The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1921-03-04

TRAINING IN
AMERICANIzA1ION

MEIANOE IL tAEt bAt04a
Ten schools employing forty-two well
trained teachers and providing non-sec-
-ar,sn instruction in religion. Aneri-
senlzation and good citizenship for If
teen hundred boys and girls have been
doing effective work IN Hammond for
4our months. Each child has been re
ceivtns four half hour periods of IN
strlction a week. The classes nave
been held before and after school, in
the public school buildings
THREE FACTS STAED OUT
~ The children enjoy the work
one ten year old boy said the other day
that he used 10 like geography best but
that now he liked religion best. one
cannot visit the classes without being
convinced that the boys and girls ike
r. The attendance has averaged IS
per cent and the enrolment is larger
now than it was in October when the
classes began.
60 The teachers enjoy the work
The program is very fortunate in having
secured such an efficient group Of We'll
salaed teachers. who practice what they
,r,a.h. They are working conscient
.,u-.y and enthusiastically to teach rellg-
...a 80 that it shall become a part Of the
...rs IF these 1909 children.
81, The instruction is already bear
,n.. rru.t. Children who are taking the
las,r4ction are getting 3 grasp on the
..atest book of the world. In adj
ran 10 learning Bible stories, and les
s,. which deal with religi. MS he~oes.
t..t. shan half the pupils in nlany of
.3e classes have on their own initiative
brought Bibles and are learning how 10
ues them.
rart Of the class period IS used Ia
worship. Singing and prayer have their
rightfuI place In the worship. The
smaller children pray without self con-
-aclousness and without phompting.
Zach day IS a new day with new bles-
sings: and there are the blessings of
The preceding night; rest. and Gods
care-then God has given. oh so many
things: why shouldn't prayer be nat
ural? Why not talk with ones Heaven
Iy Father In a class Of second grade
children Tommy was sick. One little
girl said: Teacher, why not ask God
to help Tommy" When the prayer
period came. mingled with the other
prayers was this ono; Dear God. please
make Tommy we'll" The next day
Tommy was better and the little girl
said % her eacher. There. God did
hear me, didn't he2"
4 group Of ten year old pupils has as
their lesson the story Of Dorcas- That
noon II was cold and one girl saw a
small boy whose coat was unbuttoned.
Later h told her teacher; Il saw q
boy who was cold. and his coat wasn't
buttoned so I said to myself, Dorcas
would button mis- coat So 4 went over
and buttoned It for him
one boy was ACCUSTOMED to swearing
Before Thanksgiving the Lessons can
tered around the theme Of the many
things with which God has blessed us.
and for which we should be thankful
One day the boy who swore regularly,
was with another boy who happened to
swear. Turning on him the former said:
God has given us everything we have
and He wouldn't like to nave YOU say
that" Such incidents as these culled
from many Indicate tnat already he
program is beginning to bear fruit.
Ones Imagination IS gripped with the
possibilities of such a program A gen
GRAFTON OF people whose conduct is de
tarmined by ideas OF clean living and Of
fair play, backed UP by other religious
ideals is not an idle dream. Already
week day religious instruction is being
developed with considerable success in
the following cities:
Toledo has 26 schools. $500 children;
Van Vert. 4 schools. 500 children, Cuya-
hosa Fails. s schools, $50 children; Cary
S schools. 5000 children; Grand Rap
ida. j school. l6s children; Evanste7. 20
schools, $50 children; Batavia, II schools
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