Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-25
TAFT GIVES SUPPORT |L0ST FROM Church
Approves Conrbuory Plan Sunday School Boys Who Do
for Civil Service Retirement. Not Follow Training.
COMMITTED TO NO METHOD MANY IN UNITED STATES
Will Permit Circulation Of Petition Seventy NegChrs
to Congress. tion Duty, Says Mr. Foster.
$4,000 SIGNATURES EXPECTED ENGLISH SHOCKED
Wins Over Cabinet and Presi ing Heard
dent to Cause Morning.
Sunday School Boys Who Do
Not Follow Training.
MANY IN UNITED STATES
Seventy-Five Per Cent Neglect Chris
tion Duty, Says Mr.. Foster.
ENGLISH DELEGATE Is SHOCKED
Declares Statement Most Astound.
ing Heard During Convention. =.
Conferences This Morning. .

The surprising statement that TX sper
cent OF the boys OF thirteen years ana .
older who attend Protestant Sunday
schools in the United States are lest 20
the church and are not led to a profession
OF faith by their Sunday school training
was made this. morning by Eugene G.
Foster Of Detroit. one OF the most promi-
nent Sunday school workers In this conn.
try. at conference OF those interested
In advanced work" held I'm the lower
room OF the First Presbyterian Church.
Mr. Foster did not volunteer the state
ment. 1t was made After he had deliver
ed an address, In response TO a specific
question asked him by one of the dele
gates to the adjourned worlds conven-
tion.
L think that it is safe to say that Is
per cent OF the boys In their teens who
attend Sunday school are lost to u.s."
said he. Il have arrived at this figure
partly by calculation and partly by OBJ
servation. think that the majority of
Sunday school workers will agree with
me that the statement is correct
He asked those In the gathering who
thought the estimate too high to raise
their hands. Only three persons out OF
the hundred or more present did so. He
then asked those who believed the esti-
mate to be correct to raise their hands,
and practically every one else In the
room complied with his request.
English Delegate Astonished.
That is the most astounding statement
1 have heard since I came to this coun-
try said an English delegate "T am
the superintendent Of a Sunday school
in Haverhill. Suffolk. England. and in
that school we do not lose 5 per cent OF
the boys. There must be something radi-
cally wrong with methods or something
else"
Mr.. Foster outlined a plan which is be-
ing considered for experimental work to
be conducted in the discovery of the real
cause for this tremendous loss. He said
that 1t was proposed to appoint three COL
lege volunteers to study conditions In
three different cities, each man to give his
time to the observation OF a downtown
church. a church In a residential section.
a suburban church and a cross roads
sented at the next international convention
in San Francisco, the experimental work
to be conducted for a period of q year.
The meeting heartily indorsed this plan.
This conference was presided over hy
William c. Johnston Of Colorado and the
discussions were in charge of e. H. Mich
oils Of Illinois. Miss Minnie E. Kennedy
of Alabama discussed 1.-THE Girl In Her
Teens and E. w. Thornton of Ohio spoke
on Specialization in Teacher Training"
The subjects treated related to problems
of management. control and organization.
Seven Conferences Today.
This was only one of series of seven
conferences which were in progress this
morning. Every phase Of Sunday school
work was being considered.
In the main auditorium OF the First
Presbyterian Church Rev. DR.. Franklin
McElfrish of Illinois. presided This con-
ference was on Teacher Training The
speakers. included Prof. NJ. A. Honline Of
Ohio, DIR. David G. Downey OF Illinois.
George y. Burnie Of Indiana, DR.. H. r.
Musselman of Pennsylvania, E. w.
Thornton of Ohio and Mrs. w. E. Will
liams Of 4. Maryland
W. c. Pearce conducted the conference
of the adult division in the auditorium
Of the Mount Vernon Place NJ. E. Church
South this morning. while d. H. Mar
bury of Alabama presided.
The exercises opened with a devotional
on Bible study, led by J. II. Hunter OF
Illinois. Rev. E. Wesley Halpenny Of
Ontario spoke on Duties of State. Pro-
County and Township Adult De-
partment Officers" statistics; How Sc
hcpl. CScu. was tIC SuUJcCl VI
an addresses by Rev. c. H. Lewis OF Ne
braska w. d. Stem of Kansas spoke on
Adult Bible Class Federations. Their Or
ganiZation and Their Activities. c. A.
Brown Of New Jersey spoke on Way
Adult Bible Classes Should Register"
The conference adjourned for luncheon
a discussion led by W. c.
Pearce.
The. afternoon session convened at
o'clock with Mr.. Marbury again presid-
ing. NJ A. Hudson Of New York was
the first speaker His address was on
Devotional Theme: Soul Winning" At
30 p'clock the subject Of Adult Bible
Class Conference" was taken up in ad-
dresses by Z. F. Weaver of Pennsylvania
and Robert Hooper of Maryland. The
rest of the program for this afternoon In
the discussion of the developing OF
Bible class work and the plans
1911.
Home Visitation Conference.
In the Sunday school room of the
Mount Vernon Place NJ. E. Church South
the home visitation conference convened
this morning. with William Hamilton
presiding Rev. l. w. Williamson OF
British Columbia offered prayer for the
work and workers.
Addresses were delivered by: Edward
F. wetstein OF Kentucky, What Is the
Ultimate Aim OF Visitation; Hugh
Cork of Illinois, What Are the Plans to
Attain IT,: Miss Dora Redding Of North
Carolina, What Are the Plans for
Country Work?''; Rev. s. A. Dean OF
Michigan, What Plans for State or
Provincial Work?'': ]. Shreve Durham,
superintendent, What Has
Been pone?"; and What We Want Done
William Hamilton
If Canada. H. ]. Heinz Of Pennsylvania.
!. Adger Smyth Of South Carolina. w. j.
Lane Of North Dakota. A. A. Morse OF
Oregon, L. H. Buxton of Oklahoma, Hugh
Cork of Illinois, A D. Mason OF Tennes-
zee and w J. Semelroth of Wisconsin.
At the afternoon session, which con.
rened at o'clock, ]. H. Engle OF Kan
,as offered prayer. The rest Of the pro-
ram is: What Visitation Has Done For
Dur Workers." Mrs. j. r. Simmons, New
FORK. What 1t Has Done For Our Sum-
Law School," P. H. Brstow, Washington.
). c.: what It Has Done For Our
church, Rev. E.. F. Schuessler, Louis
ana; What 1t Has Done For Our Com
nunities," Mrs. George J. Rusler, Okla
,oma and What 1t Has Done For Our
state" Rev. Byron H. DeMent. DID,.
kentucky.
The Elementary Division.
An elementary division conference was
leld in Mckendree Methodist Church on
avenue this morning Mrs.
dary Foster Bryner presided. The first