It's all about names

THIRD of three posts

I was at a meeting last night; one I wasn't sure I belonged at. You see, it was a meeting about 9-12 Adventist education in our city. We have a day academy here and a boarding academy in a more rural location, but of 227 known SDA teenagers in the city, only about 22% attend an Adventist high school. So the question was what can we do to improve these numbers.

Through the first half of the meeting I tried hard to have an open mind, really, I did, but I couldn't help but mentally argue this point, and laugh at that comment. The conference president was really preaching the administrative line, and I was almost sickened by it.

I mostly kept quiet while plans for a survey were drawn up and survey writers were chosen. Finally, I spoke up. "One thing these people need to consider was they draw up the survey is to consider the reputation of the schools in the city," I commented to the group at large. "This is an issue, and it will be come out in a big way." Another administrator asked me, "Are you talking academically or spiritually?" I refused to define it any further saying I would rather leave my statement as is.

After the meeting, I talked to the president privately and was very frank and honest with him regarding my experiences, frustrations, research, and attitude toward the whole situation. To my great relief he and I are on the same page; have the same concerns, and can point our fingers to the same source of some of the issues. He had to give the "offical line" duirng his comments because of some of the persons present, but he is deeply concerned by what is happening here.

Have you ever notice the demeanor of someone change when they are given important pieces of information? Like a name?

Our conference president has been here for about a year. He moved here from a West Coast state where my dad has extended family. During the course of our conversation I happened to give my maiden name in relating some trivial incident. He caught that name and stopped me. You are a R****? He asked. I replied I was. I saw his demeanor change as he realized he was dealing with someone who had the R**** name. Suddenly I wasn't just another committee member anymore. I am a R****.

I talked to my dad on the way home from the meeting. "You know Dad," I told him, "I didn't realize that the name R***** carried such a responsibility. Having a reputation like that is big, and what a privilege(?) it is to protect that reputation.