New Britain herald., 1930-12-08
Council of Religious Education Merges With Church Federation
 For 1 to } Year Trial Period
Rev. T. A. Greene of This City Reelected President Reports Made On Va cation and Week day Church Sch0Ols-Future Believed Bright.

What is intended to be the most influential Protestant organization in the state of Connecticut was formed here Saturday night at the Trinity Methodist church. when the Connecticut Council of Religious education at it's 73rd annual conven- ton, voted for a trial merger with the Connecticut Federation of Churches. The merger will be for 2 period of one to three years.
 There were about 500 persons in attendance at the convention. The sessions opened in the First Con gregational church and closed Sat urday with a banquet at Trinity Methodist church. Rev, Theodore A. Greene, pastor of the First Con grecational church. was reelected president
 pr. Robert NJ. Hopkins, general secretary of the Worlds Sunday School association. spoke on the sub Jcct: When is the Church School in Christian Living ." Another speaker was pr. Robert s. Smith, Horace Bushnell, professor of Chris tian nurture at Yale, who spoke on srbjects Of interest 10 young people. Other seekers included Miss Edna N. Baxter, professor of religious education in the Hartford School of Religious education; Dr. Benjamin S Winchester. religious educational authority in New York, and Dr. Henry Hallam Tweedy of Yale.
 John W. Potter of Waterbury, treasurer submitted a report show ing net liabilities on November 29 of s2.378
 James l.. Case, chairman Of the finance committee, introduced pro- posed budget for 1881 calling for expenditures of s17.510.
 General Sccrctary's Report
 In his annual report, tho general serretary, Rev. J. Quinter Miller said in part;
 Leadership training constitutes q major emphasis in the program of the council. This is an area in which the fruits of cooperative Christian effort are most clearly manifest. The big turnover in leadership, and the increasing demands made upon teachers of religion emphasize the continuous aspect of this problem The discovery and training of an in creaslngly adequate staff for the teaching work of the church repre- sonts a type of work that calls for the united efforts of Protestant Christianity in Connecticut.
 The steady growth in registra- tions at the Summer school conduct ed by the council, at Storrs College, testifies to the significance of the service being rendered the churches and denominations of this state in their program of leadership training. This becomes evident at glance, when pictorially presented in Graph For 1930. this school had a 28 l-2 per cent increase in paid registrations 132 of the IA who registered were full time students Nine faculty members offered four teen standard courses and one spe- cial coaching class for leadership training instructors. 296 standard credits were awarded. Five students graduated and received the lnterna- tional Standard Leadership Diplo- ma
 Vacation Church schools
 "Dnr of the major tasks for rcli- 1ious education in Connecticut is the promotion Of new and better vacation chmch schools. There should be q vacation church school in reach Of every bov and girl III the state. Through the cooperative efortS Of the agencies represented through the state council ot rclt- gious education this is quite pos sible as goal, toward which 10 strive, Promotion should be based upon the distinctive values Of va cation church school as formulated a. the international convention Tn Toronto, and soon to appear in the International Journal of Religious Education.
 Week day church schools, whose students arc released from pubhC school one period each week, usual lv upon written request of parent or guardian, arc now in operation in the following cities and communities Bridgeport, Broadbrook, Hazard vile, killingWorth. New Britain South Wilmington and Waterbury The work of these schools repre- seuts approximately an hour of reli- eious education each week. For the most part these schools meet in church buildings. in the city centers, end in public school buildings fo' the rural areas. The schools are financed by and controlled by the cooperating churches. The church and state cooperate to the extent of rcallocatIon Of the educational time Of the child by vote oi the l, cal board of education.
 "Due to the constant change m enrolIn,nls, no absolute tlGur's concerning enrolment can be cited with certainty. The approximate en- rollmcnt in the week day church schools in Connecticut IS 23oG pu- pills. For the most part they are from the elementary grades
 \ Sldtc-N i1H conference oh N"'h day church schools is set for FrldhN e>rnrng ard Saturday, Jannary 5" and II, 1881. This conference Nul meet in Waterbury. The Frd1y evening meeting will emphasize the basic principles upon which thls movement rests The Saturday pro- gram will deal with the problems pertaining to the curriculum or Eanizatlon, administration ana supervision of the schools. Honor able Charles H, Tuttle of New York city, Professor Blanche Carrier ol