The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-09-20
TEN YEARS OF CHURCH
VACATION SCHOOLS
Example Set BY Baptists Has Spread
IAN Instance OF Interdenominal
Cooperation - Character of
Schools Maintained
Elisabeth Randall Brautigam
New York Federation Of Churches
and Christian Organizations
Exclusive Service The Survey Press
Bureau.)

THE problem OF vacation is q stumbz
ling block in the path of educators.
This protracted period Of relaxed and
often undirected living now over for
another year, absolutely necessary to
the welfare of the teaching forces, is
for the pupils a time of danger, in
tellectually, morally and even physi-
cally.
In New York city alone, from West
chester to Coney Island nearly mil
lion children, herded together in tene-
ments, under conditions during the
summer heat which the inexperienced
imagination can not picture, are
without occupation from June To Sep
TENDER and with no playground ex-
cept the street. The restraining in
fluences which the public schools ex-
ert during ten months of the year are
during vacation suspended, and be-
cause children, like other human be-
ings can not tolerate inaction, there
fore Juvenile crime and delinquency"
are at their flood tide in summer.
This peril, many will argue, it is the
function of the state to meet This
is undeniable, and in recent years the
state has realized this fact. But the
state was at least partly anticipated
in this realization by the church. Ten
years in New York a group of cler-
gymen and teachers from the Baptist
City Mission Society who believed
that the church, had a duty to the
city's childhood duty for which
the already overworked public-schonl
system had not, even yet, made full
provision, met and formulated plan
by which certain churches in the
doors each morning during July and
August, to children under fourteen,
irrespective of creed, nationality, or
color. Here were to be conducted
schools, suited in their curriculum to
the exigencies of the hot days, which
should aim to keep the little ones off
the streets, and to surround them
wholesome inspiring influences. The
teaching force was to be enlisted, not
from the already fatigued men and
women of the public schools, but from
young, enthusiastic college students,
would, it was believed, convey a live
ly spirit of intelligent optimism, more
combative of summer ennui than rig
orous public school discipline
In 1901, five such schools were OPEN
ed by the Baptist City Mission. Thou
sands Of children flocked to The
schools. In 1905, the Federation CT
Churches and Christian Organization
in New York city took up the move
ment. This was an advance for now
all denominations were to join in this
humanitarian enterprise. No special
fund was provided for these schools
but the Board of Directors of the fed
GRAFTON contributed literally to their
financial support. In 1907 the fedora
ton joined forces with the Baptist
City Mission, bringing the two groups
of schools under the single director
ship of Rev. Charles H. Sears, of the
latter organization. This arrangement
remains in force today, and the
schools, though distinct in support and
government, are Identical, in charac-
ter and supervision.
The daily program consists of two
hours, the first of which is given up
to concerted action Brief devotional
exercises are held which are strictly
undenominational in character A
music lesson follows, during which
songs, chiefly on nature subjects Or
patriotic themes, are taught with the
hope of inhibiting the taste for rag
time. Then comes the Bible story-a
difficult feat for the leader, who
must in this be a teacher and not
preacher, If he is to hold his children.
Simple hero tales are selected to slim
ulate the children's natural love of
the wonderful. Once a week is given
a practical demonstration of first aid
to the iniured and health talks on