The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-23
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

Birmingham made a record in it: 1 growth which astonished America. and was the sensation of the 1910 census Bir.
 mingham Is making new records in the l way in which she Is subscribing to the various calls made upon her by Uncle Sam.
 l dare say it is only known to a few
 outside of the active Sunday school
 workers in the district, but Birmingham
 holds the worlds record in conducting
 annually the largest school of methods. Just think of it, 2267 Sunday school work | CTS matriculated in the one held in 1917. l The Sunday school is the biggest re- 1 ligious business enterprise in the world next to the church, and therefore it is well worth conserving. President Wilson
 well says: No study is more important
 to the child than the study of the Bible and the truths which it teaches, and there is no more effective agency for such study than the Sunday school. The Sun day school lesson of today is the code of
 morals of tomorrow. Too much atten-
 ton cannot be paid to the work which
 the Sunday school is doing"
 But the thing I want to bring out Is that the Sunday school is no longer limited to the instruction of children but specializes in the "teen ages" and in Bible classes for young men and women, and for the older ones, and features the home department" where those pre- vented from attending can keep in touch with the lessons.
 Birmingham is noted not merely for its school of methods, but for the great em- phasis which is put on Sunday school work in all of the churches. I know of no city where as much attention Is being paid to teacher training. Some of the leading business and professional men in the city devote much time and study to the lessons which they teach each Sum- day to thinking men and women It Is equally true that many of the most gifted and cultured women unselfshly give hours to preparation for the conduct of classes,
 
 Now, the Sunday school interest is cen- tered in the Birmingham Sunday School association, W. H. Stoclkham, president and Miss Myra L. Batchelder, general secretary, with the following we'll known directors: A. L. Smith. chairman; w. B. Bridge. c. s. Bissell, B. c. Cox, P. A. Flu bank, W. M. Franklin. Mant Hood, c. R. Johnson, Judge Hugh Locke, J. w. Me- Queen, Dr. J. H. Phillips, Charles R. Plosser, J. Arthur Smith. Jay Smith, w. F. Tyler, Judge s. D. Weakley.
 Ex-Officio: Mrs. S. P. Moore, pr. J. M. Shelburne, pr. J. A. Duncan.
 This association promoted a city-wide decision day and a city-wide White Christmas in 1916-1917, in which more than 1000 members were added to the | churches. Without in any way reflectlng on any evangelistic campaigns, it is we'll to keep in mind that the child, youth or man or woman entering the church through the Sunday school comes in trained for service.
 Mr. Gerald w. Birks, supervisor of the Young Mems Christian association work among Canadian troops in Europe, writ ing from Great Britain to the interna- tional office, puts up tremendous chal- lenge to us in these words:
 While readily appreciating the mag nificent opportunities of Christian service over here, I am every day becoming more and more impressed with the fact that the real constructive work of the king dom is what is being done at home by the Sunday school. Young Mems Christian association, and kindred organizations,
 for there seems but little chance of man coming through these awful experiences straight, unless his feet have been firmly planted on the rock before he leaves home. So urge upon you, as this war l may possibly be drawn out for years, to do your part with the olders boys who are now being called to the colors Secretary Lovejoy, in his speech at the Tutwiler, while limiting his remarks to child delinquency to the standpoint of a student of child labor problems, brought wildly to us the let-down in parental and other control of children which was demoralizing the young in the various war countries. He was but voicing the testimony of the religious workers issued by the home office in England, conveying the startling information that during the l three months from December, 1915, to 1 February, 1917. 17 of the largest cities showed an increase of S4 per cent in the number of children punishable with of- 1 lenses, as compared with the same three
 months the year before.
 Save man and you save unit; save 1 boy and you save whole multiplication table," Judge Fawcett of the Kings county court (New York) in addressing a boy delinquent said. Tn the five years I have been sitting on the bench I have had 2700 boys before me for sem 1 tence, and not one of them was an as- | tendant Of Sunday school. Had you gone there am sure you would not be l before me today" It can be said with out fear of contradiction that the Sum
 day schools of Birmingham reach and | help more juveniles than any other or | ganization in the city.
 l If it is true, and you can't controvert
 1t. that the Sunday School association is
 the only association in Birmingham that helps Sunday schools of all denomina- | tions and reaches and helps boys. girls, | men and women of all ages and stations