Norwich bulletin., 1913-11-04
STATE SUNDAY SCHOOL CONVENTION
Opened in Central Baptist Church Monday Afternoon gates From All Sections of the State Hear Instructive Ad dresses-Institute For Various Divisions of Work Seven Hundred at Evening Session.

The annual three days state con- vention of the Connecticut State Sun day School association opened at 2 o'clock Monday afternoon in the Cen tral Baptist church with an attend ance of nearly 500. Delegates were seated by counties and cards at various points about the edifce located the dlt- ferent county divisions, Cards bearing Sunday school statistics were display ed about the walls President .. h. Williams presided at the session TWO large American flags were suspenoeo from the choir loft and there were oou- Quets of chrysanthemums on the plat form.
 The convention opened with brief song service led by Rev. Lotus Il. Koehler of Hartford. Prayer was offer ed by Rev Joel B. Slocum, D. D., pastor of the church. The first address was by Mrs. Mary Foster Bryner of Chi. cago who spoke on the Challenge or Boyhood and Girlhood. In the course of her address Mrs Bryner stated that one child in six in this country has Bible training while in Asia one III every 71S has this education and in South America even smaller propor- ton. The speaker discouraged the practice of teaching children not to do things, urging a training of active accomplishment as much preleFHp4e'
 Bible Lectures.
 The first of a series of half hour Bible lectures by Rev. Rockwell liar mon Potter, D. D., pastor of Center Congregational church, of Hartford, followed Rev. Mir. Potter took his text from John 1-29. He explained that his course of lectures was to be of 8 diff ferent nature from anything else in the convention programme in that the half hours devoted to him would be periods of meditation and family prayer. will seek to review, he said, the essen tials of our common faith that as we mediate we may acquire a clearer consciousness of our Christian rela- tions. By essential l mean that atti- tude of mind and heart without which one cannot be 8. Christian. This at titude requires faith in Jesus Christ as a historic person. as a great cause in history and as a spiritual presence. Peter, Andrew, James and John be- came Christians when they came to know Christ as friend. The begin ming of any Christians faith is when he becomes the friend of Jesus Christ. That is how our children know him; not as the august presence at the right hand of God Almighty, not as the hero, not in the awful passion of the cross, but as the kind loving Jesus, a friend ly presence which leads to eternal life. As in the disciples the attitude of friendship and love becomes an at titude of reverence and obedience when we find the imperative command in his voice. If one would be friends with Jesus he must obey or the friendship will be broken. He became& the Lord of the disciples when he took them up 10 the mountain top and disclosed to them their God. The child may feel the friendship of Christ, the boy the command of the Master, but some fho Tai In in the deepest. darkest valley the Lord will disclose himself to His disciples. The faith essential to a Christian life then includes the friendship, obedience and reverence of Jesus.
 The Challenge of Youth.
 Following the singing of hynln Rev. Milton s. Littleheld of Brooklyn, N. Y. spoke on The Challenge of Youth. Youth, he said, is that period between the boy and the man. It takes ten years to make a boy into a man and nearly as long to change a girl into a woman. The change as regards growth is slow one, as to size quick one. A growing boy is on fool hilP' even as you and l were once and he will come down safely as you did if he has the one eSsential-a friend. The growing boy has a high ambition-he wants to be a man. If he makes awkward attempts at smok-
 
 sentiment. He tries to fulfill his vi- sion of manhood and this ambition is the challenge of youth to us. We can not take away his ideal without SUD- plying another and this I am glad we can do.
 Youth Is Period of Discovering.
 Youth is a period of discovering and adjustment of life Foundations of new life are being made by the individual and the question is to strike a paral- Tel between the lines of assertion of self and adjustment. The teaching process is one of incarnation-we must crawl into their lives. It doesn't make much difference what you do for a boy, but it makes all the difference in the world what you do with a boy. Games are an index to what we are and there are three periods in the boys development - individualistic, and team work periods Team work or social work requires skill and the dedication of that skill to the team. When the boy has a self worthy of dedication he dedicates it to the others, to the team. The boy takes the same daring risks ethicaIly that he does physically and there is no dan ger if-he has a true friend a teacher, each regarding the other seriously.
 The glamour of youth will wear away don't tear it away, though we never reach the visions we see. Robert Browning says: "A mans reach must exceed his grasp or what's a heaven for" On the truth presented when youth crosses the line Of adolescence depends the future. What truth shall the church give to answer the chal- lenge of youth? What we want are life studies-full length pictures of real heroes. Give the boy a chance for his something Teeper give him what he