Teachers Convention History DocumenInspirED is the rebranding of our historical CTABC/NWCSI Teachers Convention. InspirED was launched for the 2016 Convention. It is our hope that this new name will capture the 40+ years of our rich history.
Prior to our regular joint teachers convention – CTABC/NWCSI – teachers conventions were being held among the Washington schools beginning in 1945. The chart below is as accurate as our current records permit. We would appreciate any additions or corrections. Please send them to elaine.brouwer@gmail.com
Following are remembrances from an early convention attendee:
Don Kok (retired Superintendent from Lynden Christian School) contacted Bernie Koops who was an administrator at LC in the 40’s and early 50’s. He is almost 100 years old, and his memory is absolutely amazing – as you can see below:
Regarding teachers/ conferences as best I remember:
Early in my time in Lynden as administrator (before WWII) we attended public school meetings in Bellingham. We found these to be a waste of time. At these sessions there were often discussions of money, such as teachers’ salaries, and sometimes of legislation regarding school funding. After the war we arranged with National Union of Christian Schools (NUCS), the predecessor of Christian Schools International, and Calvin College for speakers to come for two-day teachers/conferences. These “wise men from the east,” were usually professors from Calvin. Sometimes they gave a public lecture in the evening.
Speakers I remember were Dr. John DeBeer from Calvin’s Education Department, Drs. Van Bruggen, Wolthuis, and Meeter. Mark Fakkema of NUCS also came and spoke. Speakers addressed topics from their particular fields, Wolthuis on science, Meeter on Bible, Van Bruggen and DeBeer on education.
These gatherings were called Christian School Teachers Conference of the Pacific Northwest. The location was usually Lynden, but I remember driving Dr. DeBeer to Sunnyside and another time going to Everett. Member schools were Lynden Christian, Ebenezer, Everett, and Sunnyside. I believe these teacher conferences were still being held when I left Lynden in 1955.
Usually a picture of the entire group was taken, and sometimes we had a banquet. I remember particularly remember the banquet in Sunnyside where the tables were loaded with the hugest imaginable bunches of grapes and the largest apples I have ever seen. I suppose lodging, in homes, in Sunnyside may have been a problem. But I recall that many of our teachers lodged with acquaintances and had a very good time.
Yours truly,
Bernie Koops
The following is a chart outlining the past years of convention, featuring the location and Keynote Speakers for each year.
| DATE | LOCATION | KEYNOTE & NOTES | |
| 1945 | First Teachers’ Convention | ||
| 1960
Oct 13-14
|
Seattle | Dr. Wm Jellema
15th Annual Christian Teachers’ Association of the Pacific Northwest Convention |
|
| 1961
Oct 19-20 |
Lynden | Dr. M Snapper
|
|
| 1962 | Unknown | No documentation of this convention | |
| 1963
Oct 17-18
|
Bellevue | Dr. Evan Runner
Joint conference of Northwest Fellowship of Christian Schools & National Union of Christian Schools |
|
| 1964
Oct 22-23 |
Warm Beach/Everett | Dr. Calvin Seerveld | |
| 1965
Oct 21-22 |
