The Washington herald., 1914-07-05
SUNDAY SCHOOL
STRENGTH is Shown
P. H. Bristow Reviews the Work of
the Recent International
Convention.
GRADED LESSONS TENDENCY

10 washington from the closing sessions
OF the fourteenth International Sunday
School Convention. held in Chicago June
q to 30. Mr.. Bristow Is the best known
Sunday school worker in Washington,
having been for sixteen years at the head
OF the biggest school In the city, that of
| Calvary Baptist Church, where 900
students are enrolled in the Sunday
school.
L thought IL was. In many respects,
one OF the most successful ever held" {"
was his reply. ITO give Impressions Of
such gathering which would. in an
adequate way, tell OF its meetings and its
| influence on the Sunday schools would
be impossible. 1t was expected that $500
delegates would be present, and there
were probably between 5000 ana 1000. The
sessions OF the convention proper were
held In Medinah Hall on Ohio and On
tario streets. These were In the morning
and evening Of each day. the afternoons
being given to numerous conferences
held in churches in different parts Of the
city ard suburbs. There were sixty of
these conferences. There were also
seventy evening meetings during the con-
Vention held simultaneously with the
main meeting at the hall
First impressions are always most
lasting. The first session held on Tues
day evening approached the spectacular
The singing of 1850 people was an in
spiration in itself. After one-half hour
OF devotional and praise service the regu-
lar program -as begun. At this point
a great American flag was let down like
curtain. and as IL came in full view
the entire audience arose as one and sang
america. The president delivered his
address, the audience sang uplifting
songs, and then followed the convention
sermon by Bishop c. P. Anderson, of the
Episcopal Church. His theme, which was
the same as that of the convention. was
Jesus Shall Reign" This sign in electric
lights being above the stage and was
lighted day and night when the conven-
ton was in session The convention was
opened and a week OF history making in
the Sunday school world was begun.
The meetings were so many and so
nne that they even made an impression
on Chicago-a perceptible one, too. OF
course thousands were there to attend
the open meetings who were not dele
gates. At hotels and restaurants the
greatest courtesy was shown those who
wore the little button of the convention.
The street car conductors were Just as
KIND, but they appear always to be that.
Does IL Pay.
THE biggest question which comes to
II costs
great sum OF money to run such a
series of meetings, besides the many
thousands Of dollars paid out by DELEGATES
and others who visited the convention.
Does II pay? One heard there that now
IN this year 1914. more than 1900 900 of
men, women and children are enrolled in
the Sunday schools OF this country and
canada gain Of more than 100000 dur
ing the past three years There are
FaT1
devote their entire time to the work II
was learned also that there are paid
state secretaries in every State and
province II cost during the past trien-
mum more than 800 coo to carry on the
work. That is impressive
There were more than 400 speakers
for all the meetings. and nearly fifty
churches and halls used in which to hold
the meeting. The speakers were from
the ENDS OF the earth. Men were there
from Africa, natives from Japan, China
Russia, all Of the European nations; from
South America and the isles of the seas.
That cost something. One cannot but
be impressed with the intense interest
manifested by everybody and all the
time. at such a series of meetings. Ono
is also impressed that the Bible, after
centuries, is coming into its own and
yet only the fringe OF the millions OF
earth are touched.
Chicago is said to be a wicked citv.
but the Sunday school seems to have a
grip on the city. as well as the men Of
the city grip on the association. One
Is strangely impressed with the idea that
the hub so far as Sunday schools are
concerned. has been removed from Bos-
ton to Chicago. The Chicago brand q
burned deep-that is just an impression
also.
The Great Parade.
'On Saturday afternoon when 5000
men, Of organized mems classes, marched
down Michigan avenue from Twenty
fourth street, to the music of scores Of
bands.
THE best in the city, it gave the i'm
preston that some force somewhere was
at work. The parade was headed by a
platoon Of mounted police, a splendid
looking lot of men. These were followed
By United States cavalrymen in full fight
ing uniform, and then came the march
ers. reaching clear across the street and
banners fioated as far US the avenue as
could be seen. Literally tens of thou
sands Of American flags were carried in
the line. besides hundreds Of other ban
ners. Some schools had 'yells,' and they
yelled them. More than 100 large open
Bibles were carried, each by four men.
But who could describe it all? The re-
viewing stand near the end of the line
was occupied by the convention officers
city officers and 5000 women. These last
sang all the well-known Sunday school
songs, and more than all else Onward.
Christian Soldier
Graded or Uniform LcssonSf
Perhaps the most hotly contested ques-
tion before the convention and the con-
ferences was that concerning the intro
duction of the graded lessons with the
apparent intent OF crowding out in the
end the uniform series which forty years
ago revolutionized Bible study in the
schools, and has worked wonders. Feel
ing between the advocates Of the old and
new series runs high. but is devoid of all
bitterness. One could not but be strongly
impressed with the thought that the lead
ers among the association officers have
prejudged the case and are ahead Of ar
gument with a determination to push the
graded series. Publishers appear to be
with them in this, which makes IL prac-
tically unanimous. Remember, however,
this is only an impression. Some one was
wondering out there in Illinois, the State
Lincoln, why the question was not sent
back 10 the people TO find how they
stand on the question.
1t is difficult in the mass OF IMPRESSIONS
which one gets in such a gathering to Sc
lect from them a few which are deepest.
The general impression is that the con-
vention was a series Of splendid inspira-
tional meetings, which, regardless of any
differences, IL there were any, was epoch
making in Sunday school history and
lifted the world up a little bit toward