Draft of House Rules for the Girls’ School [1] in Bethlehem
To which the Sisters who are employed in the training of the Little Girls
and Older Girls are to consider themselves bound
1. Each Sister who is entrusted with this important task must pray to the Savior daily for the necessary Grace and gift.
To this belongs a love for the young people, whose parents’ office they are to represent, as the special object of the Love of the Savior, deeply rooted in the heart.
This gentleness and Love, connected with the necessary gravity, must be common to all, not only for one child or another, because of her parents or any other cause, but must be extended to all children without distinction.
2. Because the example of those in charge makes a much greater impression than instruction or words, each Sister must be concerned in her heart, through the Grace of Jesus, to be a good example, not only in external matters and good order, but also in a heart completely submitted to the Savior and to the Gemeine [2].
This includes willingly to serve the Savior and His Congregation in seriousness and faithfulness.
Likewise a love for the Community Regulations and always taking advantage of the gatherings [3] of the Congregation, so that we ourselves willingly and joyfully obey our superiors and the Regulations of the house of God and thus also demand obedience from them.
That we ourselves accept reminders gladly and practice cleanliness, orderliness and courtesy to others, especially strangers and visitors, and the like.
3. We want to be watchful for everything that will be to the inward and outward advantage of the children entrusted to us and [to be watchful] to turn aside everything that could bring about harm likewise, [to be watchful] for the best of the entire school and anything that could cause accident or detriment to the whole; to faithfully report such things to our superiors especially in the conferences designated for that. To this belongs that all care be taken that of the needs of the children, food, drink, clothing, and the like, nothing be wasted or lost.
4. The Sisters who look after the children must also pay especial attention outside of school times that the Children and Older Girls are usefully employed.
The Sisters who take care of the school must take notice of all the books that their children have and make a list, pay attention to the letters that the children write to their parents and relatives and help them with that and bring them open to the Inspector of the School to mail, so that if he needs to he can also write something.
5. The Sisters who are especially concerned with the external care of the Children and Older Girls have to pay especial attention to their clothes and underwear as well as to cleanliness and good order in the room and in the entire house.
Thus they must keep an inventory of all items of clothing, underwear and other things of the Children and Older Girls who live in their room, renew it [the inventory] at least once annually and give a copy to the House Parents [4].
6. The Sisters who look after the Children will have a confidential relationship with those Sisters who take care of the [spiritual and mental] internal welfare of the Children and Girls as well as with the School Parents and Superiors and assiduously report to them the heart’s condition as well as the behavior of those commended to their care [especially] if they perceive something alarming with one or the other [child or girl].
7. Each Sister has to watch with all her powers over the health and preservation from bodily or spiritual harm of our young people. Thus our children should be left alone as little as possible nor left to themselves, but their actions, their dealings and speaking should be attended with all faithfulness, however this must be done with all wisdom and unobserved as much as possible, so that the children do not think that we trust them too little.
8. They must also be encouraged to orderliness, industriousness, cleanliness, good morals and thriftiness; not guarded from traces of spirit but this is to be regarded as a great vice.
Cleanliness, good order and preservation of health include:
1. the daily combing of the hair, washing the hands and face, rinsing out the mouth, keeping the teeth clean, assiduous changing of the underwear, and washing the feet at least once a month, in Summer as well as in Winter.
2. that they become accustomed to paying attention to their clothing, books, linen, [dresser] drawers and lists, these must be placed in order and dusted at least once a week.
3. the daily sweeping and airing out of the rooms, both in Winter and in Summer.
4. the moderate and equal heating of the room, avoiding charring and using coal pans with live coals in the living rooms.
That the children not drink cold things when they are overheated, nor eat unripe fruit, that they not sit in a slump, nor hold their work too close to their eyes nor work in the twilight, this sort of thing is recommended for the best to the careful attention of the Sisters.