Sunnyside | Dr. Lester De Koster
|
|
| 1966
Oct 20-21 |
Seattle | Dr. A. Bandstra & Dr. B Ten Broek
|
|
| 1967
Oct 19-20 |
Lynden | Dr. Wolterstorff & Dr. Hoekstra | |
| 1968
Oct 17-18 |
Seattle | Dr. Vrieze | |
| 1969
Oct 16-17 |
Lynden | N. DeJong & Dr. DeGraff
|
|
| 1970
|
Unknown | No documentation for this convention | |
| 1971
April 1-2 |
Lynden | Dr. Adams & Dr. L. De Koster
|
|
| 1972
Oct 19-20 |
Mount Vernon | Dr. A. DeGraaf
|
|
| 1972
Mar 9-10 |
New Westminster | Dr. J. VanderStelt | |
| 1973
Oct 18-19 |
Lynden | Rev. Ron Slater
|
|
| 1974
Oct 24 |
Abbotsford | Dr. Joel Nederhood | |
| 1975
Oct 23-24
|
Seattle/ Watson Groen | Geraldine Steensma & Mr. Henry Triezenburg | |
| 1976
Oct 21-22 |
Fraser Valley | No keynote this year: All workshops, lots of field trips | |
| 1977 | No documentation for this convention | ||
| 1978 | No documentation for this convention | ||
| 1979
Oct 18-19 |
Lynden | Rev J.B. Hulst | |
| 1980
Oct 16-17 |
Abbotsford | Dr. N Wolterstorff | |
| 1981
Oct 15-16 |
Lynden | Peter Steen | |
| 1982
Oct 14-15 |
Pacific Christian/ Victoria | Dr. Bruce Waltke
|
|
| 1983
Oct 13-14 |
Kenmore, WA | Arnold Snoeyink | |
| 1984
Oct 11-12 |
Richmond | Rev. Andrew Kuyvenhoven
|
|
| 1985
Oct 17-18 |
Chilliwack | Mike Ruiter
|
|
| 1986
Oct 16-17 |
Chilliwack | Dr. Barbara Pell
|
|
| 1987
Oct 15-16 |
Chilliwack | Dr. J.B. Hulst
|
|
| 1988
Oct 13-14 |
Victoria | Dr. Weinhauer
|
|
| 1989
Oct 12-13 |
Chilliwack | Dr Harold Pluimer
|
|
| 1990
Oct 11-12 |
Kelowna | Paddy Ducklow | |
| 1991
Oct 10-11 |
Kelowna | Dale Cooper
|
|
| 1992
Oct 8-9 |
Bellevue | Dr. Harold Pluimer | |
| 1993
Oct 7-8 |
Bellevue | Joel Nederhood | |
| 1994
Oct 6-7 |
Lynden | Dr. Ron Nydam | |
| 1995
Oct 5-6 |
Lynden | Luci Shaw & Ken Koeman | |
| 1996
Oct 10-11 |
Abbotsford | Dale Cooper & Dr. N. Wolterstorff | |
| 1997
Oct 9-10 |
Abbotsford | Dan VanderArk & Vern Steiner | |
| 1998
Oct 8-9 |
Lynden | Richard Edlin & C. Plantinga | |
| 1999
Oct 7-8 |
Lynden | Dr. Michael Goheen | |
| 2000
Oct 5-6 |
Langley/Credo | Dr. Sylvia Keesmaat
|
|
| 2001
Oct 4-5 |
Langley/Credo | Larry Crab | |
| 2002
Oct 10-11 |
Bellevue | Dr. Jeremy Begbie & Rev Harry Weidenaar | |
| 2003
Oct 9-10 |
Bellevue | Dr. Cal DeWitt | |
| 2004
Oct 7-8 |
Langley | Dr. Dennis Dewey | |
| 2005
Oct 6-7 |
Pacific Academy | Dr. Rod Wilson & Dr. Guy Saffold
Joint Convention with ACSI |
|
| 2006
Oct 5-6 |
Lynden | Dr. David I Smith
|
|
| 2007
Oct 4-5 |
Lynden | Dr. Rikk Watts
|
|
| 2008
Oct 9-10 |
Abbotsford | Dr. Doug Blomberg | |
| 2009
Oct 8-9 |
Abbotsford | Pacific Christian Collaborative Group | |
| 2010
Oct 7-8 |
Pacific Academy | Dr. Michael Goheen & Dan Egeler
Joint Convention with ACSI |
|
| 2011
Oct 6-7 |
Lynden | Setting the Stage & BCS Collaborative Group
|
|
| 2012
Oct 4-5 |
Lynden/John Knox | Tony Campolo | |
| 2013
Oct 10-11 |
Langley Christian | Keith Ferrin
Joint Convention with ACSI |
|
| 2014
Oct 9-10 |
Langley Christian | Collaborative Keynote by Langley staff | |
| 2015
Oct 9 |
Lynden | No keynote: This was a one-day convention due to the FISA Convention in the Fall of 2016 | |
| 2016
Oct 6-7 |
Lynden | Andy Crouch | |
| 2017
Oct 5-6 |
Pacific Academy | James K.A Smith
Joint Convention with ACSI |
|
| 2018
Oct 4-5 |
Abbotsford | Eugene Cho | |
