The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-12-04

an people. Inc DeSt results are |
attainable when the churches are
harmoniously working together and |
they in turn working with the |
school. The only free meeting
places, in their vicinity, for the |
boys are the street corners and the |
school gymnasium. Let us try and |
do away with their gathering at the
former and make the latter a power |
for good.
Efficient volunteer help in gym
nasium work is difficult to obtain |
as the speaker can testify from ex-
perience. We have made mistakes. |
Who has not? But good people be
not too ready to condemn with de-
structive criticism, please come to
the gymnasium, observe and study
the conditions and then offer con-
structive suggestions, we need them.
Continually keep in mind the fact
that this is not our regular work,
in fact is it not your work as much
as ours? 1t is not possible to de-
rive as much moral as physical ben
eft from the gymnasium?
In the past we have tried several
plans, none of which have proven
entirely satisfactory. This year we
are planning to organize four speci-
al classes to meet on the following
evenings, Monday, Tuesday, Wednes-
day and Thursday. We propose to
have these classes do regular, sys-
tematic, gymnasium work that will
tend to develop the boys along all
lines, and spend but a portion of
the evening playing basketball.
On these evenings the gymnasium
will be closed promptly at 9
~ n INrfI IoNr inn fh,I
four classes will meet for such con-
tests and drills as we are able to
provide.
But little has been said in this
paper concerning the spiritual life
of the child, not because we do not
think it important, for it is ell i'm
portant, but because we desired to
emphasize that phase of the sub
jeCt by placing it last.
We have dwelt at some length up
on moral instruction and training,
we now desire to connect or rather
intertwine the moral and the re-
ligious.
Clifford w. Barnes, the execu
tive chairman of the International
Committee on Moral training has
written so ably on the subject that
l desire to quote from him at some
length:
In teaching morals one needs to
acknowledge the religious basis on
which morality rests That coun-
try sometimes called Goddess
France" urges its teachers to show
the relation between the moral and
the divine law, to inculcate in their
pupils a reverence for God and re-
ligion. Our own country should
not be less open minded.
Formal worship once a day
should be the universal practise in
the schools of America"
when the juror, and the wit
ness, and the client before a notary
are no longer asked to swear their
affirmation in Gods name; when our
judges, and our congressman, and
other public servants, are permitted
to assume their solemn obligation
without taking oath of office on
the Word of God; when the Presi-
! dent of these United States refuses
to issue a Thanksgiving proclama-
| ton in Acknowledgement of the
| blessings of Almighty God; when
! Congress, by deliberate choice, re-
! fuses to elect a chaplain, or be led
in prayer, and strikes from our coin
In God we trust; and when the
| laws of the land so change their
| character as to give no recognition
to Gods holy day and divine au-
| thority, then, and not till then, will
the public schools of America be
justified in emitting all forms OF
daily worship.
The atmosphere of the school may
be medium for the introduction OF
religion. This will require nc
stating of creed, no expression of be-
lief, nothing that might be called
pietistic or sanctimonious, but only
a pervasive spirit of light and JOY
and happiness, a sort of general un,
derstanding that life is a great and
beautiful gift of God, not to be used
for sordid purposes, but rather as {
means of serving others to the limit
of ones ability. This will be re
ligion, pure and undefiled, admitting
of no sectarian controversy, but ex
erting a tremendously vitalizing in
fluence on every effort at mora
training. The source of this religi
Gus atmosphere is not the school il
which we find it, but the church anC
the neighborhood. A score or more
of antagonistic denominations viii
help to make it, a thousand diff
ferent faiths will enter into it, tn,
Bible story, the pastors prayer, tn,
mothers counsel, the fathers com
mand, these all will do their part
, while underneath there runs
steady current of religious convic
ton, sweeping down from the day
of our ancestors, to keep tn
hearts of the children strong AM
true. The church and the hom
may well feel a new sense of re
sponsibility, as it thus become
clear that the correlation of re
ligion and morality in our system o
education is so largely dependen
upon them. Religion in the indi
vidual is good; but it becomes
better and greater thing when, mul
tiplied a thousand fold, it gives tn
spirit of religion to the town, tn
school, and the nation"