Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1907-09-26
SUNDAY School Convention.

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Sunday School Convention.
The sixth annual convention of the Cameron
Comfy sabbath School Association held in the
First Baptist Church in Emporium, Sept 10th
and nth 1907, was opened at 7:45 O'Clock Mon
day evening Rev. J. NJ Robertson conducted
the devotional service.
Rev w. Fl. Allen, president of the Association
then introduced the first speaker of the even
ing Rev j. f. Calvin pastor of the church IN
which the convention was held.
After extending a most cordial welcome TO the
convention the speaker affirmed that Sabbath
School workers are interested in one olthe great
eat works among men, that the Sabbath School
teachers work is superior to that OF teacher III
the public schools because it has to do with the
highest part of mans nature that which allies
itself with God and is not for time only but for
eternity, it is for two realms the present
and the future. But there are obstacles
in the way The sabbath School meets but one
day a week; and the teachers are not specialists;
and they cannot compel the scholars 10 attend
nor can they compel them to study the lessons
And their work is handicapped by false methods
We are too much bound to the international
Lesson system which disregards historical sc
quence, but follows the topical method of study,
and so we do not learn the Bible as whole, and
Sabbath School scholars to-day are more igno-
rant of the Bible than were those few years
ago who studied directly from the Bible. An
other difficulty we find III the Schools of to-day
is that they are not graded, they compare with
what a Sabbath School ought TO be about like an
ungraded country School compares with a city
graded school.
A solo by Mr. II. c. Olmsted was greatly ap-
preciated by the convention.
The President in a few happy remarks then
introduced the last speaker the evening, Rev.
O. F. Irwin, State Field Worker Of the State
Sabbath School Association, who took as his sub
iect "Rues Necessary in the art of Surveying
and lessons that may be gathered from them"
In the first place the surveyor must have good
and true compass which must be tested from
time TO time The needles must always point to
the magnetic pole it must not be swerved from
its direction by surrounding conditions So we
must set up our transit the compass of our
character must ever point to Christ and tests
must be made so that if there is any variation
between what we are and what we ought to be,
that can be rectifed. We should not be satisfied
while there is the slightest variation We should
be thoroughly equipped for our work. 100 have
the State diploma in the teachers Normal Course.
This makes them specialists in teaching. And
one of the things they learn is the Law of cre-
ating interest" this in the Sabbath School takes
the place of civil law in the public school to Sc
cure attendance and preparation of lessons.
The Surveyors second rule is that each line
must be straight, a surveyor cannot run curves.
SO the Sunday School worker cannot be world
ling during the week and successful teacher on
Sunday We must lot be a christian off and on
A third rule is getting and recording for data
for future reference. So the Sunday School
ars which viii be very helpful in the future in
making straight the way of the Lord"
The fourth rule requires the surveyor to plot
on paper the results of his surveying, this tests
his work. So we may test work in a similar
manner. A boy is not depraved just because he
stickes another boy with a pin, that is not
enough data which to decide. Beneath al
there's probably a spot that may be touched by
love that will make him noble man.
And the fifth rule is that the plot must be re
corded in the archives of the nation. So we
should record our work by character building fol
eternity and we will have Joy after awhile when
we come to behold the result. In closing the
speaker referred TO the International System oi
Sunday School lessons and said that they were
not perfect, but that they were the best we have
and then quoted the little verse;
Be not the first by which the new is tried
Nor yet the last to lay the old aside.
The Benediction was pronounced by the presi
dent.
TUESDAY MORNING.
Rev Bennett conducted the devotional service
after which the Vice President, Hon. Josiah
Howard took the chair, and introduced the first
speaker, Rev. William II. Allen, who spoke upor
the subject "a Surveyor of the Sunday schoo
work of the county"
The chairman Hon. Josiah Howard thenin
troduced Miss Ermina c. Lincoln of Philadei
phia who chose as her subject "The Cradle
Roll" In the reports from the Sunday schools
ofthe county it was shown that there are sever
cradle rolls in the twenty two schools. Their
ought to be one in each school, and so there L
need to speak upon this subject. The speake
proceeded to show that there were five good rea
sons why there should be a cradle roll depart
ment in every school. First for the sak
of the children themselves Christ sait
Feed my Lambs and the Sunday School un
dertakes to fulfil this Injunction, but we canno
have a complete Sunday school without th
cradle roll department.
We want to bring every right influence to bea
mon the children, and the first influence come
very early in life We can remember that tht