Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-09-08
MOLDING CHILD LIFE
"Our Public Schools" Topic Of
Sermon by Rev. D. L.
McNary.
AID FOR TEACHER FROM HOME
Tutor Next TO Mother in Influencing
Future of the
Scholar.

Rev. ID. l.. McNary, pastor of the
United Presbyterian church, yester-
day morning delivered sermon upon
the subject, Our Public Schools
His text was Psalms IA: II, THAT
our sons may be as plants grown up
IN their youth; that our daughters
may ne as corner stones, polished az
ter the similitude of a palace"
Rev. McNary said in part: This
verse is the psalmist's prayer for
divine blessing upon the sons and
daughters of his nation that they
may become strong and beautiful
men and women. Can patriotism
suggest more vital prayer? For
the nation of 90 years from now is
growing up in the boys and girls of
today.
"All over our land school bells are
ringing. and tomorrow morning our
own city schools open for another
tenn is our country's greatest effort
to insure the safety of our future. IL
is the drill ground of her future de-
tenders. All the worlds armies are
outnumbered by the scholars who
tomorrow Will throng the schools of
our land.
| Our public schools are modern in
situations. Formerly education was
only the privilege of the rich mans
| child, just as freedom at one time
belonged only to the man who was
rich enough or powerful enough 10
procure it. Our country boasts that
every man is free. and a better boast
still is that every child in our land is
lentitled to an education. l like the
democratic character of our public
schools. Children of different nation
lalities and of different religions at
tend the same school. This broadens
their sympathies and has made the
prosecutions of past centuries an inn
possibility today. y hopeful sign in
the threatening struggle between
labor and capital is in the fact that
their sons sit side by side in our pub
lie schools and play football together
On the gridiron.
'Too much Importance cannot he
attached to the school period of life.
1t is the time when Iife's ideals are
formed and the character is given
its bent. Next to the mother in the
home the teacher in our schools ~
the greatest influence in molding the
child's life. \ scholar is under the
teachers care six hours in the day
and five days in the week. Little
wonder that conscientious teachers
feel this responsibility to be a heavy
burden and long for the sympathy
and help of others.
Help From the Home.
There are two sources from which
our teachers expect help and should
receive it. They should have the sup
port of the home. 1t is upon the
home that the final responsibility for
child training must rest. The school
is helper to the home. A place
where the child is given an education
the parent could not give. How eS-
sentiaI that those in the home should
be in sympathy with the workers IN
our schools. When the home encour-
ages disorder instead of obedience
there is something vitality wrong.
Our schools should have the sympa-
thy and help of the church and chris
tan people. In no way would we
unite the church and school save in
the union of sympathy. Shall the
followers of the Master who first
pointed out the value of childhood
have no interest in the children 5
training?" We pray for our president,
for congress. for our colleges and
Summaries. That is right. But why
not remember our public schools
They contain the forces that will
rule our land in little while.
I'VE do not appreciate the signifi-
canoe of our schools nor the far
I,ar.
Their work is arduous, and oftimes
through our fault, is thankless. They
are sowing, seed; the harvest will be
IN the future. May God bless our
I public schools, our teachers and
scholars who tomorrow begin another
years work.