Kankakee Valley Post, Volume 19, Number 16, DeMotte, Jasper County, 18 March 1949 — Music Program at American Reformed Church [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Music Program at American Reformed Church

Southern Normal School was founded in 1911 by James Dooley, a graduate of Knox College. It is located in the town of Brewton, Alabama, approximately fifteen miles from the border of western Florida, Route U. S. Highway 31 connecting northern Michigan and the Gul of Mexico runs directly through the town. The Reformed Church became interested in the school through frequent visits of Mr. Dooley and a small group of the students to the Michigan and Chicago areas. As a result the Board of Domestic Missions assumed support of the school in 1919. The school, completely graded from first grade through high school is an accredited member of the Southern Association. All the faculty, devout Christians, are Negroes with educational qualifications equal to any o,ther school of its kind throughout- the states. They are proud of the fact that the school has provided leadership for all the county schools and developed indigenous leadership for its own staff. Three of the present teaching staff are graduates of Southern Normal. This staff of consecrated teachers and the school is under the direction of our Pastor—Director Rev. Andrew Blanche. The spirit of his i deep and sincere Christian personality pervades the entire campus. On a beautiful campus facing the road in a semi-circle are the three main buildings—the girls dormitory, and dining hall, a re-

fine academic building and the new boys dormitory recently completed and officially occupied thys past fall. It replaces the original frame structure burned to the ground in January 1945. There is also a small grammar school building and the Director’s home. This fall we began the erection of the Chapel, the initial gift of $25,000 having been made several years ago by the Old Bergen Church and Sunday School of Jersey City, N. J. From the gifts of the United Advance we hope to build a new, .Director’s Home and a Trade School as soon as funds! are completed. Besides the regular academic courses, the students receive in- j struction in agriculture, handcraft, j and domestic science. With two ’ tractors recently given by friends in Michigan and other farm equipment it is our hope to farm even more completely the entire acreage of the property. Immediate school needs are a new dairy barn and a more adequate science laboratory. Two Brewton students graduated from Central College last year. One of them is preparing for the ministry at Western Theological Seminary. Three others are now students at Hope College. In the words of Andrew Blanche, “In the varied ways that Brewton has served her people through the years, the purpose of Jesus has been highly fulfilled. Young men and worrfen have been led to Christ. Their vision has been broadi ned. They have gone forth as heralds of the .evangel of Jesus.”

The Rev. Andrew. Branche, pas-tor-director of the Southern Normal School maintained by the Board of Domestic Missions of the Reformed Church in America at I> rewton, Alabama, prepared for the teaching profession at Hampton Institute in Virginia and at Alabama State Teachers college, from which he received the Bachelor of Science degree. His first contact with the Reformed Church was as a teacher of English and music at the Southern Normal School. From Brewton he went to New Brunswick Theological Seminary, where he graduated in 1943. returning • then to Southern Normal as its "■ e,].

This Southern Normal School Choir will give a program of Sacred Music Friday, March 18, at American Reformed Church at 8 o’clock.

The Re. Andrew Branche