The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-06-18
American Sunday Schools

lplaco In the modern SundaY-scIlooi
where daily new ideas come for adop-
ZION to make the lessons as attractive
as possible, and where the blackboard.
with whose use S. w. Clark. Of New
York. was accused OF "seciilarizing the
IRible." in the early sixties, is an in,
tegral factor.
At the Louisville convention, which
Iis To be the greatest gathering Of its
llird that the world has ever known,
the question OF grading Sunday schools
VIII come up. and promises to be the
biggest question OF the meeting a..
graded course of ilessons covering the
entire range OF Sunday school work
VIII he presented as a result OF the
findings of special committee,
consider the question. 1t is highly
probable that many thousand schooix
VIII adopt the system. and many thou
sands more VIII not, as many are not
yet ready. for 1t. Under the new sys-
tom higher standard of education
and preparation will be exactcd OF the
lsuperintcndents and teachers, and dcs-
iptie the rapidity with which the gcn-
lefal educational movement has spread
many smallerNschools can, for the pres
en- en-, WORK pest with the older system.
though eventually all will doubtless
sH ing In line with the now movement.
II tho Louisville convention adopt.
the graded system It Will mean that the
present International lesson system.
now thirty-five years old. Will remain
lundisturbcd for those who prefer using
| H. that the international army will be
temporarily divided into two loyal
branches each using the same lessor,
courses. though one will have it's les
sons graded by an expert committee
that has been at work for almost {,
year already. supplemcnting the work
Iof the regular committee. The new
Iconrse will be ready for use in jan
nary next. and VIII be arranged in n
two-years' beginners course for the
ages OF four and five years. three
years, primary course for pupils OF
from six to eight, and a four-years'
Junior course for pupils from nine to
twelve
! The lessons as now prepared by III
| teen learned men on this side the At
tlantic and thirteen in England, must,
according to the requirements Of the
general organization. cover the entire
Bible in six wears. three and a half
years on the New Testament two AMI
la half on the Old. This plan was fIrs,
started In 1879 as an international
work. Tt is the ontgrowth of 100 years
experimental work. and the solution OF
ia comprehensive lesson for an enroll
tment OF 2G,ooo.01n souls. There are
daily Bible readings that are offered
for family reading to further elucldc;e
1.-THE Sundays Lesson idea. and II r. ex-
1 tinated that no less than a million mon
land women throughout the world real
the same passages of Scripture night
and morning.
| Another notable feature %. .:sfs
weeks convention viii he a congress
composed OF 1000 superintendents psha
VIII gather from every corner cf tfe
continent Ia compare notes on ti3rfr
isuccesses md failures. trials and trs-
iumphs Representatives from missicr-s
ary societies and leading missionariss
from all denominations represented ~
/ he association will be present tn -
fer on the great work. offering their
Town experiences in the evangelization
jof foreign lands
/ The American and Canadian dele
gates who have attended the great
4 worlds conventions abroad VII, hold
sIa reunion in Louisville. Those WHO
went TO London in 1898 and 1898. to
I!Lusalem In 1901. and to Rome m
1907 VIII meet and renew old friend
IshiDs, foreshadoa:rE DOUBTLESS. the
4 held in Washington June 81 10 :.
1916 The wn-.!1 hond among sun
day-schools is driving the nations
.Icioser. Sunday. October 18th viii -
observed as Universal Day OF PRAYER
for Sunday schools throughout the
world when the os,0o0,0oO members
lot the schools and millions OF otners
Iwho sympathize in the work will join
in petition asking for that which is
tho keynote of the Louisville conven-
ltion. deficiency In service"
Copyright. 1908. by Frederic J.
lHaskin.)
-morrow-Var on the House Fly.