted
for many years in America.
Some of them had been his old
friends and acquaintances of the
Ashman Institute, now Lincoln
University, nearly fifty years
ago. In their friendly exchange
of experiences, past and present,
these men told Dr. Hood some
thing of the hardships they had
and the sacrifices they
in called upon to make
r to continue their work
Liberian missionary
hich rested so heavily on
earts. The story of their
and sufferings touched
ir chord of sympathy in
rt of their old friend,
as once himself a Presby
inister and he resolved
is influence to secure for
e assistance.
In May, 1924, Dr. Hood re
turned to America on a leave of
absence from the Liberian field.
Early fin June he attended the
commencement exercises of his
Almaf Mater, Lincoln Universi
ty, Where he met many of his
old Mends and acquaintances.
Amonlr them was Dr. John W.
o is the Field Represen
of the Division of Mis
r Colored People iri the
irian Church, U. S. A.
ted to Dr. Lee the true
m ot the West African
ian field. Immediately
rence was called at the
f Dr. Matthew Anderson
delphia. This was the
ite step taken in this
in. Those present were
J. Grimke, S. P. Hood,
Imes, Chas. L. Freeman
n W. Lee. Dr. Lee was
d through Dr. Hood
when lie returned to his post to
find o|t the true stiuation. As
a resd t Of this investigation the
West ^African Presbytery was
directj d to hold a meeting rela
tive ft the matter. At that
time in overture was passed
requesting the General Assent
w the Board of FoF
eign Missions to reopen its mis
sionary work in Liberia. This
overture was forwarded to Dr.
Lee who delivered the same to
the General Assembly at Colum
bus, Ohio, in 1925. This body
turned it over to the Standing
Committee on Foreign Missions.
Dr. Lee presented the entire
case befeore this body, declaring
that the colored Presbyterian
Church in America earnestly re
quested it as a means of inspi
ration to the young men and wo
men of their Church to prepare
themselves along missionary
lines for work on the Foreign
Field, especially Africa. That
the reopening of the West Af
rican Field, or the opening of
some new field would not only be
an inspiration to our young peo
ple, but would inspire our col
ored Presbyterian churches to
give more largely of their spir
itual, moral and financial sup
port to work on the foreign field.
Furthermore, that churches of
all denominations require this
form of inspiration to quicken
and develop their spiritual and
missionary conscience and the
the Presbyterian Church, U. S.
A., needs it also. The Foreign
Board after hearing the argu
ment, promised to take the
whole matter under considera
tion, and, if the way be clear,
they would either reopen the
work in Liberia, West Africa, or
begin in some new field.
Our next conference was helcj,
in Philadelphia, May 10, 1926,
by Drs. Robert E. Speer and W.
R. Wheeler, Secretaries of the
Foreign Board, and Dr. John W.
Lee, Representative of Colored
Work in America, to arrange for
a larger conference at the Gen
eral Assembly in Baltimore, Md.,
on May 18th, 1826, at Brown
Memorial Presbyterian church.
On this occasion we had with us
Drs. Speer and Wheeler, For
eign Board Secretaries, three
white missionaries from the for
eign field, and a large group of
colored men, representatives of
our colored Presbyterian
churches in America.
It was at this conference that
the Executive Secretary, Dr.
Robert E. Speer, stated that the
Board of Foreign Missions had
decided to send one of our col
ored group to Le Zoute, Belgium,
to the World's Missionary Con
ference. Rev. A. B. McCoy, of
Atlanta, Ga., a Sabbath School
Missionary, was afpointed rad
made the trip in September,
1926. After their return a
conference was held in January,
1927, at which time a favorable
report was made relative to
sending colored missionaries to
Africa by the Presbyterian
Church in the U. S. A.
It was after this decision that
the Missionary Conference was
called by the Board of Foreign
Missions on February 7, 1927,
at the Presbyterian Building, at
166 Fifth Avenue, New York,
N. Y.f to consider the whole
question of sending colored mis
sionaries to Africa.
The following representatives
of the Foreign Board were pres
ent: Dr. Cheeseman A. Herrick,
of Philadelphia, Pa.; Dr. Robert
E. Speer, of New York, N. Y.;
and Dr. W. B. Wheeler, of New
York, N. Y.
Delegates to the Le Zoute
Conference:
Dr. A. J. Brown, of New York,
N. Y.; Miss J. K. Mackenzie, of
New York, N. Y.; Miss Irene
Sheppard, of New York, N. Y.;
Dr. A. B. McCoy, Atlanta, Ga.;
Dr. W. C. Johnston, and Mr. and
Mrs. G. Schwab, Foreign mis
sionaries.
Representatives of our colored
churches in America, appointed
by the Board of Forei/' Mis
sions : /
Dr. John W. Lee, *. hiladel
phia, Pa.; Mrs. H. L. McCrorey,
Charlotte N. C.; Dr. J. W. Hol
ley, Albany, Ga.; Dr. W. C. Har
grave, Rogersville, Tenn.; Dr.
