The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1912-06-06
Ho1v Can The Sunday. School Direct
The Social Life Of Its Members !?
(By Miss Mabel Cocaran)

young man until he has reached the
same standard that the public de-
mands that she must live up to.
believe girl is responsible to a
very great degree for what a young
man does while in her company and
the girl who laughs at some indecent
remark is not much better than the
boy who makes it.
Don't understand me that | would
have you lower your standard for the
girl. 1t isn't high enough now, but
it is a shame and an insult to the
boys that you don't demand the same
of them.
tell you the trouble with our S. s.
work is the S. S. is off to one corner
seClusively by itself and the drawing
power for the young people is in the
other direction. | don't want church
and state connected in a government
al way as they used to be, but l do
want the church and the people con-
nected. If our S. S. and church are
not for men and women for what do
they exist? 1t is said that for man
who has returned from the peniten-
tiary the church doors arc the last to
open to him. | believe person
never gets so low but what God longs
to have him return and ] believe he
is never so low but what 1t is the
duty of the s. S. to lend him a help
ing hand.
You will pardon me if | give you q
little of our experience. When we
organized the Golden Links Bible
class at Wright we made no distinct.
ion as to who should become mem.
beers, but endeavored to invite every
young man and every young woman
in our neighborhood to our S. S. class
We included young men, strangers OF
whom we had never before heard,
men who had come into our commun
ity just for the season to work on the
farm. They were invited just the
same as others, never asking what
their former life or character hat
been, because the object of our or
ganization was the uplifting of the
young people of our community
Then when we had our socials during
the week those strange boys WHIT
would otherwise not have been invit
ed into single home belonged there
just the same as we and enjoyed
themselves just as much. But thi
isn't all | believe it is not only thu
privilege but the duty of the S. S
to get the young people into the S. S
and then to cOn,. their social life
Now am frank to confess to you tina
this Is not an easy task nor one to b.
accomplished in a minute, but "Al
at it and always at it and the pei
sistent, practical, everlastingly at
is bringing results"
People will say young folks mus
have a good time and young peopl
must be amused ! admit that 1t |
q God-given right for them to EMO
themselves and to have a good time
but | do believe we often make tn
mistake in believing this plcasur
must be of a frivolous nature.
there are any people on earth VIII
are willing to undertake and who er
JOY doing difficult things it is tn
youth.
We adopted the plan of holding
class social twice a month at tn
homes of the different members, bu
instead of devoting this time to mer
fun at every class meeting we hav
Bible program. We are taking a
guide one of Chas. Medbury's book
for Adult Bible classes. Have do
votional committee who arrange TO
the lesson, assigning parts to abou
six members for each evening. Som
evenings have debate on som
question from the Bible such as, RI
solved that tho Apostle Peter di
more good than john" or, That il
, seph's Brother performed a goo
work by selling him into Egypt" o
( Resolved that Noah showed NOR
Faith in His Life than Abraham did,
, etc We find these very entertainin
studied the Bible for these lesson
, who otherwise would not be readin
it and | am sure it is not nearly S
monotonous as it would be to NEE
/ twice a month with nothing to en-
ploy our time but something foolish
| After the program and business Sc:
sion we spend an hour or so i
games and enjoy it very much.
Now don't satisfy yourself that
| your young people are meeting regr
larly in homes in your own commur
: ity instead of spending their evening
, in Oskaloosa that they are safe
They may be, but ten chances to on
unless you are giving them somethin
, to do they are heading the wrong way
1t is not natural for them to stan
still. They are learning good o
evil. So get them interested and &c
; them busy.
Let us now sum it all up: In tn
) first place, set high standard an
expect the young people to reach Il
, Demand much and you will get much
"How can the S. S. direct the 81
t cial life of it's members" Get hol
; of them, get interested, and let ther
know you are interested. Get som
. one at the head that likes young pee
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