The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1906-04-06
The Boy and the Young Man.
"a Paper read by Mr.. Guy E, Speare at the Sunda
School Convention held here last week.

"a Paper read by Mr. Guy E. Speare at the Sunday
School Convention held here last week.
Nv purpose is to deal with the problem
of keeping the young man in the Sunday
School, as Mr.. Kilbourn expresses it, "of
preventing graduation | must deal
with this subject from a layman's point of
view although the thoughts | have to
offer have come to me from my actual eX-
perience in public school work. l am
struck with the similarity Of the Sunday
School problem with that of the public
school. A brief comparison will help us
to at least feel that the problem is wider
than our own sphere of work. Out of
one hundred pupils who enter the primary
grade from two to six only will graduate
from the high school, a much smaller
per cent Will enter college or professional
| life. From our own high school we grad
uate six this year, two of whom are the
sole survivors from a class of rather large
numbers in the primary grades. All
along the way up the school course we are
confronted with the possibility of the
young people leaving school. In the pub
| lie school, moreover, we have the factor of
compulsory attendance between the ages
of eight and fifteen, which must be left
out of account in the Sunday School A
comparison of the record of the Sunday
School in respect to those who leave,
would, am sure, reveal the fact that a
smaller per cent of those who start leave
the Sunday School, than is the case in the
public school under analogous conditions
To be sure there remains the number of
those whom the Sunday school never reach
es factor with which have not so much
to do.
Now this possibility, or tendency of
portion of our pupils to leave us, forces
the public school l to strive to fit in
some degree for life at nearly every point;
and 2, to combat this tendency to leave.
We are under constant stress in the direc-
ton of three definite aims: /, to fit for
life; 2, to develope culture; 3, to
prepare for service-train for citizenship.
All of these aims are being defeated by
pupils leaving school. 1t is similar in the
Sunday School. Here the three aims are
certainly: l, Life-actual saving for
life; ?, growth in Christian culture,
3, training for service;-to bring Others
to Christ; to perpetuate the church or
ganization, to fit for the growing duties
of citizenship in the kingdom off Christ.
Here, too, the possibility that, the young
men will leave in a large measure defeas4
our aims. Beyond them, too, are the
young men to be reached who have never
as vet been reached. Therefore the prob
lem of keeping the young men is OF par
amount importance. a+#
How can we keep the young people in
the Sunday School? That is the question.
1t is exceedingly difficult to answer.
First, let us ask for the causes. We notice
an indifference to the Sunday School grow
ing up among our young men. The reason
is often far to seek Frequently we find
that it is not an indifference to religious
things. The cause lies deeper. | cannot
hope to exhaust the subject, but | wish
to point out several factors which have
much to do with the problem.
First:-The Sunday School course is
not meeting the needs of the young man.
We must not forget the individualistic
tendency of modern life. The. courses of
the Sunday School must be directed
toward individual needs. /. have often
thought that our demand for uniformity
N Sunday School lessons has worked to
Through uniformity to
20 the winds and if it be necessary. The
treat essentials is to give in the Sunday
school courses something vital, interest
ng, practical, closely coordinated with
actual life. 1t is not enough to have a
ew minutes of the study more or less
directed toward religious ends on Sunday.
The subject of study must be put into
lctual practice for the week. The relig-
Gus lllt II IL CootlltldA a pau VI man
nature as his digestion. The latter can
,e neglected with much less harm. Fur
hermore, the world Is looking for the
nipple, manly fellows who not only fire.
luent the Sunday School but live it dur
NO the week. l believe that every sub
ect of interest in life can and ought to be
discussed in the Sunday School class. In
act. for all our study we must get just the
,roadest applications possible.
Our courses also fail to take into ac-
cunt all the sides of young mans ma :
ure. Sometimes we are so engrossed in :
eaching right beliefs, that we forget the
motional side We must get the young {
nan to feel his own part in the scheme of
hings. l think it possible,-I cannot ,
ay how-but possible nevertheless for
Young man to feel the eternal values; to {
ealize himself a part of the mighty cur
emit; to feel the cost of the things with !
rhich he has TO do.
Again we fail to take into account the
ctive side Opportunities for self eN-