To promote economy, especially with the larger Children and Girls, a useful method will be to have them keep an account of the pocket money they receive from their parents and to show this [account] to their disciplinarians once a month.
9. Our children must be assiduously reminded, instructed and required to show courtesy, good manners and modesty among themselves as well as to their superiors, parents and other Brethren and Sisters [5].
They should also be given opportunity to do good for other people.
They should not be allowed to exchange or give things as gifts among themselves, such as clothing, underwear etc etc – at least not without the foreknowledge and thorough investigation of their superiors and not without the consent of the parents.
10. As soon as the abilities and circumstances of the children permit it, under proper oversight and direction, they must be assigned all sorts of jobs and domestic chores so that they get to use their limbs and learn to help themselves.
Also they can from time to time be asked to relay something to other Brethren and Sisters, for example in the Sisters’, Widows’, or Congregation House. But it must be discussed in the school conference before letting them go to places and houses that are considered harmful.
11. In children wickedness, disobedience, seduction and trespasses against regulations may not be left unpunished. The form of punishment must be discussed beforehand in the School or Institute [6] Conferences, or where time does not permit with the Institute and School Inspector as well as getting advice from the Sisters who have oversight of the spiritual welfare of our children.
The usual little punishments of the children should always as much as possible be the natural consequences of their trespasses; for example, if you disturb the children while they study, you may not sit with them; you were lazy today, so you don’t need any recreation today, but if you remain lazy, one would have to use other means. Strokes with a rod or cane, denying necessary food and drink and so on according to our own fancy and desire must never be used among us as a means of punishment.
12. Long walks, to farms etc etc, should be asked about first, even without the foreknowledge of the school supervisor, no pupil imperiled. When however a hike is thought good in the schools and institutes, then it is to be discussed in the usual school and institute conference, which are held at least once a month, where it can be discussed and planned. In [these conferences] each Sister is free, indeed bound, to to speak her mind to the best of the institute and school and to have that tested.
13. Among other things, the daily routine of the school consists of:
a. In the morning, about 6 o’clock, in the winter before 6:30, will be wake up and the Room Company will get up in an orderly fashion.
b. in the meantime the Sister who is in mainly charge of external economics, or both in rotation according to circumstances [7], shall fetch the water for washing, getting breakfast ready and heating in Winter.
c. The other Sister pays attention to the bed making of the children to be sure that it is done in an orderly fashion, while the larger [children] also help. She also accompanies them to their room and is present while they undress and dress, and the other Sister, as much as she can, helps also.
d. As soon as they come into the room [8] each Room Company gathers together in a circle to commend itself for the day to the Grace of their Creator and Savior in a few [hymn] verses. The Sisters, if they both sing well, shall hold this Morning Blessing, as well as the Evening Blessing, in rotation.
e. Breakfast, where everyone appears dressed for the day [9].
f. They must be ready for school and church when the bell rings, going to the latter in good order accompanied by a Sister.
g. The Sister who teaches the lessons will be relieved by her assistant immediately [after the lessons] so she can get some fresh air and recover a little.
1. Maedchenanstalt lit “Girls’ Institute” — translated “school” here unless otherwise noted 
2. The word Gemeine, "Congregation, Community," refers to the Moravian Unity as a whole and to the individual Congregations as well
3. Versammlungen, worship services
4. Hauseltern, the married couple in charge of the Boarding School
5. MS: Geschwister, lit.: “siblings,” i.e. members of the Congregation
6. Both words, Schule and Anstalt, are used here
7. This is inserted in the margin
8. Before breakfast is crossed out
9. Incomplete sentence in the MS; shall begin with the reading of the Texts for the Day is crossed out, as is in English and in German in the margin
Translated and annotated by Pastor Roy Ledbetter
Presbyter Fratrum, St. Louis, 2006
Hübner’s "House Rules" for
the Bethlehem Boarding School
for Girls
Translated by Pastor Roy Ledbetter