The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-08-27
Largest Attendance in
 History.
People Come from All Parts of coun- try to Meeting at Ramer, and Are HospifabIy Enter
 tained.
tBy Mrs. L. W. wright3

(By Mrs. L. W. Wright)
 Banner, August 25.-The second days session of the fourteenth annual con- vention of the Montgomery County Sunday School Association was marked by the largest attendance in the his- tory of the organization. Morning trains from Montgomery and Troy and intermediate points brought a large number of people to the meetings while from all points within radious of twenty miles, people came in pri- vate conveyances.
 The grove surrounding the Metho- dist Protestant Church where the con- vention was held, presented the ap- pearance of big church picnic or a political celebration. with vehicles of every kind scattered about and horses tied under the shade of the trees.
 The church in which the meetings was held, the largest fin the town, and selected on account of its size, was filled early in the morning, and before the 10 o'clock session, seats were brought in from a nearby school house and chairs from the homes in the neighborhood to accommodate the wis., it DTS.
 One of the most noticeable features of the meeting was the absence of chill dren and the large attendance of men and women. The ancient idea that Sunday School and Sunday School work are intended for the very young. is entirely done away with in the light of the recent meeting of the Sunday School workers of Montgomery Coun- ty. The, building was crowded with young men and young women with fathers and mothers, and grand fath- CTS and grand mothers. the idea being ' A. Art means and wisest methods of training the children. that they may be able to take their place as Christian men and women in the world of the tomor row.
 Begin at Sunrise.
 A sunrise prayer service, led by Rev. J. A. Jenkins, was held just as the first | rays of sun crept over the horizon. and ] tn ose who attended expressed them 1 selves as feeling we'll paid for exer- l tion of rising at the unwonted hour. The first speaker on the program in the morning was w. F. Thedford. Su- perintendent of the Central Presbyter- | ian Sunday School of Montgomery. His subject was How to Prepare Lesson" Mir. Thedford made one of the most practical addresses that was made dur ing the convention. He dwelt espec- iaily on the importance of careful and intelligent preparation of lessons by the teachers and the superintendent, and the utter hopelessness of effective work in any Sunday School that Is otherwise conducted. He spoke of the structure of the Bible; of its being written by many persons, to many persons and groups of persons. In the interpre- tation of the Bible there are as many ideas about certain points, as there are persons who study 1t.
 Mir. Thedford gave some general in- structions to the teachers as to how to study the Sunday School lessons and 1 how to impart the knowledge they ac- ' quire to their pupils.
 Tn the ten minutes general discus
 sion which followed on the subject, sev-
 eral prominent Sunday School workers advanced some helpful ideas,
 w R. Sawyer. Chairman of the Elk l ecutlve Committee of last year, spoke
 for twenty minutes on the topic Our
 gested a text found in Ecclesiastes, ix. | 1O 'Whatsovere thy hand findeth to
 do, do it with thy might; for there is
 no work. nor device. nor knowledge,
 nor wisdom in the grave whither thou
 goes"
 Love the Motive Power. | Mr. Sawyer said he was not knock
 CT, nor a pessimist, but on the con trary tried to direct his life along the lines of love, believing that the great est good to the greatest num- Der could be accomplished through A. spirit of love. He said how ever, that there capae times when in the
 best regulated households the family must come together and have little serious talk, and he proceeded to taIK | tu the convention of the business end or the Associations; telling them where they had been remiss in their duties during the past year. and bespeaking | for his successor in office a more prompt and heartIer response when called up- on for the good of the Association.
 He said the Sunday Schcol work ID
 tbe ..Father's Business" and the hrst | recorded words of Christ were, Wist va not that I be about My Father | husiness?" From that time forth the burden of His heart and the theme oi | His life was My Fathers business.
 "If we are to be true followers or Him." said MT. Sawyer, we must take up this same business and push IL to | the full extent of our ability. | eve are sometimes tempted to believe | that the Lords business is of minor
 importance" he said, and that we can | attend to it or not just as we are lh- | clined. but the Bible says Whatsoever
 the hand fndeth to do, co 1t with thy | might The Fathers business means
 more for the world than all else com | bined Our social conditions, our civ ilization, our government, the happl-
 ness of our homes, the power of our churches, and the salvation of souls depend on it."
 Bible in Every Home.
 | Many features of the business could he discussed he said, but he spoke only of one and that was of vital im- portance, the business of every man and woman seeing to 1t that the Bible Is placed in every home, on the altar of every threshold, that the incense from its teachings may arise in sweet odor | to Heaven. Mir Sawyer Illustrated his address throughout with instances and | "reminiscences that were appropriate | and interesting.
 "The Relation of the Sunday School | to the Business World" was ably dis cussed by l. L. Lasseter, a successful business man, and also one of the most
 enthusiastic Sunday School workers IT | Montgomery County.
 "The Banner District" was the sub
 feet of a short talk by Judge Joseph Carthel. Secretary of the State Sunday
 School Association, Judge Carthel ex-
 plained the requirements of Banner | District" ." To be a baner district. tho
 district must hold one or more con
 ventions within the year. There mus
 be a report from every Sunday Schoo
 to the state Secretary, and there mus
 be a contribution from every school