The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-07-05
Sunday School Convention.

Vice President of the Maryland Sun
day School Union for Garrett county,
at O'Clock, and exercises commenced
by singing Marching Onward to
Zion," followed by the reading of the
first Psalm and prayer by Rev. F. G..
w. Ford.
Singing, "a welcome to Alp by
the choir.
The President then appointed a
committee on organization composed
of VIM. A. Baker, John Shartzer, c.,
J. Otto, Aaron Boyer and d. H.
Friend, who reported as permanent
officers, the following; President,
Rev. j. B. Shoup; Vice Presidents,
D. H. Friend, G. M. Miller and Jas.
Beeghley Permanent Secretary, w.
p. Townshend Treasurer, George E..
BishOff.
Report adopted and those named
elected.
Address Of welcome was then de-
livered by Rev. Henry E. Friend and
replied to by C. M. Miller.
Mr.. Miller said:
Mr.. Chairman and members Of the
Convention delicate and embarras-
sing is the task imposing upon any
individual the questionable venture
of anticipating and expressing an APP
proved measure of the genuine graft
tude or tone of feeling moving the
popular heart of an assemblage like
this under existing causes. And even
if so Iaudable a determination could
be reasonably entertained by me, |
would still be inclined to shrink from
the attempt, and plead that our deeds
rather than our lips may proclaim
| the grateful answer. 1t may not be
misapplicatiOn of the present OPP
pOrtunity to pause on the threshold
of these proceedings and look back
into the past upon the march of this
order over its virgin fields in Garrett.
When, in the year 1875, the initiatOry
meeting of the Sunday School Union
of the State Of Maryland was held in
the county bounds of the sparse popu-
latiOn dwelling among the hills and
ranges, forest and glades of novel
beauty and undetermined resources,
and in healthful atmosphere sweep
| ing t. the music of pure waters thrO'
mountain Businesses and fruitful pros
poets of land unsurpassed in the
wealth of its soil and entertainments
of its scenes, a formidable proportion
of our Sunday Schools were cropping
in the dark of obsolete methods many
years in rear of the wide wave of edu-
catiOnal progress. lnadequately Or
ganized, governed by no definite rules
or administrative policy; uniform
cd as to the new and valuable faciIi-
| ties OfreceiVingandi mparting knOWl-
edge, we were not unfrequently
found lifelessly grouped in the thread
bare mOnOtOnies 0fan old school room
either patiently waiting a motion to
! adjourn or autOmaticly serving the
| functions of the WeathercOck, trem-
bling in uncertainty to discern the
course and settle in the current of
whatever wind that blew.
A remedy for this slow disease
with which we were languishing
came ultimately through the instru-
mentalities of the Maryland Sunday
School Union, which is efficiently req
resented before our citizens by its
State Superintendent, the Rev. VIM.
| A. Baker.
Councils of this nature supply their
own explanations. 70 strengthen fra
ternal features and cohesive quail
ties, and to keep its members abreast
with the developments of the age,
the custom prevails in most every
profession, trade or combination, in
both civil and eccleSiaStic spheres, of
masSing periodicly for exchange of
views and mutual benefits; to criti-
cally examine and test the results of
experience, and to adopt and dissem-
mate recent acquisitions and diScOv-
cries contributed through any medi-
um to the needs Of that interest most
closely concerning them. Such I'M
pOrtant customs are inSeparably WOW
Ell among the links in the chain
uniting in bonds of sacred fraternity
the we'll established society now
claiming your attention. Its prime
and ranking object is 20 thoroughly
consider how this great arm Of the
protestant church can be made most
potential in bringing the young and
uninstructed under the administra
ton of her doctrines in cultiVating
and rendering permanent a higher
conception of the moral and social OBJ
legations from which they cannot af-
ford to depart, and in clearing from
their vision the heresies, false pre-
cepts and phantoms Of infidelity to-
day assailing every land and people
as never before in the annals of chris
tianity. But what has this Sunday
School Union accomplished in Gar
rett? To what extent has it augment
ed our schools, or incorporated Supe-
ri0r advantages or vitality in their
ancient systems? And what percep-
tible impress has it left upon the
public mind?
With your permission | will glance
over some brief items in your Secre-
tary's record to see what they say {:
Total officers, teachers and pupils in
1878, 1913; total officers, teachers and
pupils in 1879, 2,423; total officers,
teachers and pupils in 1880, 2,5l7 {;
total officers, teachers and pupils in
1881, 2,707 total officers, teachers and
pupils in 1882 1887 ; total officers,
teachers and pupils in 1888, 1851.
A Ii, ~