John T. Colbert, Baltimore, Md.
After a full, free and friendly
discussion of the whole question
by all present, a resolution was
passed that it was now the unan
imous opinion of the conference
ffiaTthrtfihe Is-flite to seM col
ored missionaries into Africa.
Also that two couples be sent,
two men with their wives, in
1928, or as soon thereafter as
practicable. That they should
enter the missionary field as
evangelists, as we believe that
the active proclamation of the
Gospel must accompany and in
deed precede all. other activities.
The standards to be met by our
colored missionaries shall be the
same as those met by white mis
sionaries, spiritually, morally,
physically ana eaucauonany.
That the wife shall be required
to meet the same tests of stand
ards that the husband is re
quired to meet was also agreed
upon. While these qualifica
tions are necessary for both, the
chief asset is sanctified common
sense, in order to enter the For
eign Field. For upon these ap
pointments a great deal depends
as to future appointments. The
opening of this new field of en
deavor to the colored churches
of the Presbyterian Church in
the U. S. A. is a real challenge
to our faith, our ability and our
courage.
Indeed, it should actuate us to
give our full measure of devo
tion along every line to the gen
erous support of this Foreign
Missionary Work in Africa from
whence our forefathers came. It
is to be hoped that our colored
churches, East, west, JNortn ana
South will awake and put on
their strength and give their
support unreservedly and uni
versally toward this forward
movement, now made possible to
us on the African continent.
Then let us as a committee re
presenting the colored Presby
terian churches in America plan
to present this matter to our
mission schools, colleges and
seminaries, as well as our Sab
hath schools, Christian Endeav
Societies, and other religious
bodies, calling the attention of
our young men and women to
the great field for Christian ser
vice which has been opened un
to them.
May our ministers also re
quest that missionary classes be
organized to teach the young
people the need of preparing
themselves as Foreign Mission
aries and creating in them a
burning desire and willingness
to enter the door of opportuni
ty now standing open 'before
them, to render qprvice to their
fellow men in the heathen and
semi-heathen lands that we may
send their names and something
of their qualifications for the
service to the Candidate Com
mittee, 156 Fifth Avenue, New
York. '
To this end may the Holy
Spirit enlighten the minds of our
young people that they may see
their full duty in the matter and,
like the young prophet of old,
may they offer themselves and
be able to say, “Here am I, send
me, send me.”
Philadelphia, Pa.
3AST VINE AVENUE PRES
BYTERIAN CHURCH
KNOXVILLE, TENN.
By Rev. J. J. Foster
The church has been remed
ied this year at a cost of
>3,500 and is one of the pretti
est churches on the interior in
;he city. We have a basement
vith all modern conveniences.
Ve began work as the Stated
Supply of the church just after
he Spring meeting of the Pres
jytery and by the splendid co
jperation of the good folks we
lave increased in attendance
md membership. I frankly ad
nit that I have not had as wide
i pastoral, experience as a great
nany of the brethren but I can
;ruthfully say *ve are separated
perhaps a few hundred miles
from the hub of Presbyterian
ism, but this people are the
greatest workers we have had
the opportunity of being with
ir who have come under
my observation. Now 1 do
not mean that there is a hun
irj^d pej- cent efficiency in the
church; and there are many
things that could be improved,
if course, but I take the church
in general.
First, we have a Ladies’ Mis
sionary Society, Ladies’ Aid So
ciety, Junior Missionary Socie
ty and Laymen's League. Every
one of these organizations, ex
cept one, meets every week.
The Ladies’ Aid is just com
pleting the purchase of a $400
carpet for the splendid remod
eled auditorium. The Ladies’
Missionary Society pay the
light bill of the church. The
Junior Society has also contri
buted in various rallies and in
the general upkeep of the
church. And all of them have
administered to the sick and in
firm.
The course that was studied
this year in the Missionary So
ciety was “The Trend of the
Races,” and at the beginning
of the church year they will take
up ‘Templed Hills.”
The session is composed of
men of experience and vision
and of great reverence for the
work of God. Also we have a
splendid set of deacons and a re
organized Trustee Board that is
functioning in the progress of
the church.
The minister and his wife
were sitting at home on Christ
mas Eve wondering how to
make ends meet. With silent
tread and hushed voices
members of the church came
stealing in one by one until the
living room was filled to its ca
pacity with the members and
friends, singing, “Joy to the
world, the Lord is come.” After
prayer by Elder Tate, veteran
elder of the church, they went
one by one into the dining room
and filled the table with delicious
eatables of all descriptions, such
as flour, sugar, lard, coffee;
beans, potatoes and that meat
they call preachers’ meat and
many other things that were
needed. We were compelled to
say, “May the Lord bless the
cheerful giver.” It was indeed
very much appreciated.
But fliat is not all. When we
thought everything was over
the Ladies’ Missionary Society
saw that there was something
(Continued on page 4)