The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-11-25

| he lHusua GU Ills point Dy reference 10 the
method of training adopted for public schools.
After singing part of hymn, the third topic
was taken up: How can the attendance of our
schools be increased. Rev. Mr.. Dalton of Port
land opened the debate Two things are es-
sential: LIST, We must have sense of the i'm
| portance of the Sunday School. I'd, We must
manifest it by getting our best men and women
| engaged in the work. He referred to the
Young Mems Christian Association and the
Young Women's Christian Association as val
| liable auxaries which will aid in searching
out and bringing neglected children into the
| Sunday School. Reu. A. w. Pottle of Fort
land favored some method of making the sun
| day School and Bible class centre OF attrac
| ton. He would discourage the emulation IN
duced by prizes etc. Rev. s. r. Ba ley would
| make the Sunday School more prominent, even
| if a change in the order of Sunday exercises is
necessary to effect it. We should not, however,
supercede any of them or depreciate the
preaching of the Word. Rev. w. Fl. Fem
| gave pleasant account of the mode Of col.
| Quoting the large Sunday schools in London,
which continue all day, even while preaching
| is in progress in the churches. The proper an
| swer to the question is, make business of it,
even if teachers sometimes are obliged to fore
| go the pleasure of listening to a sermon.
The committee on credentials here reported
that 27 Sunday Schools were represented in
| the convention by 20 clerical and lay dele
| gates.
The benediction was then pronounced by
Rev. Mr.. Small, and the meeting adjourned
until afternoon.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
| The convention assembled in the audience
room of the First Baptist Church. The audi
| enee was larger than in the forenoon. The
| devotional exercises were conducted by the
President
The committee OIL credentials made fur
| Their report.
Az hour was spent in listening to reports
from various Sunday Schools IN the county,
with narration of their condition, wants, en-
couragements and discOuragements. Among
the speakers on this division of the exercises
were Messrs Brown Thurston Of Portland,
Rev. E. w. jackson of Gorham, Rev. Mr..
Witcher of New Gloucester, Capt. Cyrus
Sturdivant of Portland, Rev. w. T. Eaton OF
Gorham, Ezekiel Strout of Standish, Rufus
Deering of Portland, Rev. Mr.. Chase of New
Gloucester, Rev. DR.. Smaller Of Portland, Rev.
Mr.. Wiswell, of Windham, w. E. Gould, Su-
perintendent of the Reform School Sunday
School, Mr.. Earle, H. H. Burgess and George
F. Emery of Portland. The remarks were in
teresting, and abundant testimony was intro
duced in favor of uniform lessons and longer
sessions OF school.
Thirty mnnfns on1v OF n IA, ha suh.
ject, The Importance of Teachers Meetings
Rev. FL. A. Hart of Yarmouth led the debate.
These important meetings are difficult to keep
up. Preparation for the work is essentially
necessary, and teachers meetings bring out
that principle Prof. Sewall Of Brunswick
said every one engaged in Sunday school work
should feel that he is especially called by the
Divine Teacher, and this would inspire care
full PREPARATION. A speaker whose name was
not announced, remarked that the object of
teachers meetings is the development of that
which is not apparent at the beginning. 1t is
the critical work on which the success of our
Sunday schools depends He showed, by
history of the school with which he was con.
nected, the great advantage of wellmatured
system of teachers meetings. Mr.. Geo. F.
Emery of Portland said that practic ally the
teachers meetings are the most unpopular
part of the Christian work. If teachers really
felt, as Prof. Sewall suggested, that they were
indeed called, they would be more jealous.
Teachers should concentrate all their energies
and avail themselves of the best models One
difficulty in the way OF successful meetings is
that the teachers do not feel their importance
and allow trivial attractions in other direc-
tons to interfere with them. III his school the
teachers formed themselves into class under
the guidance of the pastor, and after the les
son was thoroughly examined they would
confer as to the best method of imparting the
instruction received to their several classes
How can young people be retained in the
Sunday School? the next subject on the pro-
| granme, was first presented by Rev. George
| A. Putnam of Yarmouth. The custom OF
adults staying away from the Sunday School
is serious obstacle in the way of che object
sought Young people soon take up the hab-
its of their elders and early arrive at the age
when Sunday Schools tthey say) are not nee
essary for them. Let the fathers and mothers
set the good example of constant attendance,
and their children will never find good chance
to drop out. A pleasant room is also necessary,
| good teaching and personal regard for the
welfare of the pupils by the teachers are truth
full expedients. DR.. Shaiier urged teachers to
prepare to teach new truths and adapt them
serves particularly to the mental capacity OF
their pupils. Mr.. Charles Staples of Portland,
thought parents should show an increased in
| terest at home, among their children, and en-
courage their Attendance at the Sunday School,
| by talking with them about their lessons and
| assisting them in their studies. Rev. Mr. Dali
ton spoke of the Importance of good libraries
and the necessity of banishing from them all
books of doubtful character, many of which
had unwittingly crept into the lists of Sunday
School publishing houses. The audience unit
ed in singing the Doxology, and the benedic-
ton was pronounced by the last speaker.
EVENING SESSION.
After half an hour given to devotional exer-
cises, conducted by Rev. DIR. Smaller, Mr.
Eaton opened the discussion of the first topic
of the evening, "The qualifications of Sunday
School Teachers Mr.. E. thought the teacher
needed not only knowledge, but sympathetic
| insight into the scholars nature. The interest
the scholar must be kindled by concentrat-
| ing their teachings around a central Christ,
and not making them Intellectual and abstract
only.
| Rev. William Warren was next speaker.
He said the teacher must be able to get into
the chidren's, and that too without going out
of his own world. A great many strong men
talked over the children's heads, and others in
trying to come down to the level of childhood,
became silly and nonsenscal. Rev. Mr.. Dali
ton spoke on the necessity and the difficulty Of
shifting the nail on the head" The habit
must be acquired by practice. Mr.. J. c. White
of Bangor, continued the discussion. He
thought the qualifications must be varied.
The next topic Glow can these qualifica-
tons be attained was t.ien introduced. Rev.
William H. Fem opened the discussion, and
thought one great step in this direction was to
get settled iuto the idea that success was at
tanable by the most ordinary talent. He
thought work was the one thing needed and
health to enable one to work. He also urged
the importance of personal appearance and at
, tItude of the teacher toward his pupils
Teaching was not so much the I'M parting o
knowledge as in drawing it out of the scholar
The teacher must be what he would have hi
pupils become.
Geo. T. Emery, Esq, continued the discus
, sion. Every teacher must feel that he is called
to this work. Teaching is an art to be learned
ma u