A SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERT

Evening Star, Issue 18120, 9 November 1922, Page 1

A SUNDAY SCHOOL EXPERT

MISS WARNER'S VISIT. Jlijss Warner, tlio Sunday school demonstrator at present -isiting Dunedin, delivered in Stuart Hall last evening the first of nine addresses to be given by her in this city. Mr J. Farquharson (president of the Otago Council), in welcoming Miss Warner, explained that her visit was an outcome) of the recent visit of Mr W. 0. Pearce, of the World's Sunday School Association. A dominion council of religious education was being formed’, and it had already resulted in the Sunday School Unions of iho different centres being drawn more closely together. ll© trusted that before long they would have in Dunedin a lady like Miss Warner doing similar work among them. (Applause.)' Miss Warners subject was ‘ The Dawn and Development of Religion in Child Life,’ and sho began by conveying the greetings and prayerful good wishes of the Auckland Sunday School Union. Miss Warner showed an intimate knowledge of child psychology in an address that held the close attention of her audience. She pointed 1 out that lovo opened) the door to the understanding of the religious life of the child,', and said -they must put off the shoes from their feet when crossing that threshold, for the place whereon they stood was holy ground'. Every child' was a spiritual being capable of religious impression before it was capable of religious expression. She traced tho development of the child's religious consciousness from its first gazing into its mother’s worshipping face. Had they ever thought what colon* they would uso to paint for, tho child its first vision of God ? In tho beginners’ department little children played their way into the kingdom of Heaven with laughter and song. They should not with laughter stifle tho child's natural expression, but rather look at it with awed and reverent eyes. She warned against certrin dangers in presenting dramatic lessons by the sand tray and other means, and tho dangers of misunderstanding the wends of familiar hymns. Wo did not need so much to teach tho truth to tho children as to tell them how to find it for themselves. We required to socialise the hoar of worship with tho children and te givo them all their part in it. Their religious education must be a spiritual (flawing out of tho best in boys and girls, f/fit them be careful when they gave to (bo child a thought that it was not too big for’ the child's environment. They mist know the homo life and watch it. tithe traced the development’ of religious consciousness upwards from infancy to adolescence. Everywhere there were lonely boys and girls asking for tho great ove of God to bo shown to them. Sho referred to tho new system of supervision under which tho older chillreu were put on I heir honor to study the lesson in a group by themselves, and told of its remarkable success.

The subject of Miss Warner's address *t Stuart Hall to-night is 4 Tire Service of Music in tho Sunday School.’

THE CURSE OF CANE. Sugar, said an eminent dental surgeon is the curse of our race. The eugar-tootli of tender youth Amazes aunt and nurse, Who never yet have found regret For such a blessed curse. No punishment was ever sent That tasted half as nice As mother’s threats to naughty pets To spread their cake with ice. As Christmas comes of sugar plums ■ And all confections sweet, The curse, ’tis plain, of sugar cans Is blessed hard to beet. ‘Chronicle.’