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6 GENERAL REVIEW OF THE YEARBeta Kappa society (implying high rank in scholarship).The missionary has often, perhaps commonly, enjoyed aselective preparation. Under some boards, at least, notmore than one out of twenty-five applicants reaches thefield. Of these many have been active in the Young Men sChristian Associations or Young Women s ChristianAssociations of their institutions. Many have come fromStudent Volunteer Bands, and have studied perhaps havetaught some of the many mission study textbooks now sowidely used. Sonic have specialized in sociological or otherlines. Among them the degree of Ph.D. is too common toattract special notice.Upon reaching China these capable, earnest, and eageryoung people are more and more gathered in languageschools, which are increasing in size and importance andmeeting an evident demand. The range of study and therapidity of acquirement by the students greatly out-distanceanything possible under the old system, unless withexceptional teachers. The opportunity for acquaint-iiicewith a wide circle of workers from other missions and otherfields will come to be valued more and more as yearselapse.Small Missions Another.striking development, especiallysince 1900, is the large increase of smallmissions. Some of these have paid scant attention toprevious occupation of the field, and some are distinctlyparasitic, going only where others have opened the way,rendering the preservation of Christian comity very difficult.Summer Resorts There is an increasing attendance at thesummer health resorts, most of which havebeen opened within the past two decades, and have provengreat blessings to all classes of foreigners in China.Here are held mission meetings, conferences of all kinds, andsimilar gatherings. Unfortunate^ it is not possible toeliminate from movements of this description unwholesomespeculation in land. Kents are necessarily high, andperhaps not fitted to a missionary income.Friends in the home land, perceiving the great advantages of these gateways to renewed health and strengthoften furnish the means to build the "cottages,"but this