The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-11-30
BAPTIST TRAINING
SCHOOL CONvENES
Large Numbers Enroll In
Six Classes Offered
DIR. GAINES SPEAKS
Stresses Importance of Home As the
Means of Teaching Lessons So
Important in the Years
to Come
DIR. GAINES SPEAKS

Despite the inclement weather an
audience that filled the entire lower
floor of the First Baptist church. as
sembled to begin the work of the week
in the Baptist Training school.
Large numbers enrolled in each of
the six classes offered the convention
manual to be taught by H. L. Strick-
land; After the Primary-what? p"
taught by Miss Lillian S. Forbes; "The
Seven Laws of Teaching" taught by
L. p. Leavell; Convention Bible
Classes taught by Rev. j. Il. Watts;
Doctrines of Our Faith" taught by DR.
P. &c. Burroughs; "The Secrets of sun
day School Teaching" taught by Rev.
j. r. Edwards.
The programme for today begins at
o'clock when Miss Annie /. Williams
delivers the first of series of ad-
dresses on ,''Child Nature"
Glass study periods will be from 6:10
to and from TAO to $40. At $3.50 Mr..
l.. p. Leavell will speak on the sub
iect, 1.-THE New Note In Sunday School
Work"
DIR. Gaines Speaks
Prof. r. Il. Gaines, who speaks each
evening at 7 o'clock, delivered the chic 4
address Sunday afternoon. DR.. Gaines
plea was clean cut appeal for prop
err organization of the home for its
chief talk. Among other things he
said:
Men have so long been carrying out
the command to subdue the earth that
the habit of fashioning things has be-
come second nature. There Is great
difference in the materials which we
fashion-difference in finenes and dur
ability. But of all these nothing Is
SO fine or so capable. of refining as
human life. and hence parents have the
privilege of bestowing their care on the
material that is at once the finest. the
most responsive and the most endur-
ing.
when we consider the responsibility
of the home we wonder why in this
day of organization We are paying SO
little attention to this institution-thc
primary unit of the social order.
'"The home not only cares for the
human family today but provides n
continual stream of new life so that
there Will be a human family tomor-
INV. no "Oiiu 10 ifi'Si tssob sot Obi|
In the quantity but In the quality of
this stream of new life; and the quail
ity of this life is determined by the
character of the home.
Much more attention should be given
to the physical life, to the building of
robust constitutions and the securing
of habits which make for efficiency;
for the physical Is the basis for all the
higher life.
Recognition of Play Spirit
"rhe recreational life also is more
important than we think because OF
failure to realize the meaning of the
play spirit and the vast influence 1t
las on the growth of the nature. But
the play ought to be intelligently
guided SO as to conduce to growth in
right directions.
1.-THE home has important obligations
also to the training for industrial and
economic life. teaching children not
only to work but to love to work.
Close akin to this Is the training for
citizenship. Far more should be done
toward developing In q boy the social
consciousness and the meaning OF CO.
operative effort in human society.
",rhe home IL also the supreme teaching
institution, and should direct not only
the general culture but especially the
religious culture of the child This should
be done definitely and intelligently' and
under competent advice.
"put truth must relate itself to life.
II Is valuable in proportion as 1t Ats into
human life and ministers to human
need. The parent must therefore be more
than an imparter of truth--he must be an
Interpreter of life. Especially must he
interpret the daily occurrences of life in
terms of the great ideals Of the race.
IncuIcati0ns of Ideas
''There are certain great ideals which
must get into the very fiber of ones being
IL they are ever to determine the hab-
itual attituds and conduct. and this can
be done only in adolescence.
For example. the law of obedience; the
basis of human greatness the law Of
wealth, or worth; the imperative need for
the committal of the life to q great pro-
gramme of service; and the conception
of the essential unity of life and the GEN.
trail place of the spiritual In IT all--these
conceptions and similar ones can take full
possession of ones mind and heart only
II they permeate the very atmosphere OF
the home in which one grows up.
but the greatest teaching In this world
Is that which comes from the pervasive
influence of a splendid personality. Chill
dren learn vastly more from us in indirect
ways than through direct teaching. Par
ents must therefore be not only Importers
OF truth. and interpreters of life. but
must be revealers of life. The word be-
came flesh and dwelt among us. This
was the supreme revelation from God to
man. In every generation this miracle
must be wrought again. We must fit
ourselves by being transformed into the
likeness of Christ, II we are ever to lead