Avoiding Institutional Debts
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These things God will require of the managers. Every needless, expen-
sive habit is to be laid aside, every unnecessary indulgence cut away.
When the principles so manifestly indicated by the word of God to all
schools, are taken hold of as earnestly as they should be, the debts will
not accumulate.—
Letter 137, 1898
.
Guarding School Finance
Especially should the president of a school look carefully after
the finances of the institution. He should understand the underlying
principles of bookkeeping. He is faithfully to report the use of all
monies passing through his hands for the use of the school. The funds
of the school are not to be overdrawn, but every effort is to be made
to increase the usefulness of the school. Those entrusted with the
financial management of our educational institutions, must allow no
carelessness in the expenditure of means. Everything connected with
the finances of our schools should be perfectly straight. The Lord’s
way must be strictly followed, though this may not be in harmony with
the ways of man....
If you are tempted to appropriate the money coming into the school,
in ways that bring no special benefit to the school, your standard of
principle needs to be carefully criticized, that the time may not come
when you will have to be criticized and found wanting. Who is your
bookkeeper? Who is your treasurer? Who is your business manager?
Are they careful and competent? Look to this. It is possible for money
to be misappropriated, without anyone’s understanding clearly how
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it came about; and it is possible for a school to be losing continually
because of unwise expenditures. Those in charge may feel this loss
keenly, and yet suppose they have done their best. But why do they
permit debts to accumulate? Let those in charge of a school find out
each month the true financial standing of the school.—
Manuscript 65,
1906
.
Shun Debt as Leprosy
Economy should be exercised in everything connected with the
school. Those who come to the school generally leave homes that
are unadorned, where they have been accustomed to eat simple food