The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1878-07-02 00:00:00

MAIDEN NEWTON.

CHURCH SONDay an, Day SCHOOLS klanCiaTlON. —The
hunt.' animal 'netting of the Choreh Son,ley and Diy
Schools' Association, in the Biliiport Deanery, took place
at Maiden Newton on Tuesday alternoon. A sp. awl
service was held in the Church. were en excellent 'anima
wet preawhel by the Rev. H Remelt, rector of Holy
Trinity, D ircheeter, who rook for his text the 11th verse
of t fourth chapter of Gaussian. A meeting took
plet in the Infanta' S.-bathroom at three o'clock or
rote ring the rep we of the C mneil. election of officers,
and ...vision of rules. To. Rsv. .1. Green. rural dean,
presided, and there were ravers' gentlemen prthent Oits
of the rules, relatior to the payment of • c-neon sum of
money to the i,ffieen was aniehded, and some other
unitufrortant Mosinee. was Um...acted. The annual report
semi submiited by the 1100. secretary of the association,
Mr. .1 Br nen, and woe as follows:—' Since tde la•t
annual r. p 'tit of the Council. on June filet. 1877 the
•thociation hea held four m-cting. including the meeting
at which that report was presented. Toe, the annual
meeting wit' held at Bean:ll2szer, commencing with •
special a.Tnittl in the church, the aertuon being preached
by the Rey. R. R. Norms, recto- of Cheddiaiiths. The
businthe meeting took place in the schoolroom. Alter
the election of ofiloers and members of the council, the
followine reeolu. ton was adopted, after considerable
alecussion. "That there he four meetings in the
year. one in each portion of the Deanery, the annual
ineetiog to count as one fir.. the first.r There was some
discusston sub,. quently alto the young on this resolution
and the Gioncil keen directed that only those who are
members of the association shaU be enutled to rote on
any subject. As there are now no envies of the rules left,
it is suggested that a rule on the subject he added before
new othites are printed. The subjects on which mien were
read after the tea were es follosre:—First, on "0 tidren's
services,- by the Rev. F. L Allan; and 'warily on
"Religions teaching in the Dsy School," by Mr. Weiner
of Cethetock. There was • mast lively discussion on the
first subject, hut there was not time for muck discussion
on Hr. Weiner'. paper; so • similar subject ha. been
thoeen for to-day. The first of the local nseetings took
place at Hawkchurch, and the other two at Maiden
Newton and Bridport. At Ilawkchurch„ Mr. Roberts, of
Lyme, gave a model lesson, and at each of the other
the Rev. G. A. Rhind, of the Sunday School Instri:itt:
gave the model lemon. AU the meetings wets well attended,
and seem calculated to produce good results. The expense
attending them has, however, caused the usually favour-
able treasurer's balance to be transferred to the other aide
of the account. The council have held two meetings—
both at Bridpurt—the first to armies for local meetings,
and the second to arrange for the annual meeting. It
must be explained that, althesgh it was decided a year
ago to hold the annual meeting at Charmouth, circum-
stances arms which made it almost impossible to hold it
there, and hence the substitution of Maiden Newton on
this occasion.* (Moen for the ensuing year were then
appointed, and the CO.PabT adjourned into the lasge
Reboolrooni, which was prettily decorated with Sowers,
where • meat tee was laid out. After partaking • tea the
subject for discussion was introduced by Mr. Oxley, of
Beeminster, being • critique prepared by Kr. Held way of
Whitchurch, on the ayllelui isthed by the Diocesan Board
of K location was in Church of Ragland elementary
schools. The writer said that the Diocesan Board at
& location was doing its nand and noble work of
promoting religious education in the church elementary
Reboots of this diocese with thoroughness and seal, we. an
undeniable hart; hut that it wee exercising awl,, discre-
tion in the tabulation of its syllabi, and in the form and
substance of the question lamed yearly was not admitted
to be an axiom by all teacher. to the diocese. Infect, the
opposite opinion was rather wide spread among them,
and that was the reason why the present subject was sub-
mined for discumion. The writer then proceeded to araull
that the syllabi Bused by the board were too comprehen-
sire; that the questions set for the written examinations,
were found too ambiguous, too difficult for the pulpits,
and not burly based upon the syllatee, and lastly that the
standard of the Board was, when compared with other
standards in use In the countrY, unfairly bard. The
writer drew some practical *mansions from his okeerva-
tions, and then went on to observe that before they
begun the discussion of the subject it we. only fair he
should state hi, firm belief that it was only a laudable
anxiety to elevate the tone of our schools that animated
the Ward when they resorted to the "screwing op°
process But he feared the results were exactly ogee/rite
to their expectations. He maintained that the standard
was found to be unattainable by ordinary children, who
Rase up in despair the hopes of reaching it. A long dis-
cussion followed, joined in by several clergy and
members of the Association, who agreed that the syllabi
tamed by the 13.sard of Lineation we. open to hostile
criticism.