The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-11-13
IN THE AFTERNOON.
George D. Piper Talks on Music at
the Conferences.

VIVA - - - $3.50 -
the Conferences.
During the afternoon session George
D. Piper took up the subject of "Some
Incongruities of State Sunday School
Conferences" and handled it without
gloves. He was particularly sarcastic
when treating of the music sometimes
played during the administration of the
sacrament at these conventions.
WaltZes and twO-steps, he said, were
not an uncommon accompaniment and
declared that in one case he had heard
of ''The Battle of Waterloo" with var
iatiOns, being played while the sacra-
ment was being partaken. At the
proper times a prOmpter would call the
audiences attention TO the particular
part that the music was describing,
such as THE Approach, =" The Charge
1.-The Bugle Call" etc.
Other incongruities that the speaker
...-1 were that often the audience was
lie to repeat only the first two or
I three Of the Articles of Faith, and that
even the brothers on the platform were
able to get through only by the aid of
printed cards. Tt was too much the
practice, Mr.. Piper said. to waste the
time of the meeting in preparing plans
that should have been prepared before
hand, and he mentioned how in the
ItRCdAIC Oh DuAlQdEs tlC Sldu uEdIu uuI-
ing pause in the music one brother
giving directions to an usher
At the close of the address J. J. Nc
Clellan played on the organ number
such as would be suitable during saCTa-
ment.
The afternoon opened with the hymn,
Marching Home" after which T c.
| Griggs conducted a few minutes Of
singing practice. Then came a band of
little ones, forming the kindergarten
class of the Forest Dale Sunday school.
] They, with their teachers. were placed
on the front of the platform and put
through a series Of exercises. during
which they sang songs, repeated pray
1 erS, were told a story, and. with closed
eyes, guessed flowers simply by smell
ing them, at which most of the tots
! were very expert. This was followed by
Elder II. s Goddard singing "Ho-
| sanna."
The first speaker of the afternoon
| session was Elder X. G. Maeser, whose
/ subject was object and Benefits of
! State Union Meetings" These objects,
/ as explained by Mr.. Maeser, are to
/ give teachers a chance to become ac-
( quainted with one another. to ask
] questions, learn one anOther's methods
( and to establish a harmony among
/ Sunday schools The teacher who stud
! led only his own methods and knew
nothing of what others were doing. the
| speaker did not think 1T to have the
/ care of children. A the same time he
/ thought that while studying the meth
! DDS of others. each Sunday school
] should have an individuality or a char
] acteristic to distinguish it from other
/ schools. Anothef Of the prime objects
+ of these meetings, said Mr.. Maeser
/ was to make teachers thorough, and in
! order to accomplish this he advised
I that they not only meet with teachers
! teaching classes Simillr to theirs, but
! also consult with teachers of all grades.
Mr.. MaeSer was followed by Henry
! Peterson. who discussed the Sunday
/ School Normal Class In response to a
! query handed in by one of the audience,
! the speaker defined the Sunday school
/ normal class as q place for training
/ pupils to become teachers. These
/ classes We're sometimes established in
! Sunday schools. Mr.. Peterson thought
this should not be done unless there
! was a thoroughly competent, tea cher to
/ conduct such a class, and good material
with which TO fill it. He also advo-
Gated that no class be established
without the consent of the state super
intendent.
For the normal classes that are con-
/ Quoted outside the Sunday schools,
many reforms were Suggest ed. He said
/ that the instruction was too cold and
/ technical, and that more time should
| be devoted to the study of the gospel.
Many of the students were farmers and
young working people who could only
devote a year to this work, and the
speaker thought it foolish to waste the
time Of such pupils by researches in
technical psychology and the like.
Mr.. Peterson also advised against
those who intended becoming teachers
studying too much method. He said
methods were we'll enough for studies
if the better ones were adapted and
not adopted. Otherwise the Teachers
Instructions would be cold and come
out maChine-Gke.
Professor George f. Shelton played q
solo on the violin, accompanied by the
organ, after which Mr.. Pyper spoke
and his was the last address of the
afternoon George Reynolds answered
a few questions about church w0rl
that had been handed in during the
day. and then, with the singing of the
hymn Zion Prospers, Ali Is Well, ad
journment was taken until O'Clock il
. | the evening.