This school is a department of the Normal and Industrial Institute. It was founded some years ago by a lady living in New York, in order that poor young men and women might be enabled, on the Tuskegee plan, to fit themselves for the Christian ministry and other active religious work.

A night class is connected with the Bible School, to reach those who cannot attend during the day, but who are desirous of knowing more about the Bible. The members of this class are the farmers and other labouring men who live in the neighbourhood. They come twice a week for an hour and a half, some of them walking two, three, four, and five miles each way, and show the greatest interest in the lessons. Most of them are pastors and members of churches in their communities. The students of the Bible School are expected to spend their Sundays in religious work among the churches and mission stations in the surrounding country. Every Sunday morning they may be seen, in groups of two or more, starting out, after breakfast, to their various appointments, reaching from four to six miles into the country, and to the jail and the churches in the town of Tuskegee. If they do not find a place of labour, they are encouraged to begin in new fields, and to reach people who might otherwise be neglected. Several have started missions, and two, during the history of the Bible School, have organised and built churches, and turned them over to their respective denominational connections. The Bible students are required to make a weekly report of their outside work on the following blank:

WEEKLY REPORT
OF THE
Religious Work Done in Tuskegee and Vicinity,
BY STUDENTS OF
PHELPS HALL BIBLE TRAINING SCHOOL

Work done for the week ending Sunday night ____19__
1. Name of student __________ Are you a minister Licentiate or a Layman?
2. What is your denomination? ____________
3. Where do you labour? ________ (State whether in a church, jail, or almshouse, etc.) ________
4. Sermons, Give:
1st. Number preached ________
2nd. Scriptures read ________
3rd. The text to each ________
4th. The subjects to each ________
5. Number of adults present? ________
1st. Males ________
2nd. Females ________
3rd. Children ________
6. Number of Sunday Schools attended? ________
Number of children present ________
1st. Males ________
2nd. Females ________
3rd. Adults ________
7. Number of prayer meetings attended? ________
8. Number of marriages solemnised? ________
9. Number of sick visited in their homes? ________
10. Number of funerals attended? ________
11. Number who have secured homes through your advice and help during the past week ________
12. Does your S. S. use Sunday literature, such as books, quarterlies, S. S. papers, etc.? State which ________
Sign here. (Name) ________
(Home P.O. address) ________________
________________

☛ Please answer EVERY question, and return to E. J. Penny.

A volunteer prayer meeting is held daily, just after breakfast, in the Bible School building, under the guidance of the Bible students. This meeting is well attended by young men of all the classes, who take turns in leading the services.

Any one passing this building at that hour will hear songs of praise and earnest voices in prayer to God. All these societies, at Christmas and Thanksgiving, unite in taking food and other comforts to the deserving poor and helpless.

All the young men and boys at Tuskegee are assigned to groups numbering twelve to fifteen, each group in charge of a teacher. There are eighty of these small companies formed that the boys may become better acquainted with one another, and grow in a spirit of mutual helpfulness. Every boy feels that he can go to the teacher who is in charge of his social unit for advice and comfort. This feature of the school life is under the general direction of the Chaplain, and has done much to make the students feel at home. Discipline has been more satisfactory since the plan was adopted. The young women students are organised in other ways to meet their own social and religious needs, and to bring them into personal relations with their teachers.

All these forces are working more and more for good, and the School is in an encouraging and healthy religious condition.