St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-10-25
VERMONT SUNDAY SCHOOLS.
A Profitable State Convention ut Brat
tleb0rO.

A Profitable State Convention ut Brat
The Sunday school workers ofVermont
who attended the convention at Brattle-
boro last week went back to their indi-
vidual fields with new instalment Of
zeal and with many helpful pointers for
the successful carrying on OF this impor-
tant branch of Christian activity.
large number of schools were represented
the programme was for the most part
effectively carried out, and there were
present several prominent speakers from
other and larger fields, who brought
many suggestions of practical value.
Perhaps the two addresses that will
linger longer in the minds of all who
heard them were those by Rev. DR.. Burr,
of Boston, and Dwight L. Moody. The
former pleaded eloquently in behalf OF
study of the Old Testament, and spoke
convincingly of its educational value; he
urged regular, systematic, thoughtful
study as the only way to get out of this
part of the Bible the treasures with
which it abounded. Mr.. Moody, in his
own inimitable way, argued for direct,
personal work with children and older
ones, as the only kind Of work that
counts. He drew largely from incidents
in his forty years of evangelistic labor to
prove the power OF the gospel to produce
marvellous changes in the human heart.
He moved his large audience to tears by
some of the word pictures he painted.
He believes in both regular and spasmo
die Christian work, and thinks what this
whole country needs is revival of right
eousness-a reversion to what some peo-
pie would call the old-fashoned way of
presenting the gospel truths. 1t was
Moody, all over, with undated power
and consecrated purpose to awaken the
public mind and heart to the Importance
of right living.
Other good things were spoken and
emphasized. The methods of the Great
Teacher; the alliances necessary for the
successful teacher; the getting and hold
ing OF young men in the Sunday school;
the importanc of the work in the prm-
airy department; the demand for nor
NAL training for teachers; points for Off
GERS; the proper reading and interpreta
ton OF the Bible-these and other topics
were discussed in helpful way.
A debt of $500 was wiped out and a
substantial surplus put into the treasury,
for the coming years work, by pledges
from schools and individuals.
1t was voted to abolish the reports
from individual schools. in future state
conventions. Reports from county or
izations will still be asked for The exec
utive committees action innaming D. Nj.
Camp, of Newport, as the Vermont mem.
Der ofthe international body was ratified.
A feature of the convention was the
singing OF gospel hymns by Miss Marion
Rice, who sang several times at each ses-
sion and contributed not a little to the
success of the gathering.
President Hawley's handling OF the con-
vention details was business-like, and
there were no delays. The Brattleboro
people dispensed generous hospitality
The officers elected for the coming year
are:
President, L. w. Hawley, Brattleboro;
vlce-presidents, N. 6. Williams, Bellows
Falls, Vim. H. Lang. Burlington; gen.
eral secretary and field worker, Rev. G.
L. Story, Milton; treasurer, F. S. Pease,
Burlington; statistical secretary, Rev.
J. H. Rabbit. Brattleboro; executive
committee, Rev. L. o. Sherburne, Enos-
burgh Falls chairman. Rev. ]. c. Tay-
lor, East Craftsbury, Rev. w. H. Child
ley, Randolph; D. NJ. Camp, Newport;
Rev. Alfred Cornell, Monkton Rev. w.
A. Kinzie, Bristol; Rev. G. c. Waterman,
st. Johnsbury; G. F. North, Rutland;
normal board, Rev. ]. c. Barton, Sails
bury, chairman, w. c.. Kitchin, Burling-
ton; Rev. E. F. Jefferson, Enosburgh
Falls; Edward Ellery, Saxtons River.
The figures OF the statistical secretary
showed membership of 1852 in Bap-
fist Sunday schools; 21,025 in Con
gregational, 20, 1876 in Methodist, and
12,419 in all Others reporting, or a total
OF So, 100, which is about 10 per cent of
the state.