The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-02-25
HOW TO REACH AND
HOLD YOUNG MEN
Subject of Admirable Paper by James
D. Grant at Sunday School In
stitute Held Yesterday
Afternoon.

A Sunday school institute for the
churches of this city and vicinity was
held in the Universalist church parlors
yestrday@ afternoon and evening, under
the direction Of Rev. Il. M. Fuller of
Burlington, the field secretary of the
Vermont Sunday school association. The
general subject Of the afternoons work
was NThe Sunday School Its Work"
The first speaker was Mrs. S. Fl.
Barnes, on @The Teacher in Preparation
Of the Lesson Following this paper 4
few suggestions were offered as to the
best way IN which to find interesting
things for the lesson. DIR. O. G. Stick
ney spoke for few minutes on the
Teacher Before His Glass" The last
paper Of the afternoon was read by
James d. Grant, on eWhat Can Be
Done to Interest and Hold the Young
Men in the Sunday Schools" This pa
per summed up the situation admirably.
He said in part:
Il think that if we can solve the first
part Of this problem, the second will
be easy. If the young men are really
and truly interested they will stay.
To interest the young men in the Sun
day school we must make the Sunday
school interesting. Much depends on
the teacher. II a teacher fails to in
terest his class, SO as to hold them,
there is something out Of gear some
where, and it would be much better
in my opinion to change the teacher and
save the class, than try to retain the
teacher in d place for which he Is mani
testify unsuited and lose the class of
young men, On whom you depend so
much for material to carry on the work
in the future
'-Now, if we cannot get the mountain
to come to MolTamet, we can do the
next best thing and bring Mohamet to
the mountain. the result being just the
same IF our object is to get hold of
the young men and bring them under
Christian Influences, and II we cannot
get the young men To come to Sunday
school, and so come under those intlu-
encs, would it not be wise to bring the
Bible and its message to the yonng men
in some other wayg l. e., ii we could
get some c0nsecrated and devoted man
or woman, pastor or layman, with the
necessary spirit and qualifications, to
take up an independent Bible class in
our city, / think we could reach many
young men who do not attend any sun
day school
Now let US ask the question, where
should the influences be started that
are to lead the young man to the Sun
day school and hold him thereg just
here a great mistake is often made,
and our weIi-meant efforts are begun
TOO late, we let the boy get too much
momentum ia the wrong direction be
fore we try to switch him onto the line
that leads Ia the Sunday school"
Train up a child in the way he
should 60 and when he Is old he will
not depart from it. How can YOU
train up child in the way he should
70 # YOU do not 20 that way your
self9 So / think the first step toward
securing Che interest Of the young man
in the Suday school should be taken in
the home, and the first responsibility
in the matter rests upon the parents.
II every father regularly attended sum
day school himself and took enough
interest in it TO go over the lesson at
home with his boys, there would be
no young mems problem In connection
with the Sunday school Fathers, il
you wish to see the Young men IN the
Sunday school, II you wish to see your
boy there when he becomes Young
man,--see to II that YOU spend much
time with him now, IN that direction.
1T viii Be the best Investment of Your
spare time that YOU ever made.
"a second thing that can " d0re tn
interest and hold young mon ia the
Continued on Fourth Pare.