EDWIN RUTHVEN SHAPARD (Chapter 7) 1874-1875, New Hope

CHAPTER 7

NEW HOPE: 1874-1875

         
         New Hope Seminary commenced classes on September 7, 1874, and the students were more prompt than the year before in reaching the school. There were 47 girls in attendance, leaving three vacancies from the allowable 50. The Mission Board employed two teachers for the school-year; Miss Millie McAlister and Mrs. Esther Thompson. Mrs. Thompson was a Choctaw Indian who lived near the New Hope Seminary and had periodically assisted the school, since 1872, in purchasing food and supplies, domestic work and through the use of her wagon and team.
                 According to Rev. Shapard, the rooms were comfortable and they had no difficulty in supplying food and clothing for the children. The students were generally obedient and cheerful. Every one of them understood English well enough to communicate and receive instruction. In his management of the school, Rev. Shapard tried to keep the children busy all the time. Recreation consisted in a change of labor.
                  The students were given exposure to religion; however, they were not required to join the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Their religious instruction was administered through lecture, preaching and the Sabbath School. Every student was furnished with a bible and was required to attend prayers, Sabbath School and preaching during the school year. Prayers were performed morning and nights in the school room. About 20 of the children became members of the Methodist Church during the 1874-1875 school year.
                     

             Rev. Shapard attended his second Annual Indian Mission Conference on October 22-24, 1874, which was held at the Asbury Manuel Labor School at North Fork in the Creek Nation. Bishop Hubbard H. Kavanaugh presided over the Conference. The clergy and laymen in attendance the first day were: Young Ewing, T.K.B. McSpaddin, John Sevier, Isaac Sanders, E.R. Shapard, Jessie H. Walker, Willis Davis, John Harrell, S.P. Hicks. Calvin M. Slover was announced as a transfer from the Little Rock Conference. Cherokee district lay delegates were: J.F. Thompson, David Taylor, Sanders Choat, Joseph Smith. Choctaw district lay delegates were: John H. Mann, T.J. Ryan, Robert S. McCarty, J.W. Kitchens. Chickasaw district lay delegates were: G.B. Hester, E.H. Culbertson, Brazile LeFlore, William M. Keith. Creek district lay delegates were: Samuel Checote (Frank Guaden was present as stand in for absent Checote), George W. Stidham, Joseph McCoodey, E.H. Lerblance. Prior to the closure of the Conference, the clergy and laymen posed for a photograph.
                          During this Conference, E.R. Shapard was elected Conference Recording Secretary and appointed as Presiding Elder of the Choctaw District as well as Superintendent of New Hope Seminary. The appointment of Presiding Elder would have been a huge honor to receive, as only the office of Bishop held more responsibility. As part of his new office, Edwin had the duty of traveling through the entire district in order to attend and preach at the Quarterly Meetings over which he presided. He was responsible for encouraging the preachers in their studies and ensuring that the Discipline of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South was followed by the ministers in his district. He was also to attend to the needs of the bishops when they were visiting his district. He would now play an integral part at the Annual Conference, being that the Bishop assembled the Presiding Elders in a ‘secret cabinet’ to make the new appointments for the ministers.
                     

             While the school was closed for summer, on July 8, 1875, Edwin’s son, Sumner Samuel Shapard, was born at New Hope Seminary. Sumner was named after Jennie’s father, Samuel Sumner Hall. As an adult, Sumner Shapard had blue eyes and dark hair and was of average height and build.