Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-06-11

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reports Of Committee on Nominations,
offering of resolutions, Bible lesson
conducted by Rev. J. H. Vincent, and
an address on the training Of Sunday
School Teachers, by Pres Merriman.
He said the main point toebe consider
ed was not what the teacher shall do
for himself but what others shall do
for him, the leading idea of the teach
ing in S. s. shouldn't be to make
teachers.
As a second point: He would form
a teachers class, composed of those of
suitable age, and have them taught By
a careful and experienced teacher, with
direct reference to their becoming
teachers. Temporary vacancies occur
ing in the school should be filed from
this class. They should also be sent
out occasionally to do mission work,
and be prepared in every way to take
their place as permanent teachers in
the S. School. In the third place he
would seek power rather than technics.
Technics are good in their place, but
the attention given them is often e1-
cessive. Go at the work to be done,
don't be forever asking and thinking
how it is to be done Work attempted
in earnest will find its own way. Pow
er is not putter. Power is a knowl-
edge of God and human souls and to
get this knowledge man must study
what soul is, It's nature, its capacity,
what 1t is, what it can do, what it will
be in time and eternity, and how it is
to be trained for its deathless destiny.
Then he must study to know God,
Christ and the plan of salvation-and
when his soul is thoroughly peryaded
with these ideas he will want to teach.
Real power goes only with piety, and
love and all the fruits of the Spirit,
and such a culture of religion will re-
suit in great efficiency in training souls
to Christ.
Thursday, 2 2 VI.
A praise meeting led by DR.. J. H.
Vincent.
After praise meeting Prof. Towne
addressed the audience on Sunday
School Music; its Importance and
how to improve it He thinks a re-
form IS needed, the difficulty is how to
introduce this reform. If you speak
to the composer he viii tell you he
writes just that kind Of music for
which there is demand and if you
speak to the Superintendent he will
tell you that if he throw aside the
book which he now uses he knows not
where to find better ones. He thinks
there should be single idea in a song
the words should be simple but not
silly. The thought and the language
should be good and welded to appro-
pirate music.
The power Of church music is to
quicken religious feeling, We do not
want music which sets chiIdren's feet
to moving and their heads to wagging,
ne have already too much entertain
ment and too little music. We have
ditties in the place of simple worship
full music. But, some will say child
rem like such music. Children also
like sweet meats but it does not follow
from this that they should have all
they desire Of them. Two difficulties
would arise in introducing better books
into our Sunday School First the
strong appetite the teachers and schoI-
ars have acquired for the music now
in use.
Second the failure on the part Of
teachers to see the harm in the books
Of to-day.
Still reform is practicable. The
plan Of having appropriate songs for
the year, in connection with the lesson
is a good one. In choosing books take
heed not 50 much to the quantity as to
the quality.
Rev. J. W. Carhart then spoke on
the Relation of the Sunday Sch oil
to the older people Of the church, the
church affairs, and the church treas
ury.
He thinks there is divine union
between church and S. School and
that they can not be separated without
injury to both.
The older people should sympathize
with and attend S. s. it would encour-
age the teachers.
The relation to church officers should
be such that they would feel response
bic for its success. They should fur
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