River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1910-05-26
s. s. CONVENTION
GREATEST GATHERING OF ITS
KIND MEETS IN WASH
INGTON.
A WORLDWIDE MEETING
Rev. F. B. Meyer of London Prssidea
and List of Speakers Includes
President Taft, and Other
Notables.

Washington, D. C.-The sixth
worlds Sunday school convention was
formally opened here, and ex-
pectations that it would be the big.
gest gathering of it's kind ever held
were not disappointed. Delegates
were present from every part of the
civilized world and from every mis-
gionary center, and represent a con-
stituency of more than 25,000,000
people, In addition there were many
hundreds of visitors from the United
States, Canada and Mexico.
A feature of the convention was it's
cosmopolitan character. More than 40
countries were represented, including
every land under the sun where the
torch of civilization has been carried
by missionaries. The swarthy Afri-
can, the almond-eyed Asiatic, and
their white brothers-all Christians
sit side by side and discuss the best
methods of bringing children into the
church. Illustrative of this feature,
Mr.. w. Stecher, a Boston artist, has
painted a picture emblematic OF the
Sunday school children of the whole
world, in which every race under the
sun is represented. The picture is
entitled "The Crusaders of the Tween
tieth Century," and was presented
to the Sunday school leader. Ar
rangements had also been made to
have the picture reproduced on large
scale in a living tableau at one of
the convention sessions.
Among the principal speakers on
the program were President Taft. Am
bassador Bryce, John Wanamaker,
Rev. F. B. Meyer, of London, and Rev.
DR.. ]. Wilbur Chapman. The entire
list of those who were to address the
convention contained over ESQ names,
and the speakers represent As lands.
Four auditoriums were used to
hold the regular sessions of the con-
vention, which will number %.
The convention was formally opened
Thursday, and at the afternoon ses-
sion Rev. DR.. F. B. Meyer, presi-
dent of the Worlds Sunday School as
sociation, delivered the convention
sermon, which was followed by the
report of the executive committee.
In the evening the welcome SER
vice" was held in convention hall, and
it is at this meeting that President
Taft spoke for the nation, and he was
followed by John Wanamaker, who
will represent the Christian business
men of America. Additional words Of
welcome were spoken by repre-
sentative of the District of Columbia.
and responses were made by repre-.
sentatives from Europe, Asia, Africa
and Australia.
Sunday was known in every Sun
day school in the world as worlds
Sunday school day, and special pro-
gram had been prepared which was
used in nearly every Sunday school
In the land as the order Of service.
Aside from the regular sessions, a
number of notable features were
arranged in connection with the con-
vention, including monster parade
of mems Bible classes, which was
held on Pennsylvania avenue Fri
day afternoon. Another is a Sunday
school missionary exposition, under
the direction of r. E. Diffendorfer of
the Young Peoples Missionary move
ment. The purpose of the exposition
was to give Sunday school vision to
the missionary world, and mission
airy vision to the Sunday school world.
It showed, first by nations, second by
organization, third by departments Of
work, and fourth by departmental SUBJ
jects, the organization, equipment,
work and results of the Sunday school
as an institution throughout the world,
indicating the comparative strength Of
the Sunday school in the home church
and the need and possibilities Of the
Sunday school in mission fields. For
instance, one saw in the exhibit
periodicals and books for the equip
ment of officers and teachers, maps,
charts and pictures for wall decora-
ton; class instruction, teacher train
ing plans, emthods and equipment;
manual work, including map drawing
and modelling, written exercises,
sketches and other original work; and
in addition the architecture of Sun
day school buildings.