The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-06-27
CRADLE ROLL WORK
 IS FOUNDATION OF
 ALL BIBLE STUDY
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dren remember That's the reason she is cradle roll teacher at Ensley
 .,Our babies are taught from the pegln- ming to do community work, sald Mrs, Hughes. "They have filled the tin foll basket more than once for Dr. Eaves sick people, and they have brought thelr pennies and dimes every summer toWaru the ice and milk fund for other papies. They brought money, too, U buy biple for mother who wasn't able 10 pur chase it for herself, so she conla reao Bible stories to tell her own children. Al Christmas times our children always send little decorated Christmas trees to the children of the Mercy Home.
 The sympathy of Mrs. Hughes oapies has even extended to China now. to little Chinese girl in one of the Chrlstian schools whom they have named TOT Mrs, IImshas and her assistant, their beloved Mrs. w. B. Bridges, the Flora farker scholarship"
 MOTHERS CLASS
 .e AS a by-product of the cradle roll oe- nartment, Mrs. Hughes has organized a mothers class in the Ensiey ouhoay school. so that every mother who comes to Sunday school with baoy mus T class that offers study courses oi 'no nhysical care of children, the psychoioss of the child. and the religious training . of children. ,,,t
 "Really. the brotherhood class mignt he called a by-product of the cradle roii' suggested Mrs. E. W. Sudlow, who IS ha- tionally recognized as one Of the loreihos' inter-denominational specialists Tn suhudy school work with children, neis onaoi father brings the baby to Sunday scnooi, and in search of place to go he mas the brotherhood class l
 For the past ten years Mrs. Sudlow naS as written for leading magazines over lev articles on cradle roll work, ana her visit to Birmingham from her home m IT ilino;s ia in the interest of new DOCK she is to add to her collection q ioer that she has already written on craoie ron and beginners work and the rehgious training of children. oo,
 Mrs Sudlow said there were 3,ooo,Voo habies enrolled in the Sunday schools oi i, the United States under years or ase' {. She considers the work of the littie cnh- dren not only the foundation of all graded organization of the Sunday scnoo,' but also the beginning of the modern irterdenominationa graded unions.
 Her account of graded work in the schools since 1879 was enlightening, from the time smaller children were placed in classes with boys and girls of 10 and II ( years of age. She pointed out the fact that the necessity for forming classes and departments for smaller children, caused a general evolution in the entire organization of Sunday school work, starting the home department for moth CTS, the mothers classes and the brother hood classes for men.
 Now since father and mother have come into Sunday school. civics and pro- hibition are taught there," she said. And z undoubtedly much of the missionary worK was carried on during the war, because < the older people continued payments to missionary work through the channels of < the Sunday school"
 So that. according to Mrs. Sudlow the cradle roll babies have led in the proper { training of father and mother in the graded organization of Sunday schools and in interdenomnational work of grad ed unions. With wisdom far beyond their tender years, they have been leaders in tho fight for prohibition and in the great Z missionary campaigns of the world.
 First in war, first in peace. and first
 in the hearts of their countrymen as fell 2. as their country women, are they not?'
 Why certainly the babies are the lead ers," replied Mrs. Sudlow. "The cradle roll is the foundation of the whole struc- ture. It is an asset to the pastor. TOT when a child's name is on the cradle roll 7, that home is open to the pastor for d visi, {. to the baby whether the parents belons to the church or not. It is an asset to the church, because when the baby is ir Sunday school, the parents wake up tc the fact that it is best to unpack theil old church letters and go to church every Sunday; or that it is best for the baby's < sake to join some church if they have { never considered it before. It is an as set to the parents. because the literature ! that is distributed by the Sunday schoo < on child welfare is liberal education tt [ hundreds of fathers, to say nothing o { the mothers who have been desperately ir need of such help. It is an asset to thu x community because every time parents are helped in the training of good citi gems 1t means something to the state al Z we'll as to the church and community.
 How very important babies are, after