Weekly journal-miner., 1914-10-07
SUNDAY SCHOOL CONVENTION
 CLOSES
(From Saturdays DaiIy.)

cd reports to the secretary of the Arizona Sunday School association than ever before statistics compiled show a substantial increase in at tendance throughout the state. The report of Secretary Clarence R. Craig yesterday showed that a lack of proper enthusiasm existed among portion of the Sunday schools, the cause of which cannot be ac- counted for. The report showed. however. that the Phoenix and Pres colt Sunday schools have made splendid records.
 The seventeenth annual conven- ton of the association opened in the Congregational church with about 100 delegates in attendance. the majority of whom came from the schools of the southern cities Due to the proficient system of re- ception arranged by the local com mittee. all of the visiting delegates were met at the depot and escorted to the church where they were as signed to their stopping places.
 The morning session was occupied in the delivery of reports by the diff ferent officers and superintendents. President Dr. w. w. Wilkinson. of Phoenix, in the chair. The dele gates were also enrolled at this session.
 Addresses by Rev. Ray C. Harker and Rev. Henry NJ. Campbell, and devotional services in charge of Rev. F. H. Mitchell were features of the afternoon program. Address es in the evening were delivered by Dr. Wilkinson, Mrs. Mary Eos ter Bryner and w. C. Pearce, a large audience being in attendance.
 Today's session is overflowing with features, including a business mems dinner to Dr. Pearce at the Yavapai club, morning, afternoon and evening sessions in the Con gregational church, and the election of officers for the ensuing year at the evening session.
 Secretary's Report.
 The report of Secretary Craig con tains many interesting features con corning the Sunday schools during the past year. as the following ex- ccrp will show:
 Statistical information has not been compiled to our entire satis faction. Two years ago we pre- scented at Tucson a report from ll3 schools. Last year at Phoenix we had reports from llS schools. This year, to and including the last day of September, we received only ifty-seven reports. There are sev- eral contributing causes. The de crease is perhaps largely due, how ever. to the fact that this year we had to ask for a more ex- tended report. Then, too. making reports may be getting to be an old thing with some. Allow me to quote to you from one of the re- port papers received: Please don't ask for any more reports, as we do not care to be always filling out reports that don't mean any thing to us
 Let us look at some of our fig ures for this year. The average attendance of the llS schools re porting last year was 52.5. Tho average for the 57 school, reporting this year is 569. l believe this ad vance in the average attendance marks a real increase in Sunday school effectiveness in reaching the people of the state. Another req son for this belief is the fact that the average attendance of individual schools has increased markedly in a large number of instances. We note that the 57 schools reporting 1 have 3l cradle rolls with an enroll ment of S69, and l6 home depart ments with a membership of 3H. | Last year only g cradle rolls were reported out of the ll8 schools | sending in reports.
 "The percentage of evergreen schools is about the same as last year, 5l out of the 57 reporting sessions 12 months in the year, two for nine months, one for eight months and three not answering this question.
 Another fine thing appears in the statement of the number of Sunday school scholars joining the church on confession of faith. Twenty-one Sunday schools report PA additions to the church from their list of members. That means 10 members