Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-08-09
By HENRY P. JUDD
]. History.

/
cid alike, and established these insti
tutions wherever they founded church
| es. In the thousands of gatherings
that have been held all these many
years in the Hawaiian churches, much
J has been done in the way of teaching
the Word of God and giving instruc
ton in the Christian religion. Sunday
schools have been popular with the
people, as is evidenced at the times Of
| the quarterly reviews or 'hoike.. On
such occasions it is not hard matter
| to fill the churches with pupils and
| friends to witness the recital of the
leading facts of the lessons of the pre-
ceding quarter and to listen TO the
singing OF hymns and anthems. Thou
sands of men and women who are now
occupying prominent places in the in
dustrial, social. political and educatiol-
al world can remember some Of the
lessons they we're taught in their
early days in Sunday school. No one
can ever estimate how much good has
been done in the weekly gatherings in
ell the island churches where verses
and songs were learned and the great
facts of the Bible were taught. No
one can adequately reckon the value
OF the quiet sced-sowing OF the truth
and the, character-building that has
been faithfully done by forgotten
teachers and humble workers In lone
ly country schools Sunday after Sun
day.
In spite of inadequate equipment
a - IN Latx yof
ian, Sunday schools can point with
pride to the noble record Of the past.
Their part in the extension of God g
Kingdom and the development of
Christian life has not been small
one. rather we may say that it has
been considerable. In these Sunday
Schools, men have been trained to be-
come ministers, Christian workers
and active laymen, loyal supporters of
the church and jealous in every good
work. Ideals of life have been present
ed by teachers that have resulted in
uplifting the standard of life in many
a community and transforming places
where vice, slaziness and injustice
flourished into centers of clean living,
Industry and righteousness. Surely
any institution that can boast of such
q record of earnest service and unset
fish devotion to the cause of Chris
tianity is worthy of our respect and
our hearty support.
Preeert Conditions.
In the first part CT the present year
statistics were gathered from all TIE
Protestant Sunday Schools, and a
survey madeSDf the present condition
of the field. This work was done by.
the superintendent of the Sunday
schools under the Hawaiian beard un-8
the auspices of the World Sunday
School Association. The latter as
ISOLATION was des;rous of learning the
facts regarding the status of Sunday
school work in Hawaii, and appointed
a commission consisting Of W. r. Cas-.
tie, T. Richards, Dr. ]. F. Cowan, OF
kohala, and HI. p. Judd in these isl
ands. The expenses of sending out
the blanks was met by the World Sun
day School Association. When the
Sunday School party under the lead
ership of Mr. H. ]. Heinz of Pitts
burg, Pa, visited Honolulu on March
9TH en- route to the World Sunday
School Association Convention at Eur,
ich. Switzerland. they had confer
ence with the Honolulu members of
this commission immediately before
the rally held in KaWaiahao church
on the afternoon of the day they spent
in Honolulu. A copy of the report
compiled by Mr.. Judd from the re.
turns made by the individual Sunday
s hools throughout the Territory was
presented to the party through its
secretary, Mr.. Frank L. Brown, who
later on presented 1t to the great con-
vention in Zurich.
From this report made to the
Worlds Association, it may be Of in
terest to make some quotations. |
There were 1913 Sunday schools that
reported in response to the requests
sent. OF this number, 35 are in the
cities of Honolulu and Hilo the re-
mainder-1 Gin villages and coun-
try. BY far the larger number are
connected directly with some church, |
only mission schools being reported !
and schools connected with some |
educational institution. There are
| ,237 officers and teachers who led /
an army of 1901 pupils week by /
week. About 800 members of the
cradle roll were reported. making a !
total membership of 16,608 for the |
Sunday schools of Hawaii nei
The majority of the schools hold !
heir sessions in the church buildings,
/ few holding them in separate build
ngs. Fifty-six schools are equipped /
with blackboards, sixty-one organs /
and twenty-pianos were reported.
Only ten schools have libraries There !
S wide difference in the kind of /
esson helps used. Many use the Pill
grim Press publications, others find
he Westminster literature most SER
liceable, others employ the David C.
Cook Publishing Co.'S material, 9TH
ITS use the Blakeslee system, some
he Graded Union and still others the
traded s. s. Publishing Co.'S books.
How Children Are Attracted.
Many different devices are employ
ed for attracting pupils and increas-
ng attendance and interest, such as
picture cards, papers, membership 4
pins, automobile transportation for
he children who live at distanceI.