MEETINGS IN NELSON.

Colonist, Volume LIII, Issue 13096, 3 May 1911, Page 6 (Supplement)

MEETINGS IN NELSON.

(From "The Colonist," April 15.)

Tho eleventh annual convention of the Wellington Sunday School Union assembled yesterday. ThirtjHMght delegates Jiavfe arrived and represent Sunday Schools in Wellington, Palmerston North, Feikling, Eketahuna, Masterton, Dalefield, and Gladstone. The members of the Union attended in tile morning, at the Communion service in the Presbyterian Church, arranged by the Minieterß' Association, and in the afternoon met at tho Baptist Church. After a devotional service, tho President of the Union (Mr, H. D. Grocott.) formally opened the conference., and read ■ greetings from tlife Auckland Sunday School, the Rev. Stanley Jonkin, of Epsom, and recently pastor of the Nelson ( Baptißt Church, the Brooklyn Methodist Sunday Solio.pl, and th<o Rev. G. W; J. Spence (President of the Methodist Church). The. President wit gave an address in which he reviewed tho Sunday School world. He described the prominent part taken by North America and Great Britain in the, movement, and the. promising conditions prevailing in South Africa, Japan, Korea, and many other countries in respect of tho Christian teaching of tho young. A full account by Mr. G. Carpenter was then given of the Home Department of the Sunday Schools. This movement, which has been in existence for a few years only, has for its object the systematic reading of the portion of scripture set for the Sabbath School lesson. It fostered religious lifo in the home, and met the spiritual needs of parents and others who might be unable to attend Church service or Sunday sch<x)ls. period of social intercourse w~ i Mowed by a tea meeting, arraugeU by the Nelson ladies committee. A large number of Sunday School workers sat down at the tables. The contents of a question-box evoked great interest on a large number of subjects bearing on the work of the Sabbath Schools.

The meeting in the church in the evening was well attended. Mr. T. Pettit, Mayor of Nelson, presided, and extended a cordial welcome to the visiting .delegates. He spoke as a Sunday School teacher with many years' service, regarding tho possibilities of tho great work undertaken in bringing thb children to a knowlodge of tho Word of God, which was essential in their moral training and fortifying them against the temptations and allurements they would hai.-o to meet in life. The Rev. J. H. MacKenzie followed in a brief address in which he extended a welcome on behalf of the citizens of Nelson. He urged the teachers to keep alive to the latest methods. The children were improving in their capacity, and the methods of the schools must also advance.

Mr. H. D. Grocott responded on behalf of tho visitors, and referred to the functions and scope of the work undertaken by tho Sunday School Union.

(From "The Colonist," April 17.)

The meetings in connection with the Sunday School Convention were continued in the Baptist school room on Saturday morning. The President, in the absence of Mr. T. Sims, spoke on die advantages of the graded lessons recently compiled by the International Lesson' Committee, lessons are arranged to meet pupils of all ages, from the simplest nature lessons, and those relating to home life to the adults attending the advanced classes. They are being largely adopted in the schools of America and England, and arc regarded by experts as being a distinct improvement on the uniform lessons which have been in use to the present. A helpful discussion followed, and much interest was manifested in t!'.3 .subject. Mr. Walter """Tiller read a c-Oißpre-hensive paper on the Cradle Roll Department, and emphasised the valuab'p aid the roll was, not only in securing the children as scholars, but also in enlisting the interest and co-opera-tion of parents in the work undertaken by the Sabbath school. The afternoon session was occupied in reading papers. Mr Burley read a paper writen by Mr. W. E. Howe on "Visiting: How I do it and what it entails." The visitation of parents, it was urged, had a valuable- effect in bringing the school and home into personal touch, and was often the means of ensuring the attendance of the pupil who might otherwise have become indifferent to the influence of the school. The paper, which was listened co with much interest, contained practical hints to those undertaking the visiting of parents and scholars in the home.

A helpful paper on "Our Bible Classes," written by Mr. S. Hulbert (Blenheim) was read by Mr Bliss. The whole irange of Bible class work was clearly and fully traversed, and the paper bore the impress of ha/ving been compiled by one who was not only enthusiatic in, but fully conversant with all phases of the Bible class movement. A large attendance- greeted Mr. George Tiller in the evening, when lie spoke on the black-board as an aid to telling a story. Many valuable hints and quotations were given as to what should bo observed in the use of a story in the illustration of a Sunday school lesson. Mr. Tiller concluded by giving simple drawings on the black board in tho illustration of stories.

During the meeting, opportunity was taken by the. Secretary of the Sunday School Union to tender, on behalf of the visiting delegates, their cordial thanks to the local committee for the admirable arrangements made for tihe conference (special reference being made to Miss S Wilson) to the hosts and hostesses who had so hospitably entertained delegates, to the Ministers' Association for their courtesy, and the press for the liberal space accorded for reports of the proceedings. A photograph was taken of the visiting and local delegates at the afternoon meeting. Yesterday the- members of the Conference met at a devotional meeting in the Methodist school room, the President of the Union leading themeeting. Addresses were given by visiting delegates in the several schools in the afternoon, the President speaking in the Presbyterian school, Mr. Burley in the Church of Christ school, Mr. Bliss in tho Baptist school, Mr. East in the Methodist School and Messrs Johnston and Kennedy in tho Congregational school.