Ellen White Calls A Work Bee

When they were within three weeks of the target date for the school to open, Haskell was suddenly called to Adelaide to assist in meeting a crisis in the church there. With Haskell's leaving, even if for only a couple weeks, Hare's courage sank to an all-time low. He felt sure there was no hope of meeting the April 28 deadline for the opening of school. Taking in the situation, Ellen White began to plan a strategy, for she held that the school must open on time. She was not able to attend church on the Sabbath, but she sent an announcement to be read appointing a meeting for all who would, to attend on Sunday morning at 6:00. She had something to say to them. She sent word to Metcalfe Hare to come to her home after the Sabbath to meet with Mrs. Haskell, Sara, and herself.WV 326.9

Mrs. White wrote to Willie, telling what took place:WV 326.10

On Saturday evening we had our interview. Our means were gone, and the school building could not be finished to open school at the appointed time. Sister Haskell asked just how many hands could be put on to the building, how many on outside work, how many on the cistern, and how many inside. She wrote these down on paper, and after everything had been stated, she and I said, “We will have every position filled.” Brother Hare argued that it was impossible.WV 326.11

We opened the morning meeting with singing and prayer, and then we laid the situation before them all. I told them that I would let them have Brethren Connell, James, and Worsnop, and pay them hire.WV 327.1

Brother Connell said that he had a two weeks’ pledge to work out. Brother James said he would give one week's work in any line or place where they might put him. Brother Anderson also had pledged two weeks, and so one and another volunteered until men, women, and children were accepted.WV 327.2

I told them that I would give Sara to work in union with Sister Haskell, and they agreed to lay the floor with the help of Brother James to place the boards and press them into position, while Sister Haskell and Sara should drive the nails.WV 327.3

Our meeting lasted from six until eight o'clock. After [the] meeting the brother from Queensland made some depreciatory remarks about “lady carpenters,” but no one to whom these words were addressed responded.WV 327.4

Every soul was put to work. There were over thirty in number. The women and children worked in the first building, cleaning windows and floors. Sister Worsnop came with her baby and children, and while she worked on the inside of a window, her eldest girl of 10 years worked on the outside. Thus the work in the first building was nearly completed in the first day.WV 327.5

Sister Haskell and Sara completed nearly one half on the dining-room floor. Brother Hare says everyone was enthusiastic. The women who engaged in the various branches of the work did well. Brother Richardson was putting the brick in the floor of the cellar. Some of the girls passed the brick from outside, while others inside passed them to Brother Richardson.WV 327.6

In the afternoon I was sent for to consult with Brother Hare in regard to making changes in the divisions of the dining room.... Then Brother Hare conducted me over the immediate premises, and we decided on the trees that must come down....WV 327.7

Yesterday all the furniture in the mill loft was washed and cleansed from vermin, and prepared for the new building. One more floor is to be laid this afternoon.... The carpenters are siding up the building. Both ends are done, and quite a piece of the lower part on both sides....WV 327.8

Monday, April 6, the workers, men, women, and children are all at work....WV 327.9

The sisters had put the first coat of paint on the window frames. Brother Hare said that the women's diligent work had done more to inspire diligence in the men at work than any talk or ordering. The women's silence and industry had exerted an influence that nothing else could do. These women have worked until their hands and fingers are blistered, but they let out the water by skillful pricking, and rub their hands with Vaseline. They are determined to get at the work again....WV 328.1

Brother Hare is full of courage now. Brother Haskell will be back in a week or two at most from the time he left.... His wife and Sara are heart and soul in the work. They make an excellent span just at this time. They will be in readiness to lay the upper floor after today, I think. Everything that is needed has come from Sydney and is right at hand, so that there will be no delay.WV 328.2

School will be opened April 28, 1897 (Letter 152, 1897).WV 328.3

About the time the work bee began, word was received from W. C. White that at the General Conference session action was taken to send Prof. C. B. Hughes, principal of the school in Texas, to assist at Cooranbong. He was a well-qualified and experienced educator and would bring good help to Avondale. The word brought courage to all (11 WCW, p. 276).WV 328.4

Entering fully into the spirit of things, Sara McEnterfer set out to raise money to buy a school bell. From the families in the community she collected about £6, and what Ellen declared to be “an excellent sounding bell” was put in operation (Letter 141, 1897).WV 328.5

As the target date for the opening loomed closer in April, there were some tense moments in Cooranbong. By an ill-advised action of the school board it was decided that there would be no primary school. Ellen White learned of this only after some announcements had been made, and she felt impelled to step in and take a firm position. She wrote of this, too, in her May 5 letter to Willie:WV 328.6

The board met, and ... decided that for this term there would be no primary school. On the next Sabbath morning, I told them that the primary school would commence when the other school did (Ibid.).WV 328.7

When Brother Lacey made the statement that there would be no primary school this term, Brother Hare felt much disappointed, for he wanted both of his children in the school. The officers are on his track, telling him that his children must attend the public school....WV 328.8

But in the first Sabbath meeting we held in the upper room, I presented this matter and called for a response, and you should have heard Brother Gambrill's remarks. He came forward to the front seat, so that I could hear him. He spoke of the influence of the public schools on his children, of the education they were receiving (Ibid.).WV 328.9

It was in this setting that Ellen White made the rather familiar statement (found in Testimonies for the Church, 6:199): “In localities where there is a church, schools should be established if there are no more than six children to attend” (Ibid.).WV 329.1

Steps were taken to rent the convent again for use in educating Adventist children in Adventist principles. Some of the children would be coming up Dora Creek by rowboat; Gambrill's 15-year-old daughter would bring two Gambrill children and two others to the primary school, which by mid-May had an enrollment of fifteen (Ibid.; Letter 126, 1897).WV 329.2

Elder Daniells had made a discouraging prediction about the attendance. He had said that they could not learn of one person in New South Wales and knew of only one in New Zealand who was planning to attend the school as a boarding student. He knew of only three or four from his conference. The matter became a subject of prayer, and his secretary, a woman named Graham, came up with a suggestion that he says “worked like a charm.”WV 329.3

The suggestion was to ask each member of all the churches to pledge sixpence a week for 20 weeks toward the students’ aid fund. Twenty-seven persons making such payments would meet the tuition of one student for the term of 22 weeks. This was to be a revolving fund, the student in time paying it back to aid another. The assignment of the students to be benefited would be in the hands of the conference committee. The people were pleased, and infused with a new spirit. The North Fitzroy church pledged to be responsible for two students, and other churches responded well. Daniells reported:WV 329.4

One week ago tonight we sent six young men and women off by Cook's excursion. This morning at six o'clock we sent six more. One went alone in the middle of the week. This makes thirteen who have gone from this conference, and we are expecting to send four more (11 WCW, p. 435).WV 329.5

Plans called for the literature evangelists to sponsor one student, and the scattered believers another. Daniells wrote rather jubilantly:WV 329.6

If these plans work, and from the way things are going I have reason to believe they will, we shall have a pretty good attendance after all. We shall pull hard to have from thirty-five to forty boarding students by the time Professor Hughes arrives. These with the day students will give us an attendance of about sixty students (Ibid., 436).WV 329.7

Ellen White had declared: “There must not be one day of postponement.WV 329.8

... If there is but one student present, we must begin the school at the appointed time” (Letter 149, 1897).WV 330.1

Her undaunted faith was a steadying influence. School would open on April 28, 1897.WV 330.2