Great Falls daily tribune., 1920-12-20
PASTOR URGES BAN ON DANCING
FOR SCHOOLS OF GREAT FALLS
United Brethren Minister Raps Smoking at Z NJ.
c. A. Luncheon, Deplores What He Terms
Lax System Of Controlling Children.

/ Deplorjng the existing conditions and
the perils which confront the twentieth
century boys and girls in the public
schools. the public dance halls. pool
I halls, moving picture thcaters and IN the
cigarette and cigar. the Rev. w. Il. Mel
son. pastor of the United Brethren
church appealed to his congregation
! Sunday morning. advocating better su-
lpervision of young peoples activities.
/ "rhree women may be found in the
churches to every man. declared Dr.
! Nelson. "and / am wondering if there
/ are not about as many sons in the
! churches as there are fathers. 1t il
/ the place Of the father to bring his son
| to Christ aud the church and then set
such clean example before him 50 as to
tpresent no excuse for the son to go
wrong.
Aimed to Build.
Jesus and three Of his disciples had
been upon the Mount of TRANSPORTATION.
They had been greatly delighted with the
experience Of that occasion and Peter
wanted to build and stay there: but
Jesus knew that pure religion and un-
| defiled, was moi aseeticism nor all ec-
static ioy. While they were enjoying
| this heavenly atmosphere yonder In the
valley were those who needed this heay-
enly atmosphere brought to them, for
they were helpless.
1T is my purpose this morning to
speak Of certain evil Influences surround
ing the young folks of Great Fulls. Ii
order to do this | will not generalize,
but will call white. white, and black,
/ black This l do not in the least hesi-
tate to do.
School Builds Character.
II will speak first OF that Institution
which we all hold dear and every true
American citizen desires to keep clean,
that { the public school Here il ali
our youth The law compeis their pres
ence. Outside the home this Institution
is the great character hullncr. lieI"
the upward or downward career is be
gun How essential il is that every IN
fluence harbored by the school authorir
ties and instructors be entirely for the
good What a sad commentary on our
school management when statistics prove
that one half Of ali the girls who 90
astray confess they began their down
ward career in the public school dance
And yet. dancing is encouraged in the
high school Of Great Falls. Students at
tending that institution who DO not dance
are counted out of the circle Of society
and called church members and such.
Schools Encourage Dancing.
"Christian parents send their boys and
girls to high school pure of mind and
spirit They never haze danced. Their
home training has been against IT. but
II is not long ere they return requesting
the privilege Of parents to attend SO
called social or party il the high
school. Consent IL given. providing
there is no dancing The reply is but
the other boys and girls are going to
dance and our teacher is going to lead
us In the dance.
Hundreds Attended.
During the Oliver evangeliste meet
ings last winter hundreds Of high school
students attended Some Of us solicited
these TO dedicate their lives 10 Christ.
but they replied, How can we. lou
know they encourage dancing in the high
school and ii is made very uncomfortable
for any of us who refuse to go with the
crowd Before the campaign was over
many Of these young folks were braye
enough to come out for CHRIST. snail
the Christian church keep silent ana
let MANY Of these be drawn back into the
vortex of this devilsh influence? Do
Won wonder that true pastors and all
credited evangeIsts are ringing out
clarion call against this practice IN our
high schools?
Is Antagonistic to Dancing.
'Those who defend the dance, claim
it is clean supervised dance. There
are some things that can't be clean. The
devil may appear clean and fine and
even Scripture calls him prince, but
nevertheless, he is dirty one. / would
rather trust dirty devil than clean
one any time. How long would the
dance last if all men and boys were
compelled to dance by themselves and all
girls and women to dance by themselves?
The road to the downtown public dance
IL via the high school supervised dance
or party. O. but some say there is no
other source of amusement. Pretty sad
commentary on our mentality, isn't it?
AS a pastor, father of boys, citizen and
taxpayer, | desire to be registered as
a whole souled antagonist against the
dance in our high school or any other
public school or institution.
Believes in "Y."
There is another evil influence which
] wish to register my protest against
sud | do NOT wish To he rniSuuda rsfood