Hon A Myers, Wm Ring, [illegible in original] Frampton
Chas McCafferty, Wm Frampton Esq and I.L.
May, trustees of Reid Institute 
		Dear Brethren- I regret the neces 
sity of Calling a meeting of the board, under  the existing
State of the roads; but as there are several important interes
-ts that Should be attended to promptly during the Short
vacation that will occur before the opening of the Spring
and Summer term, And as I am unwilling to assum
under responsibilities myselfe, a call for a meeting Seems
to me unavoidable. Shall I beg your indulgence
while I [read?] to you, a few thoughts hastily jotted down and
expressed in the briefest manner possible _ thoughts that have
deeply impressed my mind for months but especially Since
Our last meeting _ I render with gratitude, your [liberalty?] 
to our building fiend, and your promptness, to respond to
all the calls for meetings of our board _ And yet I
fear that as trustees we do not fully Comprehend the
magnitude of the work committee to our care, and the
peculiar obligation just now resting upon us
   We may be excused, perhaps for any apparent hesitancy
or indecision- or over caution, in our past transactions.
But now after haveing the benefeit of the three past years
of Experience _ After the Our School, which at first was regarde
-d by Many, at best as a doubtful experiment has proved a
grand Success _ with a full School from the beginning, dur
ing the past term, And with almost every available room
already engaged for the comeing Spring and Summer
term _ Cramped and discomferted as we are by our
miserably limited accommodations _ Can we do otherwise
than, plan and execute with a promptness and energy _
becoming than who are fully conscious _ that just now
if ever there is required of us vigor of action and energ of purpose
[several words illegible in original] The present is a critical

period in the history of our Academy_ We have it in
our power, as trustees, to use a vulgar phrase more forcible
than elegant, to make it a one horse consern- to drag 
out a few years of a pitiful existance. and then too weak
to die decently to sink into oblivion _ a disgrace to our
Names as trustees, and a burning reproach to the Baptists
									ne
of North Western Pa _ But if like the immortal [illegible in original] ^ever
                                   The memorable motto
Keep before us Attempt Great "Attempt Great things
Expect Great things" the little one will become a 
thousand _ Reid Institute will become what our 
annual reports to our association _ and our Cir-
cular Say we are determined to have it _ A first
class Academy _ A powerful auxiliary to our Un
iversity at Lewisburgh _ A thing of influence and
of moral power _ and an honor to our denomin
ation        To accomplish this desirable offer
We Should I think _
1st Urge contractor to complete the present build
     ing without further delay _ and Secure the balance
     of the last payment on the Same _ about $675
2d A Good Supply of watter Should immediately 
     be procured either by boreing the well begun
     or by bring the Spring from Bro Hindmans in tubes
     provided he can Secure the privilege 
3   There Should, without any delay, a plain rail
                  be
     ing fence^ placed around the academy lot _ to
     prevent the entire ruin of the grove now much dam
     aged by horses being hitched to the shade trees _ 
 4. The Academy proper Should be placed under
                                                    So far [as?] 
     immediate contract = or at least ^Should being put
     under roof
5.  An endowment fund of not less than $40.000
     forty thousand dollars Should be secured _ And meas
     ures for its accomplishment should be immediately
     Set on foot _
	You will Say all this is very well on
paper _ But is it practicable – I do think my


brethren it is full So _ And now is the very time
to begin the work
		Let us often corrispondence with and
Secure the Services of Some vigerous, determined, cautious
Young Man of Some experience to act as our finan
cial Agent with a fixed Sallary to be Taken out of
the procedes of this agency. having [illegible in original]      
same for his field of operation _
    Let us open correspondence with Dr Bell
who for a number of years was financial agents
of L.U. Also Dr Shadrack _ and Dr Loomis
as to the leest method to adopt to accompli
Sh the object _ whether by the Sale of Scholars 
lifes or otherwise
		Let us call a convention of our
ministers in this association, also our lay brethren
for consultation and advice _
			Let us go to work with
earnestness and zeal _ trusting in the Lord God
of Hosts _ And our God will prosper us _
And our most Sanguine expectations Shall
be more than realized _ 
                                     BH Thomas
March 30th 1866