The Portland daily press., 1897-05-06
SUNDAY SCHOOL WORKERS
Cumberland County Union Meets at
ScarborO.
MANY DENOMINATIONS REPRE-
SCENTED THERE.

Addresses on various Topics Relating to
Sunday School Instruction-A School
of Methods and a Chalk Talk-Off1cers
for the Ensuing Year.
Procesio ns of vehicles from the neigh
boring towns, and lines IF people who
came in by train, converged at the pretty
Congregational church at Scarboro, yes
terday. The annual convention of the
Cumberland County Sunday School asso-
citation was the occasion of this gather
ing. The association mem bership is
made up of representatives of all evan
gelical denominations, anu every town
in the county has part in the work of
the organization.
The Scarboro Congregational church is
a modern house Of worship, comfortably
and attractively furnished. Just across
the street from the church stands tidy
and homelike parsonage, the abiding
place OF Rev. DR.. j. q. Merrill, who
finds time in addition to his editorship of
the Christian Mirror to acceptably I'LL
the pastorate Of this thrifty parish.
As most of the delegates attending the
forenoon session arrived on the two local
trains, at $50 and 1915, the published
programme was slightly departed from.
The exercises opened at 10. 30 with de-
votional service. conducted by Rev. j. r.
Clifford of Desring.
President Thomas Varney of Windham
called the convention to order at II and
appointed these committees:
. On nominations, Rev. 6. +. Cobb OF
Gorham. Rev. +. ". Davis of Cumber-
land. George B. Libby of Soarboro; regis.
tration, j. N. Halliday of Portland. Mr..
Sweetsir of Scarboro, Mrs. W. a. Hobbs
of Portland; resolutions. Rev. DR.. Mer-
rill Of Scarboro, Rev. Mr.. Roberts Of
South Portland. Mr.. Strout of Portland.
An hour was then devoted to reports
and discussions of work of the Primary
Teachers union. In the absence of the
president, Rev. 4. F. Millett of Gorham,
field secretary Ut the Maine Sunday
School association had charge of this
feature of thu days exercises.
Mrs. L.. Nj. Binford of Saco, state secre-
tary of the Primary Teachers union,
made an interesting, e1temporaneous ad-
dress, impressing on the delegates the
need Of more faithful and systematic
training of the children in Sunday school
work. She spoke of the benefit derived
from organization Of primary teachers
and mutual interchange of views on
topics that concern their work in the
Sunday schools
Mrs. s. S. Hussey of the Friends
church, Portland, spoke Of the reluctance
with which she at first engaged in the
primary work, but said that her interest
| has developed to the extent that now the
time devoted to the children OH Sundays
seems far too short. She advocated a
| frequent use of the blackboard in the
primary class.
Mrs. Hobbs of the Portland Second
Parish, spoke Interestingly of methods
used in the primary department in the
| church she represents. The children
under her charge take readily to motion
songs and verses embodying scriptural
quotations.
The use Of the picture roll has also
bean helpful to them. She spoke Of the
graduation OF the classes. The presiding
officer asked what plan she followed in
graduation. She replied that at the age
Of eight years the children are sent to the
upper classes. especially when the
primary department is crowded.
"Before they graduate are they expected
to have reached certain standard of
t>p c,1od w 81, ocl-o1 tho y,rooidipo off,cor
"No, If that were the case, I should
keep some of them till they are twenty
years DID, was the reply, which ooca-
stoned ripple Of mirth to pass through
the convention.
Mrs. Miller of South Portland spoke
briefly Of her experience in primary Sun
day school work.
Mrs. Annie Cressey OF Portland briefly
outlined the primary system in vogue in
the Williston church. Her mention OF
the kindergarten work and OF the use of
the scrap book system was specially in
structiye.
| The last fifteen minutes of the forenoon
session were occupied by Mrs. W. j.
Knowlton,, superintendent of the inter.
mediate department of the Chestnut
street Methodist Sunday school, Portland.
She gave very entertaining and in
structive address, IN the nature of a
school Of methods. She displayed charts,
pictures, rolls, pledges of abstinence from
the use Of liquors. tobacco aud profanity,
and sang songs that are employed in the
intermediate classes in the Sunday schools
she represents. She said 1t is their pur-
pose not to amuse. but to instruct in an
interesting manner.
| Mrs. Knowlton was piled with numer-
GUS questions, which she answered, re.
garding the details of the work in
question. At the close of the session she
was surrounded by teachers who desired
to question her further upon features OF
hei address that specially interested
| them.
| After a bountiful dinner, served in the
| o,,,d hav 10