Norwich bulletin., 1912-02-24
NORWICH BOYS IN SUNDAY SCHOOLS
Four Present Interesting Papers Different Phases of Work
Conference in Methodist Church Valuable Sugges-
tons From the Viewpoint of the Young Men.

and, being able to see the gain. he
will put forth every effort to help the
pupil.
How to Increase Boys Membership.
The answer to the topic. How can
we increase the boys membership in
the Sunday school?'' was presented in
the paper by Benjamin NJ. Bruce. He
indicated the decreasing attendance Of
boys above Is years of age at Sunday
school. He went on to speak as fol-
lows;
What is the cause of this? Fear of
ridicule from the boys chums who do
not attend Sunday school-lack of at
traction in the classes and lessons
inability of the teacher to hold the
class?
The first of these, fear of ridicule,
/ believe may be eliminated, for no
10y who mas been brought up in the
Sunday school ever since he wore his
first pair of trousers and who has
thoughtful care from his parents. will
allow such a thing as ridicule to keep
him away from the school, no matter
how it may affect him in other phases
of life.
Lack of attraction!-there, perhaps,
is something from which we may
work The boy of the present age as
well as the boy Of the past and of
the future, is, has been, and always
Will be seeker after the unusual the
attractive. If this were not so, he
would not be a boy. Put Bible or
Sunday paper on a table alongside of
a popular school storyDook, and every
time the boy will take the popular
school story. There is the plain, una
Gulterated excitement and action which
the boy is able to see at once.
But docs this mean that the Bible
or Sunday school paper has nothing
in it worthy of the boys attention?
Not bit of it-only that in the latter
the thought may be a little obscure for
the young mind. and needs to be eX-
emplified by some modern parallel in
the everyday life of boys.
Quoting from A. Craig Bowdish of
Hartford, who is conducting a teach
ers' training class at the Y. NJ. c. A,
the boy doesn't want the religion of
his father or old men, but that which
he can work out through his fingers;
into which he can put all the life and
energy Of his early years.
AS a means for establishing this
interest and attraction for the boys of
the Sunday school, what is to be done?
Mr.. BoWdiSh suggests the organized
Sunday school class with the annual
election Of officers and two commit
tees-one on membership and one on
doing things. The teacher should be
there only as a guide, a helper and a
suggester.
Athletic leagues in the Sunday school
are also a great factor In keeping
the boys together. although there is
slight danger of usurping the interest
| due ether phases of the work. How
~,
selves, and between the schools Of the
city in such sports as baseball and
| basketball, field and track sports, etc,
| is sure to increase the membership.
Along with this, Of course, comes the
Boy Scout movement, which should
have place among all the churches
of the land 1t is this connection with
the church that will be a mutual ben
! eft to both bodies.
| think you must admit that to hold
! the boys together as they grow up, is
| as we say, a mans job. Among men
! teachers a great deal depends on the
| character Of the individual. 1t is the
man Of good character, a liking for
J boys and a desire to help the ether
] fellow, who ought to be successful in
/ attracting the boys. If he is fortu-
nate in being a man who has done
,
! among his fellows, so much the better,
for il is the real man that the boy
! Graves to follow.
| If some such conditions as these
| which | have tried to outline find their
{ way into the school, and the boy con-
! sidered a real asset instead of a mere
| pupil, an increase in the attendance
surely ought to result AS a means Of
doing this all over the country. all
/ over the STATE, all over the city, the
! boys work committee Of the Men ana
/ Religion Forward movement looms up
/ prominently The work they have
outlined tends to eventually create
/ leaders who viii be important factors
! in bringing the boys to the Sunday
! school and to bring men back to the
J Bible as the Book of Books for the
F, welfare OF mankind.
What for the Young Boys.
The last of the four papers was by
! Howard N. Porter upon the topic,
'What can we do for the younger
boys He answered it as follows;
This is the question that confronts
any orglnizati ton or body dealing with
the pCy-problem at the present time
how can the influence Of the older boy
| be brought to bear upon the younger.
as capable Of taking hold Of this work
among the younger boys as a fellow
between the ages of nineteen and
twenty eight A fellow of this age
has just passed through the mill, -
80 TO speak. 2nG has not gotten out
Of touch with his younger brothers.
lie still remembers the temptations
that confronted him or the scraps he
| did get or could have gotten into
Beyond this. it must be conceded
that the older boy is the natural lead
er of the younger. True. it may be
difficult for him to maintain discipline
sometimes, as often the youngster likes
to assert himself, as be expresses it
! when he says he wants to have sor1e
fun He may even go to the extent
of raising rough-house generally, but
even while he is kicink over the traces
he admires that fellow who leads his
group ana he wants some day to be
| ike MIN.
Older boys can lead the younger
in the gym. al camp, or on scouting
EXPEDITIONS, aud there is a great op-
Dofl1nlty OF influencing the other fei-
low where older men fail because Of
their lack u knowledge about HIM
What larger project can be gwen d
fellow to tackle tna?l the leadership
Of group Of boys younger than aim
self Certainly, it~he is the CHAP OF
the right sort, and a true all-round
leader, he cannot resist The appeal and
It is The experience Of boy workers
that they can get just as many boys
interested in Bible study and Sunday
| school q they can nd older BOY lead
ership Tor. Each Sunday school class
should have its own officers and each
[ member of the class should be an Of
hcer OF a member of a committee. A
hand shaking committee is a good as
set to any class if it does not turn into
a cold storage" committee, All these