Something to Belong to
I believe in the organization of Sunday-school classes, because it
fosters class spirit. If it is a good thing to have a class, it is a
good thing for the class to have a spirit. This class spirit should
promote the school spirit, just as the _esprit de corps_ of a company
enhances the loyalty of soldiers to their regiment.
When a scholar has signed a constitution, he feels that he belongs to
the school. Lacking this feeling, he will not be long with the school
or with anything else.
In the simple constitution of my class (which is a class of young men)
are provisions for a porch, a lookout, and a social committee.
The porch committee watches the morning congregation for strange young
men, and invites them to come to Sunday-school. The lookout committee
seeks throughout town and church for permanent additions to the class,
whom, through its chairman, it proposes for membership. This is a
great gain. When a teacher urges people to join his class he is
inviting them to the gospel, certainly, but he is also inviting them
to himself. In the first cause he is as bold as a lion, but in the
second many a modest soul is naturally, even though foolishly,
bashful. Happy the teacher whose scholars are zealous in this vital
service, for him so delicate and for them so blessed!
The voting in of new members, with the subsequent producing of the
constitution for signatures, is a little ceremony as useful for the
old scholars in reminding them of their class autonomy as it is
inspiring to the new scholars. A hearty word of welcome from the
teacher to the new-comers gives them a formal and public installation.
They have indeed taken on themselves a new function.
The social committee will greatly add to the efficiency of any class.
Monthly class socials are genuine means of grace. Our socials are thus
managed: Each social has a solid backbone, consisting of a paper or
talk by some member of the class, detailing little-known points in his
own business. Of a neighboring class similarly organized, one is a
young architect, another works in a rope-walk, a third holds an
important position in a newspaper office, a fourth is in the leather
business, the teacher of the class is a judge. Utilizing the
experiences of their own members and friends, this class has held
quite remarkable socials. It has found the contribution of the clerk
in a furniture store as interesting as that of the young banker. The
class have been wonderfully knit together by the bonds of a common
and a widening interest. After these papers or talks (which are often
appropriately illustrated), come discussion and questions, followed by
games or light refreshments. By occasional joint socials of this kind
we hope to draw together this class and my own. Of course, this is
only one out of a myriad schemes of entertainment that could be
devised for these class socials. The point the shrewd teacher will
notice is that it is the scholars themselves who plan these socials,
and who thus take into their own hands the creation of a warm, helpful
class atmosphere. Every teacher should know that in making new
scholars feel at home it is hardly his own sociability, but that of
his scholars, that counts.
If the class is thus organized, the teacher must guard the authority
of his class president as jealously as his own. If you want your class
officers to feel genuine responsibility, it must be genuine
responsibility that you put upon them. Give up to the president,
during the conduct of business, your place in front of the class. Wait
to be recognized by him before you speak. Make few motions. Inspire
others to take the initiative.
The election of officers should come every six months, and it is best
to bring about a thorough rotation in office. Improve every chance to
emphasize the class organization. If your school arrangements permit,
vote every month on the disposal of the class collections. If you must
be absent a Sunday, ask the class to elect a substitute teacher, and
ask the president to inform the substitute of his election. An
alternate should be chosen also, to make the thing sure. This little
device serves to make the scholars as loyal to the substitute teacher
as to their own, for they have made him their own. In the course of
the lessons, also, a wide-awake teacher will frequently mention and
emphasize the class organization.
Of course the whole plan will fall flat if the teacher wholly
delegates to his scholars any or all of these lines of work. He also
must invite the strangers, if he expects his scholars to do so. He
also must seek for new members, if he would inspire them to do the
same. Without his sociableness they will soon become frigid. The
teacher alone has the dipper of water that starts the pump. Any
contrivance that lessens his responsibility lessens his success.
But the plan I have outlined has value, not because it permits the
teacher to do less, but because it incites the scholars to do vastly
more. An ounce drawn out is better than a ton put in. One thing you
get them to do is a greater triumph than a dozen things you do much
better for them.