Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1895-09-19
SCHOOL ORGANIZATION.

".
According to previous announce.
ment, the Sunday school convention
was held at the Methodist church in
this city on Thursday, the 18th, after
noon and evening. The devotional
exercises were, prayers by the different
preachers present, and hymns by the
choir, made up of the members of all
the Protestant choirs of the city. The
chief center Of interest was the two
addresses by Mr.. Reynolds, of Peoria,
Ill. For years he has been in this
work, and can speak Of 1t out of an
experience which few have had. He
said that he was only business man
and laid no claim to be preacher, or
an orator; and yet in his address on
Thursday evening, at two or three
points he showed himself the orator,
In the very best sense of the word.
He not only held his audience, but he
lifted them up and made them feel
that he spoke out of his heart. There
was nothing declamatory in his state
ments; but there was that earnestness
and fire that always reaches the hearts
Of people, and the listener can say
"he is not eloquent, but somehow he
takes hold of me-" If oratory means
simply defamation of high sounding
words and phrases, let us have less of
it and more of men who can "talk :"
like Mr.. Reynolds.
So we give an outline of his talks,
for the man and the manner had as
much to do in making 1t so delightful.
The Rev. Thomas Kent, pastor of the
p. M. church of this city, presided and
stated the object of the convention,
how that it was inter UNCONVENTIONAL;
and that it had in view township and
county organization of Sunday
schools. Mr.. Reynolds spoke of the
need of such organization in every
county, and showed what good could
come from n. He had maps to show
how that this work was being carried
on in other states, and showed how
all families could be reached in this
way-the organization reached down
from state to county, and from county
to township, and from township to
family, and through it ran the power
of personal influence so that no one
could escape. This power was more
than a match for eloquence. He
knew preacher who had the art Of
" hand shaking" and he had shaken"
more people into the church than his
far more eloquent neighbors had done
in their pulpits.
On motion it was resolved that such
organization should be effected and
James Spensley, II. J. Penhallegon,
Jr., and George Crawford were APP
pointed committee to work the mat
ter up and to correspond with the Sun
day school workers of the county, with
a county convention in view, when an
may be effected and oni-
GERS elected.
Outside Of these business matters
Mr.. Reynolds spoke of the different
ways of teaching that were necessary
in meeting the different classes and
conditions that are represented in the
school. The seed was the
same, but the soil and climate were
different; and so it had to be planted
and cultivated according to this differ
ence. The way that wheat is grown
n California Is different from that of
Minnesota; although it is the same
wheat. In many ways he illustrated
this idea. He also emphasized the
child's religious capacity, and showed
how that this was the teaching of
Christ, and how that the hope of the
church was in the training of the
young The old idea that had filled
our state prisons, that II young man
must SOW his wild oats and then be
converted, was not common sense, or
Christian experience, or the scriptures,
He said % per cent of church add
tons came through the early training
of the child at the Sunday school.
These impressions were lasting and in
their better moments in after life they
came back with power. For one to
grow up to II years without any relig,
ious influence and instruction meant,
If his experience taught anything, that