The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-07-14
What Benefit?

II oCCh 4c6Ca bl koOQ oAn- 4.
day School man, to write an article
for your paper and state 'what
benefit are State and Inter
national Sunday School conventions,
and the workers therein, to an indi-
vidual Sunday School?
And what return have we for sup
porting the State and International
Secretaries?
say very much, whether the indi-
vidual Sunday School takes hold and
helps to advance the great work or
not, but very much more when 1t |
reaches out its hand and eagerly |
grasps the offered blessings and ap-
propriates them to its own use, as 1t |
may and ought to do. Like all other |
great enterprises, this work cannot
succeed without earnest intelligent
leaders, who devote their time, tai
ent and study to the management
of the work, and whose ability and
labor command good salaries.
These conventions are not places
of social entertainment only, but for
imparting and receiving instruction
in the best methods, whether new or
or old in the management of Sunday
Schools, and getting store of in>p:r-
alton that will appropriate this
knowledge, and diffuse 1t to others,
whenever opportunity offers. They
INSPIRE greater love for the work
90 10
efficient in the work.
Is your Sunday School in any better
working order now than 1t was so
Iyears ago? Have you any better ma
Ichinery for running It? Is your
School accomplishing any greater
Igood, now than then? If so, 1t is an
loutgrowth of conventions, whether
you convened or not. Have you the
uniform lessons? Have you lesson
lhelps? Have you a home depart
ment? a cradle roll to enlist their
mothers? a decision day to promote
1.-THE conversion of scholars? teachers
meetings to discuss better methods?
Normal class to train better teach
ers? Have you more consecrated
teachers and officers? Have you any
better system in any way of conduct
ling your Sunday school now than
then? If so, you are reaping benefit
from conventions; for all these things
we're born and developed in conven-
tions, and If you..have done nothing for
Icouventions, you are using borrowed
and possibly well worn property un'
conscious of its origin.
If you have not all these helps, II
IL because You do not reach out and
appropriate rich opportunities
drought to your very doors by these
conventions, which you surely would
do If you could appreciate theiI
Ivalue.
Let me give you two examples Of
appreciation and appropriation: Mr.
A. G. Carter had been a Sunday
School teacher for 12 years before he
ever attended a convention, thinking
1t would be time lost. Nine year
ago he was induced to attend the
county convention at Bellecenter
where he changed his mind, and
since then has attended eight State
: and two International conventions
Ipaying his own way, receiving bene
fit and dispensing much of it to mum
erous township conventions and Sun
day schools. He says he knows h,
has been both a better teacher ant
better superintendent and his schoo
a better school because he has beer
to these conventions, where he hai
Learned to adopt new methods thai
are good, and drop the old ones that
were not. He says no Sunday schoo
h worker can afford to miss these con
sventions.
Rev. B. w. Spilman, of Raleigh, N
alC., who was power for good a
! the Portsmouth convention las
June, said: "About six years ago
was asked to attend Sunday Schoo
convention, but replied that had n,
use for them. But l went to see wha
was in them and sthere learned som'
good sense on that subject. Las
-ISummer 1 spent ninety days will
Marion Lawrence on the Information
al Western tour. and 1 would no
take 81, 10000 for what 1 learned ol
that trip. Rev. Spilman is now a yer.
y Iearnest and valuable worker in Sun
day School conventions.
The best way to reap the creates
benefit to your school is to send you
Superintendent, or some other goo,
y Intelligent s. S. worker to the Stat
e and county convention, who can an
= viii drink in the lessons thereof, an
+ bring them back to you, and repor
: in a teachers meeting and utiliz
them in the working of your school
+ for there is where the greatest bene
}. fit Is intended. You may say
lyou may think-that county an
township conventions are all righ
and good enough, and that others ar
not necessary.
But for the greater conventions, a
a great foundation of informatio
n and inspiration, you probably woul
not have the smaller ones at all; an
n If you did they would be of much les
s. value, for want of proper nourisf
If ment. A few of the very best, brigh,
d, est minds. and deepest thinkers, wit
n- concealed hearts and lives, NEE
and conduct the state and interns
,e tional conventions. There are nc
s. enough such persons to conduct a