In accordance with the Church By-law establishing the Board of Education, published in the Church Manual, the Board convened on the first Monday of January, 1899, the second day of the new year. The sessions were held in the Mother Church, and continued during the week. A special class in obstetrics was also held Monday, January 9, 1899. The entire class that were selected as teachers in general session took the obstetric course under the instruction of Alfred E. Baker, M.D., C.S.B., a regularly graduated and licensed physician, and now a Christian Science practitioner.
Under the By-law, there could be but twenty-one teachers sent forth. In some instances husband and wife were united in one certificate, and authorized to teach under the restriction that the two could teach only the same number of students that a single teacher is authorized to teach; the question as to who should teach being left to the persons themselves. If the husband taught, he could teach only two classes, if the wife, only two. If both taught, each should teach only one class a year. So that only twenty-one certificates were issued.
It is needless to say, that the sessions of the Board were exceedingly interesting and beneficial. There were in attendance in all one hundred and sixty-seven, coming from many parts of this country and from Europe. There were two from London, England, one from Dresden, Germany, and several from the Canadian Provinces, the following cities being represented: Winnipeg, London, Toronto, Westmount (Quebec), Kingston, Belleville, Hamilton, and Owen Sound.
