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 | |
| 2019 Nov 7-8 |
Langley | Mark Charles First year at Trinity Western University Campus |
|
| 2020 | Remote/ Virtual |
David I. Smith First Virtual Convention due to Covid-19 Restrictions- 1 Day Convention |
