Provo City, .
President Wilford Woodruff
Chairman General Board of Education.
Dear Brother,
In conformity with your instructions and those of the General
Board as published in the Deseret News and date of June 11, exam-
inations of Church school teachers were held at Gunnison, Cedar,
Logan, Salt Lake, and Provo at the specified times. Records of pro-
ceedings have been carefully kept and are respectfully submitted
in accompanying book. Results thus far obtained show, that
15 Candidates have passed ^for^ the Primary Grade, 47 for the
Intermediate Grade, and 3 as Specialists in Music.
The Board of Examiners had held several consultations pre-
vious to the appointed times for examinations, to decide upon
the propositions and the general mode procedure, minutes of
which deliberations have also been recorded in the book before
you.
Owing to the serious illness of Bro. Talmage, Bro. Benjamin
Cluff jr. recently returned from Michigan University, acted, accord-
ing to your instructions, as Assistant Examiner, taking spea-
cial charge of the examination-exercises at Salt lake City,
while Bro. Tanner conducted those at Logan, and I those
at Gunnison, Cedar, and Provo, although attending also
at Logan and Salt Lake part of the time.
This being the first experiment of the kind in our Church-
school-Organization, a great many difficulties had to be over-
come and much patience and persuasion to be brought
into requisition in order to accomplish the object in view,
namely to lay a sure foundation of efficiency in our Church-
school-Service.
As the manuscript list of Percentages now before you shows
several vacancies as yet it has been impossible for the Board of
Examiners to determine the Percentage of "General Efficiency."
Several of the candidates were not able to attend the regular ex-
aminations in consequence of which special examinations eith-
er in writing or oral had to be held, involving a large am-
ount of correspondence. The Board of Examiners asks here-
by for instructions, whether the "General Efficiency" should be
determined upon the Percentages obtained thus far, and
or whether it should be left open until next year, until
the Certificates be made out accordingly.
By As instructed, Bro. Benjamin Cluff jr. is now engaged
to have his academic diploma as Bachelor of Mathematics
and Didactics (BMD) corresponding to his diploma from the
Michigan University as B.S. and will submit it to the President
for signature in due time.
In addition to the items contained in my letters of July 24,
Sept. ^5 and^ and Sept. 250, ^all^both addressed to the Secretary Bro. Geo. Reynolds,
I have to report following points of progress of our school-works:
2. continue
In addition to the 37 church schools reported Sept. 20, there is another
one to be placed on the list, namely a Church school at Fremont,
Sevier Stake, Piute Co. in charge of Miss Arretta Young, concerning
the ^to be^ recognized grade of which school I respectfully ask your in-
struction. I have visited the Church schools at Nephi, Provo,
Huntington, Castle Dale, Cottonwood, 14 Ward, 18 Ward, and
the L. D. S. College since the opening of the school season, met
with the Seventies, Boards, and in several instances also
with the people of the respective districts in public meetings.
Several schools have started in August, some in September,
some before Conference in October, and some intend star-
ting Oct. 13 and 20. The establishment of special theological
classes for children not attending church schools has been made
one of the subjects of my remarks to the people. A course of
instructions from the General Board is one of the essential
requirements for this movement. In connection with
this I recommend also to the General Board the imme-
diate consideration of the report of the Ladies’ Committee.
In consideration of the importance of vocal instructions
in our church schools, I have requested that all Lady-
Normals in our Normal classes should make that
branch one of their specialties.
Immediately after my visits to the church schools in the
North, it will become necessary to attend the church schools
at St. Johns, Snowflake, and St Joseph, Arizona, that have
never been visited, and are clamoring for a visit. The dis-
tance I would entail ^cause^ expenses which I could not venture to in-
cur without special instructions from the General Board.
The irregularity with which many of our church schools have
commenced this year’s operations have in several instances
proved disadvantageous to our interests, in as much as some
very efficient teachers could not afford to wait until so late
in the season before the schools to which I had assigned
them would open, and I had to grant them the privilege
of accepting positions in district–schools. Some are asking
now for teachers after all available talent has been disposed
of.
Karl G. Maeser, Gen. Supt.
P. S. Some Principals complain that there are members of their
respective Boards that have never taken an active part, never
attend Board–meetings, nor care for the school, or patronize it
in any way. They want to know what to do in such cases.
K. G. M.