Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-06-29
County Sunday School Union at
Dorset.

The Bennington County Sunday
School Union held it's convention there
Tuesday. The Rev. Chas. H. Peck is
the president of the Union, and NJ. B.
Morgan is its secretary. The Union did
effective work for many years PRIOR to
1868 when it met in convention in Dor
set Subsequently, however, it fell into
q comatose state, and was only revived
some eighteen months ago. There are
about 30 schools in the Union. The pro-
gramme was carried out with but little
variation. The reception and collation.
by the ladies of the Dorset society was
most friendly and substantial, some two
hours being occupied in friendly con-
verse. The afternoon session was then
opened with devotional service after
which came the greeting by the Rev. P.
S. Pratt and Supt. Rollin Sykes. They
were of a hospitable character, such a
welcome as is always given by the peo-
pie of Dorset when their sister towns
met in convention there, which found
ready response by the Rev. Chas. FL.
Peck, president of the Union, in behalf
of the convention, in which he said,
knowing the hospitality of the good peo-
pie of Dorset, he had looked forward to
this event with expectation and had
come now to enjoy it. The roll of the
County Sunday schools was then called.
The representatives of the schools were
requested to rise in response to the call.
The roll developed representation OF
one or more from about 40 schools, Ru-
pert having the largest representation in
the convention, outside of Dorset, which
school was well represented both after
noon and evening
The subject of Clown Organization"
assigned to Mrs. G. r. Thompson, was
taken by the president, the Rev. Chas,
II. Peck of North Bennington. The
ground taken was both practical and in
structive. The subject of "Out Dis
tricts'' was then taken up by Harrison
|. Norton of Bennington. He produced
lengthy paper on the subject, much
unfavorable comment being made on the
country school house. He said: shat
The Sunday school children who were ex-
pected to attend these outlying school
houses on a Sunday, for religious in
struction, were the same who attended
the public schools five days each week;
that the school house outside was not
pleasing to the eye or the inside suita-
Bile, hardly, to stable cattle in; that the
plastering was off; the seats hard and
such as were in use half century ago,
and that such conditions were unfaYora-
BILE to good work. The subject of
Temperance in the Sunday School,
was then taken up by Mrs. A. f. Smith
of Manchester Centre. A very able and
lengthy paper was presented, giving
statements of the number who fill a
drunkard's grave each year, and of the
increase in the number of saloons; that
the early education of the child was i'm
portant TO fit him to Withstand the great
temptation which everywhere confronts
him, and how little was being done by
the church or Sunday school. Refer
ence is seldom made by the pastor, SUI
perintendent or teacher before their con-
gregation, school or class. The laws of
Vermont are certainly adequate to any
offense' against the law. Yet the traffic
of Intoxicating liquor goes on right un
der their very noses, and for some rea
son they never talk about it. Continu-
ing on she said: ''This great evil of in
temperance can never be stamped out
except by organized effort; that it would