A glee club has been formed, which meets in the Second Brethren Church building across the street from the school grounds, until the buildings can accom modate this class. The year-old building in which the school is now conducted is owned by the Second Brethren Church and leased to the First Brethren Church with the latter completely responsible for the administration. The school is maintained by free-will pledges, augmented as necessary by sponsorships and gifts from those who have no children in the school. The cost per pupil is about $12 a month, and in addition a small charge is made for the books, paid in annual installments for three years, after which they become the property of the school. At present the school has an enroll ment of 160 pupils, with a staff o f ten, headed by Albert L. Flory, superin tendent, formerly both a student and member of the teaching staff of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. Driving two miles farther north on Orange Avenue, the spacious ten-acre site of the proposed high school—second unit of this growing Christian day school —comes into view. This new building, now ready for the roof and equipped with the most modern radiant heating system by which hot water circulates through pipes in the cement floor, is to be finished in time for school in Septem ber. This building now under construc tion will accommodate about 200 pupils. About 50 different volunteer workers have assisted at various times in the work of the new building. The drafts man, head carpenter and practically all the workmen have been members of the First Brethren Church, although some friends from other congregations have helped. This new building will have five regular classrooms, including space for chemistry, physics and library. Later it is planned to erect an audi torium-gymnasium on the grounds, but the buildings will not be mushroomed into being, only erected as need requires, thus avoiding too much financial respon sibility at one time. This second group of buildings now under construction is estimated by the county building department to cost $66,000, but the actual outlay will be around $40,000, owing to saving in buy ing material, and to the willing volunteer helpers who contribute their labor. The objective of the school is to give the boys and girls a fully-rounded pro gram of education, based upon the Bible as originally committed by God to His people. History shows that for centuries education was promoted by the church through Christian people; “ but,” said Dr. Mayes, “ for the last century this job has been turned over to the state. It is common knowledge now that due to the recent action of the Supreme Court o f the United States and trends in general, very little Bible is allowed in the average public school.” J U N E , 1 9 4 9
THE PLASTIC YEARS They pass so quickly, the days of youth, And the children change so fast, And quickly they harden in the mould, And the plastic years are past. Then shape their lives while they are young. This be our prayer, our aim, That every child that we meet shall bear The imprint of His name! —Martha Snell Nicholson
Charles W. Mayes, D.D. Pastor of First Brethren Church, Long Beach, Calif.
Dr. Mayes maintains that any evan gelical church with a vision can start such a day school, provided it has a building to begin with, for the cost of approximately twelve or fifteen dollars per month for each pupil. With thirty pupils for each teacher, the operating expenses can be well met. “ It is our hope,” stated Dr. Mayes, “ that other Christian groups throughout the country will be encouraged to launch out on this much-needed kind of educational pro gram for reaching the young with the Gospel first before subversive elements gain control over their young lives.”
The present school is conducted in this building, completed in the summer of 1948 with a floor space of about 4,000 square feet.
L eft to righ t: Joyce Squires, teacher o f third and fourth grades; Vivian Showalter, school nurse and teacher o f classes in health; Kathryn Rogers, teacher of ninth grade with some classes in seventh and eighth; Albert L. Flory, principal and teacher of seventh and eighth grades with some classes in the ninth; Lawrence Thon, director of athletics, buildings and grounds; Wilma Price, teacher of fifth and sixth grades; Ruth Nelson, bookkeeper and office secretary; Mary Mulloy, teacher of first and second grades.
This hew building with 10,000 square feet o f floor space will open fo r high school in September, 1949. A large patio is in the rear between the two wings. A temporary tool shed is seen in front. Page Nine
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