The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1895-11-18
TWenty-Seventh
Anniversary.

tne most notable order OF exercises that
have been given on a similar occasion in
this city.
The splendid audience room of the
church was filled. main floor and gallery,
by the members of the congregation, the
members of the school and their friends.
The extension of the pulpit platform that
was made for the recent Christian En-
deayor convention held in the church was
stil in place and an addition extending 1t
over the pews In the northwest corner of
the auditorium. and on II were seated the
pupils and teachers of the primary depart
ment of the school. The pupils of the in
termediate department with their teach
ers were seated In the front pews; the
great choir, strengthened by the Juvenile
Orchestra composed of Thomas b. Young,
Robert w. Simmons, Irving Riggs, Lester
Riggs. John Hitler and Norman Parke,
crowded all the space In front OF the organ.
On the platform, which was beautifully
decorated with flowers. seated with the su-
perintsndent OF the school, Charles Baird,
were the Rev. A. N. Keigwin, d. D., and
w. X. Crosby.
The exercises began with voluntary by
the choir. followed by the FIRST hymn of
the programme:
I'VE are marching on to Canaan,
And Jehovah is our guide;
We are marching thro' the desert,
He Is ever at our side;
In the darkness or the dangers
We can never go astray,
With Jehovah for our leader
And our guide upon the way
1t was jubilant song. The children
sang 1t as with the spirit and understand
ing, 1t enthused the great audience and
when the chorus came around the second
time the volume Of the jubilant vocal song
rose above the notes OF the big organ like
the triumphant shout of a marching host.
1t was the inspiring note OF the anniver-
sary. Following the song the audience,
standing. repeated the Lords Prayer under
the leadership of Superintendent Baird. A
hymn was sung by the primary grade pu-
pills. and descriptive selection was read
and the devotional exercises were com
pleted in the song:
"Where lie leads. I'll follow"
The superntendent's report was read by
MIR. Baird. Aside from its interest as the
twenty-seventh annual report 1t was the
first report since the adoption Of the
graded class system by this school, 1t
included the following statistics: Present
membership OF the school. 794, of whom
there are officers, 46 teachers and 743
pupils. There are IS male teachers and
officers; SO female teachers and officers;
2SS male and ASS female pupils The aver
age attendance OF officers and teachers
during the year was 3s and of pupils 316
Total average attendance, 1854. The largest
attendance was $685. on December 20. and
the smallest AZ on August IL. The re-
ceipis and disbursements OF money during
the year was as follows: Received for
school purposes, s3O7.23; for missionary
work. S159.45 collection at the last ami
versary, $21.40; special collection for
church debt. 5000; miscellaneous, $685.
Total receipts, $095.29, which added to bal
ance on hand November /, 1895, made a
grand total for the year of S1.124.63. The
school expenses for the year amounted to
S3s4.f2; missionary work. $160.73; church
debt, $35025; leaving balance in the
treasury OF $22s.9 90.
Mr.. Baird congratulated the teachers
and pupils on the success OF the first
years experience in graded Sunday school
work, saying that it had been entirely sat
isfactory. The success OF the year, he
declared to be largely due to the faithful
services OF the teachers of the primary
I department. s&
Another song Scattering Precious
Seeds" was followed by one OF the most
interesting events in the history of the
school. The first class of boys end girls
TO be promoted from the primary grade
to the intermediate grade Of the school
were received into the higher grade. There
were twenty-eight Of these children to be
promoted. Twenty-seven of them were
present. Mr.. Baird called their names,
and In response they took their places
in line across the pulpit platform. and in
that position were asked some hard ques-
tions about the Bible, Its history. its
books and their contents. all of which
were answered correctly and promptly,
and were followed by recitation in con-
cert of the Apostles Greed. While the
children were still standing Mr.. Baird
presented each of them with a handsome
| Bible, marked on the cover with the
| pupils name. and with an appropriate in
scripton on the fly leaf signed by the
! superintendent.
The names of the children receiving
| Bibles were as follows, Mabel Gooding.
| Argyle Scuder, Nancy Brown, Lusby
| Greenwood, Rebecca Sparks, Willie Grit
| fifth, Anna Holt, Willie Thompson. Blanche
| Pierson. Robert Anderson. Maud Johnson,
Clarence Wyatt, Nellie Morrow, Willard
| Springer Florence Jacobs, Willard Handy,
Reba Joslyn. Ernest Wyatt, Elsie Gun
| ther, Joseph Hates, Florence Robinson,
| Charles Gooding, Helen Brown, Bertha
1 may ISEhlust hChenHlGf
| Eaton, Paul Frederick, Frank Morton.
Mr.. Baird made an address after pre-
| senting the Bibles. congratulating them on
| their success and urging them to con-
| tnue earnest, dillgent students of Gods
| Word. After the children had taken their
seats hymn was sung. and then Mr..
| Baird introduced w. X. Crosby, superin-
| tendent of Central Presbyterian Sunday
school, who made an address Of eongratu-
latton TO the officers and teachers of the
| school, and their friends who were pres
ent. He said West Presbyterian Sunday
school is the banner school Of the state.
It is the first to adopt the graded class
| system, and the largest school numerl-
caliy In the state. While congratulating
| the members OF the school on their sue
cess he urged the parents to greater in.
1 terest In Sunday school work.
Several other musical selections were
| given. The Rev. A. N. Keigwln made a
! brief address. followed by song from
the schools, and dismissal with the hane-
diction.
CouI md Wood.