The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-08-21
FIELD SECRETARY
Theodore Richards to
Work This Year.
Report On Institutional and Evangelical Work
TO the Hawaiian Evangelical
Association.

Following is the annual report of
! Theodore Richards, field secretary and
secretary Oahu Pastors Aid Society, to
the Hawaiian Board:
The name Field Secretary carries
with it much more than has been even
attempted this year Only twice have
/ l been off the Island of Oahu tat both
times TO MOlokaD, and but two or
| three times besides, out of Honolulu.
| The language deficiency will account
! for this, as there has been daily study
undertaken with moderate results. Ho-
nOlulu having become a center of Oper-
ations, my interest has gone out in
several directions.
| First is the matter of Sunday
schools. 1t has seemed as though there
should be excellent Hawaiian Sunday
schools in Honolulu of all places. In
spiration should flow out from here to
all the islands. This can hardly be
said to have been the case in the past.
The assumption was first made that the
| interest must be Weakened broadly and
| that races long expected to be leaders
must feel the impulse first The Sun
| day school union of Honolulu was
| formed with this in view. One of the
aims, beside that of inducing a more
| thorough preparation of the lesson,
was in the direction of a graphic illus
tration of the lesson. of great value
anywhere, but especially designed to
assist in the presentation of the lesson
to those with whom there are prOmi
nent language difficulties. AS a result,
there has been almost weekly exposi-
ton in the Sunday schools of Kawaia
hao and Kaumakapili. The attendance
of your secretary upon the two Sunday
schools alternately has not proved at
all ideal, but there are some things in
favor of the plan. In each visit there
has been an effort to stimulate the mu
sic of the school by the establishment
of small male chOruSes. The rally
| grew out of the Sunday school union
and has proved marked uplift to all
schools of the city. 1t has been
pleasure to send out some new songs
which DR.. Hyde translated into Hawaii
an, notably to the gathering at Kaluaa-
ha, on MolOkai, where the songs were
sung by the whole gatherign. In pass
ing, it seems to your secretary that it
should be said that there is consider
able opportunity for effective work
through an inspired use of the 'HOike.'
To be sure there is marked abuse of
IL,
e. g., the devoting extra effort just be-
fore the event to the almost total dis
regard of the regular Sunday service.
Provided that these Gin many in
stances) exhibitions of scriptural and
musical proficiency could all be turned
to account, in inspiring better weekly
Sunday school services, they might be
tremendous agencies for good. The be-
lief is that this can be done.
ITO increase acquaintance, and
hence influence, large secular chOruSeS
|Of young men have been carried on in
the city. 1t is a pleasure to find that
many of these young men have become
effective helpers in the music of the
Sunday schools.
Perhaps the most notable effort for
the Sunday school to be mentioned is
the endeavor to build up the infant de-
partment of the two local schools.
There was no such class in the Hawai-
ahao Sunday school and through the
faithful and efficient services of Miss
Turner, aided by the steady visitation
work of Miss Ayau, there are some
times 100 in attendance at the morning
session. To a smaller extent this is
true at Kaumakapili, the difference
probably lying in the lack of such SER
vices as Miss Ayau is able to give. 1t
was conceived that something more
was necessary than Sunday work to
build up the Sunday school. In the
first place, children would have to be
informed that there was such a place
as Sunday school to go to. Then when
once there, their interest must be held
as a matter of course; but should such
interest fail, (Which means naturally
that they stop coming), it seemed high
ly important that the children be visit
ed in their homes. In many instances
the fault would be found to be that of
the parents, in almost all cases sub
iect to remedy. GOOd-natured acQui-
escence on the part of parents almost
always follows interested inquiry and
suggestion as to how time difficulty or
clothing deficiencies can be met. But
this kind of work is almost impossible
as volunteer work. To be reliable and
steady time must be given it, which
belongs to it and nothing else. Of
course it is conceded that such work
could not be effective without being
Christian. Having found one young
lady available, the plan adopted was
to pay her to work for the local kim
dergarten at KakaakO, so that she
might become acquainted with the chill
dren OF the neighborhOod, and then
working in the afternoons, meet them
in their homes, and so know their par
ents. On Sunday mornings the little
class which first congregates at the
church is personally conducted as Miss
Ayau gathers some of them up at their
homes. If there could be found anoth- |
er young lady of the conservation and
efficiency of Miss Ayau for the work
L ,l-s,, il t1np ~
no doubt be greatly advanced. 1t Will
be our aim to find such person. There
are small funds for this purpose.
Another interest purely local, has
been the work for boys undertaken by
the boys clubs of the city. The branch
at kaumakapili has taken the attention
of XOur SECRETARY while il has been his