Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1889-03-07
SUNDAY SCHOOL WORK.
PRACTICAL SUNDAY SCHOOL
WORK ILLUSTRATED.
William Reynolds, of Peoria, Illinois,
Instructs Large Audiences How to
Garry on Sunday Sciiools-An In
teresting Address.

About 100 or 200 Sunday school
workers gathered In the Union NJ. l..
Church ut 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon
TO hear William Reynolds views and
many OF thom to give their own In re-
gard TO the successful running OF Sun
day schools. Mr.. Rel nolds Is from
Peoria, Illinlos, aud is chairman of the
National Board OF Sunday School Con-
ventions. He is very large man with
an intelligent cast Of countenance beam
Ing with good nature aud he is full of the
spirit OF his work.
Joseph Pyle called the meeting to
order and introduced the speaker, who
commenced the exercises by having tho
coronation hymn sung and Mr.. Pyle
led in prayer.
Mr.. Reynolds commenced his address.
or rather conyersati1 n, with the audience
by tlting that there were in this country
1900, OJ0 Sunday school teachers who
met every Sunday TO teach the gospel.
Fever was there such body of workers
before on Gods earth, aud never was
there such effective work done. The
question was, how can more work be
done, and how can It be done better.
You cannot make seed of grain that
will grow; you cannot put life into II, but
aud you can cultivate It and make 1t
grow. Farming, said Mr.. Reynolds, Is
not like IL was 20 years ago. BY the i'm
provement OF machinery more work is
done, and It is done In a more effective
manner. Anbody who would undertake
TO carry on farming like 1t was carried on
90 years ago would, to use common
phrase, get left.
Mr., Reynolds then asked how many
Sunday school superlntendents were
prei en', when three stood up. A. X.
Crosby afterwards came In, making the
number four
Asking how many Sunday school teach
CIR were present, about 75 stood up and
asking how many infant school teachers
wera present, three stood up.
Mr.. Reynolds, then addressing him
self 10 the super'ntendeDts. asked them
to state what they thought were the
duties of q superintendent and what
kind of man be should be.
joseph Pyle, of st. Pauls NJ. K.
Sunday school, said he should he pious
man; one who should have the respect
and love of the school; should know how
to keep order; have a love for the work
| and have sincere concern for the saliva
ten OF touls. lie should be punctual to
] the mlaute.
A. V. Hysore, of the Union NJ. Y.
| Sunday school, cv2curred with all Ar.
Pj le bad stated, and said th..t \ superin
tendent should strive to keep dow" con
tention and strife, and should always
labor for the conversion OF the scholars.
As to punctuality, he bad never been ab-
sent In two years.
Charles Baird, superintendent Of West
Prestyterion Church, said a super'ntend-
ent should feel and take very deep in
terest in the school and should labor
unetaslngly for the conversion OF the
children. A superintendent may be a
very pious man, but may lack ability.
He thould u;e use all the he ps he can
command.
A. r. Crosby said supe intendents
should have 1--we for the conversion OF
souls, should realize that Il the scholars
are not converted they will be lest.
Referring 10 orde-, he said disorderly
school must always be an inefi.ci7ut
school. In the first place he would insist
upon order, aud he thought that if a
superintendent could not have order l.
was his own fault. Superintepdents
should also have good business ideas and
conduct his school upon business pr!nri.
| plep.
Mr.. Reynolds IN reviewing the ansH, rs
OF the superintt ndcnts, said one of the
chief requirements for good effective
Sunday sche oil work was q commodious
building. He diiu't like Sunday schools
TO be carried on In the Easements of
churches. 1t looked as If any place was
/ good en- ugh for a Sunday school. He
| liked building in the modern style of
architecture, attached TO and not Under
the church. He would have large ella
rooms with glass doors that could be 'et
down or up and the rooms thrown into
the church. IL c1mne, ded the improve
ments In church architecture and every
thing that made Sunday school work
effective and easy.
Referring TO superin!endonts. he agreed
with the ideas advanced hy the superiu
tendeGts who had spoken. All pIous
men would not make good superinten-
dents, He agreed with Mr.. Crosby that
superintendent who uld not keep
order was inelllcl' MT lie regretted that
John Wanamaker had gone Into the
Cabinet, and bad steppid down from the
high dignity OF superintendent OF Bethany
! Sunday school. He was pleased, how
ever, to be Informed by the Philadelphia
Press that he had not relinquished the
superlntendeucy OF the school, but would
return every Sunday from Washington
and take charge Of 1t. A man could en-
gage in no higher occupation than Sun
day school work.
A general conversation then ensued be-
tween Mr.. Reynolds and the teachers
present in regard to the most effective
methods of teaching. A superlntend-
ent's review, he said, should never ex-
coed seven minutes. 1t required more
study to boil down review than 1t re-
qulred to lengthen IT.. A Superintendent
should always keep ahead of the school,
and he should know how to vary the
exc; clses. BE should never allow a
school to be interrupted by secretaries,
librarians and the treasurer and Mr..
Reyno ds mi gbt have added by an
ignorant librarian going around to three
different classes ev.ry Sunday to give
each of his three children penny to put
in the collection, as has been the case In a
prominent Sunday school In this city.
Let uothlng, said Mr.. Reynolds, come
In TO interrupt lessen after 1t is COM
Mepced.
He said he would open his school al
$50 p. m. He would allow Is minutes
for general conversation, Is minutes fol
opening and praise service, s minutes fol
taking up collections, 40 minutes for the
study OF the lessor and IL minutes fol
closing, including review. Be would
have no library; they were hindrance tC
Sunday school work, but If he had one he
would have the books given out before
the school commenced.
Mr.. Reynolds then dwelt for come time
, upon the needed qualifications OF good
! and successful teacher. First of all he
should be christian, and eecondly, have
love for the work, and should have suf-
| AnIant Int n knaw how IN taanl