The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1956-04-12
The American Way
GUIDE TO BETTER WORLD
BY GEORGE PECK

/ - NAi''i'N'if ~ -
Juvenile Delinquency has been
a subject that has graced or rather
"disgraced" the newspaper head
lines these past few years. 1t is
hardly necessary for me to prove
to the readers Of this column that
il is one Of the grave problems
! facing the nation today. All rec
ognizc that it is a menace to the
nations welfare and realize that
something must be done about it.
That the situation, bad as it is.
is not even worse, America can be
thankful to the churches, boys and
girls clubs. the Boy Scouts, the
Girl Scouts. the Salvation Army,
| the various service clubs and a
! host of other organizations too
numerous to mention, that are
working diligently to forestall
Juvenile Delinquency and to rescue
JuNGllllt DCllllOutulS.
Foremost among these agencies
is the Sunday School. Judges of
Juvenile Courts with whom ! have
talked over a period of years have
told me that it is a rare exception
to have a boy or girl appear in
| their courts who has had a record
of regular Sunday School attend
ance. This being the case, does it
not seem reasonable that every
energy should be eXerted toward
getting as many as possible of our
youth into our Sunday Schools as
regular attendants?
Recognizing this among other
spiritual needs, in 1910, the Lay
mems National Committee was or
ganized. as a nOn-prOfit, all-faiths
corporation Its purpose is to re-
awaken religious thinking in every
possible way; to conduct cam
paigns of public education in Bible
reading and study; to encourage
Church, Synagogue and Sunday
School attendance.
During the second week Of April
each year, the Laymen's National
Committee sponsors National Sun
dav School Week for the purpose
of stimulating Sunday School at
tendance. This year of 1856, Ma
tional Sunday School Week is to
be observed from April 9 to Is.
The slogan for this years observ-
ance is: Sunday SchooI-The
Guide to a Better World"
Some fifteen years ago, this col
umnist joined hands with the prot
estants. jews and catholics who
comprised its membership. Short
ly thereafter, he began to serve
on its Advisory Council. Six years
ago he was elected a director and
vice chairman, in which offices he
served until February 8, 1856. when
he was signally honored by being
elected chairman. Ii is challenge
as well as an honor, for il presents
an even greater opportunity to la
Dor in the fight against Juvenile
Delinquency.
National Chairman for Sunday
School Week 1856 is Henry C.
Ritter. Bird, President. Thomas A.
Edison. Inc, and Chairman of the
Board of Directors, National AS
sociation of Manufacturers. In ac-
cepting the assignment, Mr.. Ritter
said: 1T is up to all parents to
give their children an opportunity
to participate actively in religian.
That is why we observe National
Sunday School Week, and that is
how we can guide our children to
a better world"
In a later statement, Mr.. Ritter
had this to say: by 1875 we VIII
have grown from nation of 166
million to 22O million. Churches OF
all faiths are going full steam
ahead in an effort to provide ad-
ditional facilities both in Churches
and Sunday Schools to meet this
enormous population growth. BY
1875 there will be three children in
our Sunday Schools for every two
attending them today The Sunday
Schools need the help of all Ameri-
cans today in providing for this
great future
OF course, the seven days set
aside for National Sunday School
Week are all too short, but it is
the aim and hope of the Laymen's
National Committee, that during
that period many additional young
children will be encouraged to at
tend Sunday School and develop
the Sunday School habit; a habit
that will prepare them to meet
life's major problems that lie ahead
of them
To all parents reading this col
umn, if your youngsters are not
now regular attendants, urge you
to pack them off to Sunday School
on the Sunday of National Sunday
School Week-April 8 to IS. But
don't stop there-let it be just the