Los Angeles herald., 1906-11-19
SUPERINTENDENT :
TALKS OF WORK
TELLS HOW BIGGEST SCHOOL
IS CONDUCTED
Brooklyn Institution Is the Largest Of
Its Klnd--Los Angeles Has the
Second and Third In
size

Frank L. Brown. superintendent Of
the Sunday school of the Bushwick
Avenue Methodist church Of Brooklyn,
N. Y, spoke at two Los Angeles Sun
day schools yesterday. Mr.. Brown is
widely known as the superintendent
of the largest Methodist Sunday school
and Los Angeles has the distinction of
having the second and third largest,
the First and Boyle Heights Methodist
respectively. Mr.. Brown spoke at both
Of these Sunday schools yesterday, go
ing to the First church at the opening
of the session and later going to the
Boyle Heights church for the close of
the session. both having opened at the
same hour.
Mr.. Brown Is a guest at the West
minister. accompanied by his wife and
1S-year-old son. He Is on his way to
Japan to organize Sunday schools and
see to the work generally on his way
around the world in the interest of the
international Sunday School associa-
ton. In this he will be assisted by his
son, who had charge of one of the
departments of the Brooklyn Sunday
school, When seen yesterday Mr..
Brown spoke encouragingly of the
local work. He said:
Schools Are Good
"I have been able to visit only the
First and Boyle Heights Sunday
schools. These Sunday schools have
wide-awake superintendent and teach
ers and have up-to-date methods. /
see that the adult classes in these
schools are progressing finely, for they
are strong points in any Sunday school.
These adult classes are great features
| in the work.
"There are about 100000 members In
the adult classes in this country The
International Sunday School association
| will place an adult class secretary in
the field to push the work of organiz-
ing adult classes. This is q very prom
| ising feature of the work. 1t VIII bring
| the older Bible students into their
| proper places. This is revolutionizing
| the status of the Sunday school, which
was formerly considered more especi-
| ally adapted to the children. 1t has
| the great advantage of retaining the
boys and girls in the Sunday school
after the age of IA, who would other
| wise drop out.
"In the Bushwick Avenue Methodist
! Sunday school of Brooklyn, of which
1 am superintendent, we have about
| 1000 young people and adults out of
! the 1900, which shows a good propor-
IlOn Ill IdVOr OIL tne OluoT CldSSeS.
Brooklyn Methods
1--WE have methods by which we not
only care for the pupils on Sundays
but are constantly looking after them
| all through the week. 1t Is not a goody-
! goody affair just for Sunday, but of
| benefit all the time. We have an en-
ployment department which found
positions for about 500 members and
their friends last year, free of charge,
; In this connection 1t Is a settled fact
that the business men are securing
their help to a great extent from the
h Sunday schools and churches. / know
Il Of a certainty that some of the large
business firms in New York will employ
only Sunday school or church men,
bers, or habitual church attendants,
/ and even go so far as to forbid the
smoking habit.
I I'VE believe in our Sunday school
| work that one do Is worth 1000 'don'ts'
and we have gymnasium in our
| church building for the young men to
attend two nights weekly, one for boys
and another for young women who
| are employed, all having competent in
structors. We have also separate
choruses for young men and women
| one night each week. In addition to
| these we have debating clubs for young
men, lecturers of various kinds, social
and literary meetings. 1t is these
weekly exercises that attract to the
great good of the Sunday school.
Membership Increasing
The increase in membership is a
| healthy one and contend that 1t is
| not wholly in numbers that is for the
| best good of Sunday school, but the
| Christlike atmosphere carried out in
the increase and the work. And in re-
/ gard to the increase. we do not resort
/ to contests nor the Offering of prizes
The work of the individual and colec-
tive membership is a good advertising
medium by which to make the ingath-
| ering. Two weeks ago today an ad-
dition of forty united with our Sunday
school and the good work goes on.
I'VE have nine departments, graded
with the promotion system in our Sum
day school and each department is
supplied with superintendent and
| secretary and the quota of teachers
We have outside Of these what we
term the alumni which as far as pos
sible cover all who have left the school
| for various reasons.
"The supplemental work is an i'm
| portant part of our graded system,
which consists of Bible instruction and
memorizing passages of Scripture
church criticism, Bible geography and
church hymns. These are taught in
special ten-minute lessons and reviewed
from the platform by the superinten-
dents.
Training Classes
'"Training classes for the fitting of
| teachers to do better work are sue
| cessfully established Several universi-
ties Of the country are recognizing the
Importance of training teachers for the
Sunday schools and are establishing
chairs for that purpose.
II believe in the well-paid superin-
tendents that they may put their whole
time and energ..' into the work of the
Sunday school. Frequent Inquiries are
made for these men to develop the
| Sunday schools along progressive lines.
1.-The evangelistic feature of the Sum
day schools is a great factor in bring
ing many people into the churches.
| Fully 2h ner cent M the additions 10