Bethel University - Spire Yearbook (St Paul, MN)

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G THE ACORN EDUCATION FOR BUSINESS. Business is an act whose practice is based upon a knowledge of the facts of the industrial world, and of the principals which underlie the conduct of commercial transactions. The life of the business man aside from his routine duties, is occupied in making decisions, answering questions, forming judgments. How may I judge this applicant for credit? How shall I invest my unemployed balance? Where shall 1 locate my branch house? By what system shall I pay my employees? in how far will it pay me as a manufacturer to disregard the middleman and go direct to the consumer? What is the cheapest route lor my shipments? How may I forsee the course of prices, of interest rates, or business solvency? What method or methods of advertising shall I adopt? How may i extend my business into foreign countries? Such questions as these, and many others arise in the experience of every man who occupies a position of responsibility, either in his own business or in the employ of some firm or corporation. In order to answer these questions correctly and to make sound judgements and decisions, certain knowledge must be acquired either in the course of a business career or in the preparation which precedes it. Essential to the business man’s equipment is a knowledge of the geography or the United States and foreign countries, of the raw materials of industry, with ‘.ho source of their supply and the methods of their production; of the institutions and agencies of finance, industry and trade; of the methods employed in the organization and management of the bank, the trust company, the factory and the store; of the principals which underlie the financing of a business, the granting of credit. the sale of goods, and the education of the consumer by means of advertising; of the various computations which the business man must make, the principals of bookkeeping. the interpretation of the accounts of partnerships and corporations; the methods of cost-keeping; the relation of the business man to the transportation company; the method of forwarding, and the calculation of freight charges by alternative routes. Finally tho not of least importance, the business man should be well grounded in the principals of business law, and esnecially should he have a thoro knowledge of bookkeeping. Successful men. after many yeais of active contact with affairs, acquire this knowledge, along with a large amount of valuable experience; but this equipment, when gained in active life, takes years to obtain, and is in many cases incomplete. If a large portion of the knowledge of business facts can be obtained in advance, the efficiency of even the man of highest natural ability and most fortunate situation will be greatly increased. Practical experience is essential to business success. No one is fit to be a superior who has not first been a subordinate. The experience gained during an apprenticeship in a bank, factory or railway office is indispensable. The time of apprenticeship can. however, be greatly shortened, and the value of this practical training can he much increased, if it is preceded by a thoro com-me’cial training. The commercial school bears the same relation to the career of the well-equipped business man that law and medical schools do to the practice of the lawyer and the doctor, and, unless due preparation is made one cannot expect to achieve that prompt and conspicous success which is the natural ambition cf every man. R. C. King.

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FACULTY ALFRED J. WIXGBLADE. ARYID GORDH. DAVID E. HAGLUND. R. C. KING. WILLIAM SMITH. FREDA SWENSON.

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THE ACORN 7 e THE ACORN PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE STUDENTS OF BETHEL ACADEMY. EDITORIAL STAFF. A. RRICSOX, 00..........Edltor-ln-Cblef. E. G. NORSSTRO.M. ’OS),...Associate Editor. J. AHLQUIST, ’ll........Business Manager. C. G. JOHNSON, '0!)..Advertising Manager. ADOLPH OLSON. 10............Swedish Dep t JUDITH SWANSON, TO, W ALFRED DANIELSON, TO,... Religious Dept ALBERT DAHLBY, TO, EDNA SKOOLUN, 'll,........Alpha Beta Notes ERNEST THOMPSON, ’ll. STEWARD SEGERSTROM. ’09...........Athletics ESTHER IIAGLUND. 09. Locals Exchange Application lor second class matter at the Post Office at Minneapolis, Minn. Subscription Price 50c per Year. All articles contributed to the Literary Department should be addressed to the Kditor-in-Chief and all business communications to the Business Manager. Tribune bldg.. Minneapolis, Minn. The school year is rapidly drawing to its close, and it behooves us as the staff to make our final bow. When reviewing the past year we cannot help but feel a deep sense of gratitude toward our friends for assistance in what a few months ago seemed to us a dubious project. A school which cannot boast of a large attendance, must neccessarily rely upon friends for support when it comes to the financial, and the friends of the institution have, without overstating anything, shown interest. Besides, we are thankful for criticism and timely suggestions given by other school publications. We have found them to be of great service. An inexperienced staff, undertaking to — X.W. Jo fVj JV - publish a paper—no matter how small it is—finds it no easy task. Therefore if things have not been as they ought to have been, we sincerily hope that, mishaps may be overlooked. Let us all look up to a bright future and make the “Acorn” better as I he years pass by. In conducting a denominational school supported by the contribution and interest of the people, there are two needs probably more keenly felt, while the school is yet in its infancy, and that is the lack of funds for a more enterprising progress, and. need of students. We do not wish by this to say that those of our people who have contributed, have not done so generously and their efforts ought not to receive clue