Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-03
DAILY VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
Children Of Chile and Japan Taking
-- Up American Idea.

Children of distant Chile and of even
more distant japan are this summer
taking up an American idea, and at
tending daily vacation Bible schools.
This is a new form in which the United
States enters South American enter
prise. With children of this country,
children of these countries are to dress
dolls to go to European children next
Christmas. and make another Christ
mas ships possible. maybe several
Christmas ships.
These vacation schools will be held
this summer in seventy cities, and
there will be $50 schools in all, per-
haps more. New cities include Cana
dian ones, and some American cities
wherein new plans are making include
Detroit, Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleve-
land. Lexington, Augusta, Macon. Mo-
bile. Buffalo and San Francisco.
Still another new feature this year is
the college help. Students in a dozen
or more well known colleges not only
furnish teachers. but bear expense of
the salary Of such teachers from among
their student members, and of other
cost of such school.
Everybody knows. do they not, what
haps they do not. They utilize. in the
first place, church buildings and halls
that would otherwise stand vacant.
They gather girls and boys Off the hot
streets every morning for six weeks
during the close periods in July and
August. They hire young men and
young women. chiefly from the colleges
and seminaries, and those working
their way, to come in as instructors,
experience. The plan utilizes a lot Of
things, and gets much good done on
small outlay.
Boys and girls coming to such schools
are taught Bible and Bible stories. to
sing and to play and some measure of
come the dressing Of dolls for chill
dren of the war zones. Often exhibits
of work are made at the close of the
schools. Children have the work to do
or else they contribute them to some
worthy causes. In some cities this
season for the first time schools for
children of foreign races are to be
held. Here are made prominent patri-
otism. American history in story form
and American ways of doing things.
There is a national organization to
promote these schools, with headquar-
tiers in New York. The handspring Of
the movement. the man who suggested
the plan that has now spread so far, is
Rev. DIR. r. G. Boville.
Prominent men of many cities. clergy
men and laymen, have joined him. The
work costs little per child. the advan-
tages are many, and 1t is no wonder
the plan extends.
colleges furnishing teachers include
Vassar, Wellesley, Mount Holyoke.
Barnard and others.
In many cities. where the number of
schools warrants, Institutes for the
training of teachers are held just be-
fore the term opens. This. term lasts
six weeks and usually starts immedi-
ately after the Fourth of July. In
practically all cities where there are
schools appeal is made for material
to be used by the children, especially
where dolls and similar gifts made
from the materials are to be sent to
charities.
Practically all churches are taking
up the plan. and with the coming OF
the Gary School plan the need for va
cation schools. will increase. Indeed.
these vacation Bible schools have been
one of the forces that have made for
the introduction of the new plan now
SO much talked about. Each school
costs about $3.50. The Daily Vacation
Bible School Association has It's head
quarters in the Bible House, New York.