The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1910-07-14
Children Crv
FOR FLETcHER'S
CA 8 T Q RIA
A Sunday School Convention

A Sunday School Convention.
A Paper on Sunday School Kindergarten
Work.
The second annual convention of the
Sunday School Association of the South
Waldo district was held in the First Con-
gregational church, Searsport, June 10Th.
The morning session was called to order
by Mr.. Gerald w. Howard, president of
the association, and after a devotiona,
service and the reports Of secretary and
treasurer the remaining time was devo-
ted to discussion on How to Keep Or
der in the Sunday School Glass;" Mr..
Roberts, Mr.. Knowlton, Mr.. Mckinney
and Mr.. Corson speaking. The meeting
adjourned at 80 for picnic dinner in
the social room of the vestry.
Resuming at two o'clock the roll of
schools was called. Nine schools in the
district were represented by % and two
schools in Mt. Waldo district by 5 dele
gates. The committee on nominations
reported as follows: President, Mr.. G.
w. Howard, Belfast; Vice President,
Mr.. A. j. Knowlton, Belfast; Secretary
and Treasurer, Mrs. J. H. Duncan,
Searsport; Superintendent of Teachers
Training, Rev. C. H. Mckinney, Sears
port; Superintendent of Primary Work,
Miss Lillian Spinney, Belfast. The re-
port was accepted and adopted as read
and the officers nominated and elected.
The program was then carried out as ar
ranged, and was as follows: address,
The Teacher-Training Glass;" Rev. A.
&. Roberts, followed by discussion;
"Way to make the Temperance Lesson
Effective" Rev. J. A. Corey, pastor OF
the Searsport Methodist church; ''Should
the Old Testament be Taught to Children
as Myth, Parable or History" This
topic was opened by Mr.. Knowlton fol-
lowed by Mr.. Mckinney. Rev. William
Vaughan spoke on Teaching the Adult
Bible Glass; me afternoon program
closed with What is the Supreme Thing
a Teacher Should Endeavor to give to
the Class?' Mrs. Mary Robertson of
Belfast gave very interesting outline
for successful child training and was fol-
lowed by Mrs. James Duncan of Sears
port, whose paper dealt with the Sunday
School kindergarten work. AS but few
70 hot
present the convention committee re-
quested that her paper be printed. She
said, in part:
Thoughts depend largely upon envi-
ronment. A few weeks ago our mems
club and their wives listened to a very
interesting lecture by Mr.. ]. M. Frost of
Waterville, who talked to US about
Half Baked Men," Now his father
was baker. My present vocation is
farming; hence my thoughts are along
that line. l have two gardens. One is
loan with subsoil Of clay. In it have
put corn, beans, potatoes and other
things material. The soil is good and
the seeds are good. About the farmers
method l will say little. In fifteen
little hearts, with the soil just ready for
seed, am trying to plant Gods Word
Here is the parallel: good ground, good
seed, but danger of scant harvest through
faulty work by me.
$50 much judgment seems necessary.
What seeds shall plant, and how long
am to wait to see tiny leaves coming
into view? Then, am l to pull the weeds
or wait until the danger of uprooting the
seedlings is over?
but before planting it is wise to pro-
cure the garden spot. With Sunday
School class bodily presence is an abso-
lutte necessity. Some parents send their
children regularly; more do not. So the
teacher is obliged to make the class hour
very attractive. Pictures, papers, mer-
its for attendance, little gifts of encour-
agement, and variety in presenting the
lesson, will all help to bring the little
ones each Sunday.
I'VE are using the Pilgrim picture chart
and cards. This pleases the children.
The picture, bright in blue, red and green
though not always artistic, never fails
to hold the attention while we talk about
the story. Next we learn the golden
text, or some other passage by repeti-
ton. So far all has been very easy
story and drill necessary but secular.
The spiritual idea is more difficult to deal
with. There must be drawn from each
lesson a glimpse of an All-wise Father.
To leave this in the child mind, so care
fully interviewer that it becomes a part
Of the fabric, yet distinct enough to be
seen, is sometimes hard.
''Do you other teachers have trouble in
gliding smoothly from glaring picture
and printed text to things intangible?
Can you jump from the material to the
immaterial and do it gracefully? The
feeding of the multitude was our lesson.
The picture showed vast number in the
background; next the disciples; then in
white robes stood Jesus. Near Him