Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-02-24
SUNDAY SCHOOLS GROWING
B. A. Wilcox Points Out Great In
crease in Attendance at Sunday
School Classes
OVER 100000 SCHOLARS


Astonishing figures OF Sunday school
enrolment In the United States were
given by b. A. Wilcox. assistant cashier
OF the Omaha National bank, yesterday
In, an address before the Douglas County
sunday School association AZ Trinity
Methodist church. it
Mr.. Wilcox's subject was Sunday
School Enthusiasm ana the facts and
figures OF Sunday school growth were
well calculated TO make for enthusiasm.
There are today 1.5Si0Oo Officers and
teachers In the Sunday schools of tho
United States he said. "and there are
ib5s7,bOo scholars. making a total Of H.
$4,000, the greatest and grandest army
that has ever enrolled under the banner
OF Jesus Christ.
These are the figures as given at the
international convention in Chicago last
June. They show an increase over the
figures given at the convention in. San
Francisco three years before Of i,s2S, 600
This means that 1855 new members were
added 10 the Sunday schools OF the coun-
try each and every day during those three
years"
lie mentioned the development of the
cradle roll" from nothing in 1909 10 over
100000 today. A church in Halifax. Nova
Scotia, has the largest cradle roll. $685.
closely followed by the First Christian
church, Portsmouth. o.. with SOC.
THE adult movement has, had more 10
do TO increase the enrolment OF our Sun
day schools than anything else" he said.
I'm 1906 az the time OF the convention in
Toronto. the total Sunday school mem
bership In North America, including Cam
ada. was ll.is7.Ooo.
There were but few adults compare
lively and then the adult movement was
decided upon. Note the result. In the
nine years Immediately preceding 1905 the
Sunday schools Increased 10000. In the
nine years following 1906 they increased
4,Sia000.
The Sunday school used TO be regarded
as a child's institution. Parents used to
say, Co Now they are saving more and
more, Come The alert, wide-awake sun
day school Il not necessarily the noisy
school. but Il Is the enthusiastic school
should watch LOsHes,
watch the losses. IL is safe to say
that n We had in the Sunday schools OF
Omaha all the scholars that have grad
uated. from them and left them cur mem
bership would be at least five times az
great as It Is. In businesses OF all kinds
losses OF time. OF money. OF efficiency.
are watched carefully and checked, The
same should be done In Sunday schools F"
Roll call OF delegates In the afternoon
showed that nearly go were present. A
large part OF both mornins and Afternoon
sessions was devoted 90 division confer
ences, the problems OF elementary. sec
ondary and adult divisions being dis
cussed. Mrs, c. n. Hinkhouse presided al
the elementary. r. s. Flower az the sec
ondary ana T.. +. Denison at the adult
division conference.
An inspiring part Of both the afternoon
and evening sessions was the song serv-
ice conducted by Willard Chambers. a.
rector OF the Trinity choir.
A patriotic banquet" was served az
6:is D. m. The church room was decorated
with flags OF all nations and pictures OF
George Washington,
d. A. wilcoS was toastmaster at the
banquet and short talks were made BY
Mas Ora e. Johnson on Girls r. II.
olmsted ON "Roys" RAYMOND NJ. Cross
man on Boosters" l. c. oberlies Of LIN
coin on knockers" ana Margaret Ellen
Brown OF Lincoln on The Nebraska
Jump Up"
Al the evening session w II. Kimberly
made an address on 'Organized Adult
CLASSES and l.. c. Ohariies Of Lincoln, 3
I member OF the international executive
COMMITTEES. on ~Belts ana Puiieys"