Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1891-09-21
STA TIE BBApH SCHOOL


church, in the beautiful town of New
port, Sept. 15-17 1891, under the eff
fcient management Of the Rev. r. @.
Flagg, D. D. of Wells River, Pres. of
the association. The singing was in
charge of Rev. FL. T. Barnard of West
Rutland, who opened the session on
Tuesday evening with a praise SER
vice.
The first topic of the evening ''The
average man and the Sunday SCHOOL,
was treated by Rev. G. w. Morrow of
West Randolph, who said that the
Sunday school was an institution, the
primary object Of which was the sal
vation of the soul-Satan has drawn
the net and immortal souls are snar
ed. The S. S. seeks to bring releas-
ing power, by the use of a text book
which has been used for centuries and
stands the assaults of all enemies. The
average man is interested in this work,
some say the book is good for the
future. He wants something for the
present. If you can show him that he
is to get value received for what he
puts in to the S. S. you will find him
there. The S. S. may justly expect
the assistance of the average man,
when you inform him that in the no.
600 Sunday schools offs, 200, 900 scholars,
200, 900 teachers are making the NOR
ais of the great commonwealth. He
was followed by Rev. VIM. r. Bald
win of Saxtons River, who spoke on
"Secular methods applicable to S. S.
work.. An abstract of this sugges-
tive paper does it great injustice. The
Sabbath school is the day school in
embryo, the prominent features of
the one suggest the other, a little
child does not continue in the young
mems class, nor does a young woman
locate in class of girls. There are
well defined boundary lines now may
we grade the Sabbath school? Before
answering the question it is proper to
call atten ton to the anomaly we fos
ter in the separation of boys and girls;
they are together in the home, in the
primary class, and when they grow
up to manhood and wOmanhood they
are together in classes again, they
are together in the secular school also.
The theory of CO. education constant
~ gains ground in overhigh institu-
tions Of le arning and in the prepara-
tory sc hool as well, each is incentive
to the other, but in the Sabbath school
whe they come out of the lowest
class they are doomed to separation
for years together, knee breeches on
the left hand, and braided locks, Dear
creatures, on the right, from genera
ton to generation. That a S. S. NAV
be gra ded is not only admitted, but
an established fact, but more per-
feet system of grading is desirable,
mere advancement in age is an in
sufficient reason for the promo
ton Of the primary into the higher
class. Bigness is not a qualifcr-
ton worthy of estimation, here
avoridupois may kick the beam, but
insufficient. The ability to recite from
memory certain portions of Scripture
such as the ten commandments, the
twenty third psalm, and give a list of
the books in the two testaments. to
tell the story of Joseph and Moses, to
state the order of prominent events
in the life of our Lord, and the i'm
preston received from Calvary, might
be easily insisted upon as an indis-
pensibIe condition of promotion to
the higher grade.
This speaker was follower by Rev.
A. z. Winship, L. L. D. of Boston, the
editor of the journal of education. DR..
Winship is a practical Sunday school
men, gifted as writer, normal teach
er and journal editor, and thoroughly
acquainted with boys. His theme was
'"The boy in the Sunday achooP', and
said: The boy is a character, and was
not born for S. S. purposes. 1t is for
us to determine whether the S. S. was
born for the boy. He is a genius It
is an open question whether he hand
les the teacher, or the teacher the
boy. 1 know boys better than girls, I
was once boy. The boy has three
periods of life, in which there is hun
ger for physical, moral and spiritual
food. In the first period sense of hun
ger reigns, following these three di-
visions of the subject one Of the most
instructive and practible addresses on
the formation of child life and charac-
ter was given, that it has ever been
the privilege of the convention to lis
ten to.
On Wednesday morning the con-
vention was welcomed to the place bv
Rev. E. A. George, and responded to
by the president. Rev. John McKil-
lican of Montreal, agent of the Cana
dian Sunday school union, was intro
duced and briefly addressed the con
vention. A half hour was occupied in
reporting the various schools. after
which Rev. r. L. Bruce spoke on the
subject of Sunday Schools in Outly
ing Districts" The first Importance
Of this work was to the districts them
selves. They were neglected. Cos
pei work ought to be done in them
The Sunday school work is the easiest
kind. The population in these district
is changing, foreigners are coming in.
If New England is to maintain and
hold her place in the nation we must
get hold of the children of these people
IN the present generation, it can best
be done through the S. S. This work
Is important to us for our interests. 1t
is important to our common Lord and
Master. He has an interest in this
work if we have not. He came to,
and died for the outlying districts.
His work is largely confined to them,