OUR SUNDAY SCHOOLS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18896, 23 June 1923, Page 18

OUR SUNDAY SCHOOLS

By Amplids. “T o the thoughtful it is dear that to the graded school, with its graded lessons and new methods, the future of the Sunday School belongs.”—Principal Ritchie. < NEWS AND NOTES. The Sunday School Chronicle l of April 15 contains an intimation that ihe Duke of York has consented to act: us patron of the World’s Sunday school Convention, to bo held in Glasgow next year. In the Lotu, the Children's -Missionary Magazine of the New Zealand Methodist Church, the editor is asking for essays to be sent in by children under 13 on their Sunday School —what they like (or don’t like) about it. The first ‘‘open night” in the Sunday School Council's teacher training course was held in the Waddell Hull last Monday evening. TJto subject was ‘‘The Music of the Bible,” and Miss F. S. Werner gave a comprehensive and most instructive account of the music and musical instruments mentioned in the Bible, and also of the musical instruments of the peoples that influenced the beginnings of Hebrew music. Selections of typical Hebrew vocal and instrumental music arranged for by Mr 11. B. Austing were afterwards listened to with great enjoyment. Next Monday the opening address will be given by the Rev. H. Maclean on ‘‘Paul, the Roman Citizen,” and Alias Warner will follow with another of her series of lectures on child psychology. During the present, ami past winters the older boys at St. Andrew's Bible. School have been spending part of (heir Friday evenings in a practical carpentry class, and they have turned out some very useful and creditable work. A now venture was made last week, when the girls, who have hitherto been occupied in other useful ways were introduced for the first time to (ho carpentry benches. The special work they are undertaking is the construction, under the direction of Mr Passmore, of various lias tern models for use in Sunday school work, particularly among the younger children. Promising progress was made on the first night with the making of shesp(okls, and it is anticipated that models of Eastern houses, tents, and synagogues will be among those constructed later on. Those models will bo used in the beginners, primary, and junior departments, and will probably also form pari, of the exhibits in the big Children’s Exhibition, which is to lake place next October.

CHILDRE N’ S EX KIBITION. One of the features of this Children’s Year in Dunedin will bo an exhibition of everything pertaining to children and child welfare, to be held for one week about Uio middle of October. Ail •organisations interested in child welfare have been invited to take part. Model Sunday school departments will be set out complete with nil necessary furniture and equipment. One whole section, of the exhibition will ho devoted to handiwork by "unday school children, including poster work, modelling, Biblical map drawing, text illustrating, illuminated texts, models of missionary ourios, and so on. Recognising that, many of the children will not have a clear idea of what is wanted. Miss Warner has derided to visit various parts of the city and exhibit and explain the kind of work required. A start will be made in South Dunedin on the afternoon of Saturday, July 7, and nil the schools in Ckiversha.ni, St. Clair, St. Kilda. Anderson’s Bay, and South Dunedin have been notified. Miss Warner proposes to combine this exhibition of handwork samples with a story-hour and playhour, and" in this she intends to secure the assistance of the trainees of the Religious Education Training School. Arrangements are being made for a central .mooting place for the Souih. End. In duo course meetings will bo arranged for the hill schools, the North End, and the city schools.

A novelty of much interest in connection with the exhibition will be the Sunday school chain. In this big paper chain every Sunday school scholar in Dunedin will be represented by a link. Each child will write his name, or if too young to write, will make his mark on a paper link, and those will be joined together to make the chain. Each denomination will be given a distinctive colour.

It may be easily imagined that the possibilities and opportuiv'i'es associated with this exhibition are opening out on every hand, and the enormous amount of preliminary work entailed is becoming a serious problem. The capacity of Sunday school workers for always cheerfully adding a. little more to their labours has often been remarked. but it is a question whether oven their voluntary efforts will be sufficient to carry this through without outside assistance. SUNDAY SCHOOL CENSUS. The convenors of (he census areas met with the Sunday School Council last week. The secretary reported that as only six returns had been received it was not. possible to tabulate anything definite. The figures taken out so far of children between the ages of 5 and 15 not attending Sunday School seemed to point to the total number not being large. Several conveners referred to the difficulty they had had in securing sheets from their sub-conveners, thus causing delay in the completion of their return.

It was decided to send out a circular to all conveners asking them (1) to complete the census immediately. (2) to make sure that every street, in their area has been visited, (3) to make out in triplicate on forms being supplied a list of all children up to 15 years of age not in attendance at any Sunday School—a separate shoot to be used for each denomination. Two of these lists are to ho returned to the council and the council will forward to each denominational union the sheets which concern them. The other list will bo retained by the council for tabulating and record purposes. All schools will receive in due course from their denominational union the lists of uonattenders. hut if 'any school is anxious to start immediately the work of visiting these children it should communicate with the district, convener. The original census sheets are to bo returned to the council at the same time as the lists of non-attenders. It will be necessary later on to make cJTxt from these sheets the names of all' children recorded as having Sunday School connection and to forward these to the respective schools for checking with their rolls. In all nrobahility each denominational union will !be asked to take out its own names. The census sheets will bo bound and indexed and be readily available for reference at any time. The council regrets the delay which has taken place in the completion of tho census, but it recognises that the conveners have had to contend with many difficulties. Conveners have been asked to have everything completed by Thursday, Juno 28. MISSIONARY EXHIBITION. Plans and preparations for the Missionary Exhibition to bo hold in • St. Matthew’s schoolroom on July 16 and 17 are developing apace. Diie feature of it will bo tho musical cantata in three parts entitled. ‘•Tho Call of the Nations.” This is designed to draw attention to the great eviis in" the three countries dealt with and will be given in character typical of these, countries. St. Paul’s School is busily preparing for the part, of India, St, Matthews for Africa, and St. Peter’s for China. Other schools are working up suitable posters and other exhibits, and a number of exhibits are to bo obtained from the recent extensive missionary exhibition in Wellington. Further assistance from Christchurch is anticipated. and tho prospects of tho whole venture are distinctly good. Missionary lantern slides will bo exhibited in one of the rooms. Guides will bo in charge of the various sections to explain different objects to visitors. It is proposed to issue a small button which shall servo as a token for admission. PROMOTION DAY. Promotion Day, the last Sunday in June, is always the most important day in tho year in St. Andrew’s Bible School. Next Sunday the ceremony will bo carried out on the lines followed "in previous years, but a larger attendance of visitors than usual is anticipated owing to The fact that St. Andrew's is the school of observation and practice for students of (he Religious Education Training School. Thu day marks the close of the school year, and selected older scholars from each department are promoted to the one next above. All scholars will assemble in i.lteir own departments at, 2.30 and gather five minutes later in their allotted places in the Waddell Hall. The Rev. If. Maclean will preside and give a brief address early in the proceedings. The act mi! promotions will begin with the reception of new communicants by (he session and promotions from the Bible Classes and the Intermediate Department to the Sunday School stall. 'lhcso will be followed at intervals by promotions from Junior Primary Beginners and Cradle Roll Departments. The whole ceremony will be followed by a communion service in which members of session, parents, teachers, and communicant scholars, ana Bible Class members, including those who have just united with tho church, will take part. According to the custom of tho Presbyterian Church visitor* desiring to unite in the communion service will be invited to do so.