Bethel University - Spire Yearbook (St Paul, MN)

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Xafc le of Contents LITERARY DEPARTMENT— Page The First Vision........................... r Begynnelsens Dag............................ 0 The First Chapel............................ 7 The Bethel of Today......................... A Look Ahead............................... !) The Tour of the Concert Troop of Bethel Academy Alumnae Association..................... 10 The Religious Influences in Bethel Academy. 12 EDITORIALS— Our Yesterday.............................. 13 Cutting Across............................. 13 Be On Time................................ 13 Our Tomorrows.............................. 13 THE ACORN STAFF.............................. 11 GRADUATING CLASS OF 1915..................... 15 CLASS HISTORY................................ 16 CLASS POEM................................... 17 CLASS SONG................................... 17 CLASS PROPHECY............................... IS PERSONALS.................................... 10 FRESHMEN FANCIES............................. 20 SOPHOMORE THOUGHTS .............. •.......... 21 JUNIOR DREAMS................................ 21 SENIOR TOUCHES............................... 21 SOCIETY NOTES— M. S. A.................................... 22 Missionary Band............................ 22 S. P. B.................................... 23 Athenaean Society.......................... 24 ATHLETICS ................................... 26 SWEDISH DEPARTMENT— En Sjoresa till ornskoldsvik sommaren 1903. 2S ALUMNI NOTES................................. 30 NEW ACORN STAFF.............................. 35

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The Acorn VOL. VII MAY 1915 No. 8 a,lie 3Urst Uumnt Frank Peterson A the tiny aeon:, when in contort villi the soil, produced the sturdy oak, so a simple thought, germinated in the soil of necessity, brought into existence Bethel Academy. In the autumn of 1903 the program committee of the Swedish Baptist General Conference assigned to me the topic: “What is yet lacking in our denominational development?” In casting about in my mind what should be said on this subject, I was ied t.o look over the field of progress to ascertain in just what we were the weakest. I found we had made commendable progress in the organization of churches, in the erection of church edifices and parsonages, and we certainly made a good showing in the way cf evangelistic work. In all these things we had pushed ahead faster than we could follow up with adequate ministerial supply. Here then was the weak Joint in our denominational armour. Our theological school at Morgan Park could not be blamed for this. It was doing all that could be expected of it, with the resources at hand. The school needed more students and the students needed more thorough preparation than the facilities of the school could offer. The growing demand for an educated ministry made necessary a thorough preparatory training as a base upon which to build the theological course. Without it the student would suffer from a topheaviness which could not balance itself in the contact with the new .generation which was rapidly receiving a high school and college training. Were we to send cur young men to American Colleges, we would run the risk of losing them to the Swedish work altogether. Past experience had abundantly proven this. I could see only two things between which to choose, either to go on as we were doing and continue to send out a ministry inadequate to the demands of the times and thus go down to defeat, or to establish a school of our own where our young men could secure the training needed for their life work and at the same time retain their loyal and sympathetic relationship with their countrymen and their denomination. T believed the latter course was the logical one to take if the Swedish Baptists were to assume their share in the