IT was early in the year of 1890 when it became a positive fact, to the
superintendent who is now leading our Sunday school, that we had
accomplished practically nothing as a school during the twenty years of
our existence. In this school our superintendent was entered when but a
lad of five years. He had shifted from class to class, not by reason of
any promotion by the superintendent, teacher, or any other officer of
the school, but as he advanced in age from five to eight, eight to ten,
and ten to fifteen years he correspondingly grew in size, and of his own
free will and accord he moved from class to class, with no other
recommendation for promotion but age and size. At the age of fifteen he
was made secretary, and in that official capacity he took account of the
pennies collected, disbursing them as the board might order.
Our future superintendent was then promoted to be the teacher of Bible
Class No. 3. It was not Class "Three" because its members knew more or
less than Class 1 and 2, but because its members were a class of misses,
while Classes 1 and 2 were masters and young men. In fact, Class 3 was
as much entitled to be Class 1 as Class 1 was to be Class 1. He was then
promoted to his present position. His career is related in order that it
may be shown that the conclusion which he had reached was founded upon
personal experience and observation, which he took no account of then,
but which served to demonstrate more forcibly to him that the Sunday
school was accomplishing nothing save the one fact that it met on Sunday
mornings ostensibly for religious instruction. It must be said, however,
in justice to other superintendents, that, whatever inclination he had
to seek and ascertain the defects and best needs of the school, he was
led slightly in that direction by those who had shown that something was
needed, and who knew that a change must take place if our Sunday school
would maintain her standing as a large and growing one in the
community. We numbered four hundred, in round figures, and while during
the boyhood of our superintendent the corps of teachers were not
efficient, by reason of the lack of advantages necessary to proper
qualification, yet when he came into office he found himself surrounded
by a corps of teachers nearly all of whom were prepared by intellectual
and divine strength to teach anything that could possibly be put into a
Sunday school course with propriety.
No longer were there "blind leaders of the blind" in the school, but
intelligent leaders in mind and heart. It was a proposition that needed
no demonstration to our superintendent that he now had the opportunity
to present the one thing needful in the school, namely, method and
system in instruction and the adaptiveness of work to the susceptibility
of the pupil, which is the essence of the grade idea. As soon, then, as
this idea was clear, our superintendent at once began inquiry and to
hunt literature bearing on this subject.
"The Modern Sunday School," by Bishop J. H. Vincent, was the first book
consulted, and the first sentence of Chapter XII, on Gradation, gave
the idea which settled the conviction. The sentence reads: "The Sunday
school is a school." Nothing is truer than this one sentence, and the
sooner our superintendents and teachers get this one idea ineradicably
fixed in their minds the better it will be for our Sunday school
interests. Most assuredly the "Sunday school is a school" to teach the
things of God, to instill his truths and impress his good deeds and
loving favors to the children of men upon the mind and hearts of those
who must grow up in the admonition of the Lord, if they would make
valiant soldiers and good citizens. It was evident that our Sunday
school was a school, though poor in order, poor in work, and poor in
everything but singing and the giving of picnics. Dr. Vincent's book was
further consulted, with others, and our superintendent reserved several
months to mature his plans and present them.
In the meantime several articles in the "Sunday School Journal" of May
and September, 1890, greatly helped him. A plan of action was finally
decided upon; first a new registration, giving name, age, educational
fitness, and some minor matters, was gotten of each pupil as accurately
as possible. In the meantime our plan had by this time been told the
school, and the taking of a new registration, preparatory to the
gradation, created a genuine revival of interest in the work. And, too,
when the fact was known that the school was undergoing a change which
would give larger and better opportunities to the children, fathers and
mothers who could not themselves read, but who knew what it was to have
John and Mary to go from Catechism to Catechism, from class to class,
every time higher and higher, gave vent to their feelings in many
"Amens" and "God-bless-yous." To these expressions of approval and the
prayers of this class the success of our system may be greatly
attributed.
The registration having been taken, our superintendent was intrusted
with the gradation of the school. On the one hand the burden was light;
on the other heavy. The labor was light, for no amount of it could seem
a burden, so great was the interest in the four hundred souls who were
now for once to be put into the shape of an ideal Sunday school.
On the other hand, it was for once a burden to do duty as he saw it,
because there were large boys and girls who had been hitherto neglected
in this ghost of a school, and now had to suffer the worry of doing a
thing over when it might have been done well at first. But our
superintendent had no time now to indulge in sentimentality; the work
was to be done, it was given him to do, and he knew it was for the best
good of the school; hence he went at the work in the fear of the Lord.
During three weeks of incessant prayer and labor the work was done,
submitted to and approved by our board. What a change to be made during
the next Sunday! John, who could not read, used to be in Bible Class No.
1; now he is to study the Catechism.
During the next Sunday the grading was done, classes rearranged,
teachers replaced to suit the departments; and after all was done we
looked calmly upon the scene, and never in all the history of our Sunday
school did it look so well, and never have we seen children with such
bright and happy faces as were in that school on that morning. It will
never be forgotten even by the smallest pupil. As I have said, they were
always good singers, but with new life in them they sang the praises of
God on that morning until it seemed we were all tasting of the riches of
God as never before. The three departments arranged were Primary,
Intermediate, and Normal, with provision for a Normal Training Class. It
may be said here that we have seen the necessity very clearly for the
introduction of a Junior Department or Course on account of the length
of our now existing departments. This will be done on "Promotion Sunday"
after our January examination.
A course of study was carefully arranged to cover the three departments,
consisting of seven years: Primary Course (provided child entered at the
age of three), ages from three to ten years; five years' Intermediate
Course, ages from ten to fifteen years; five years in the Senior Course,
ages from fifteen to twenty years. These departments, and the years in
each, will be slightly modified by the introduction of the Junior
Course.
The course embraces in our Primary Department the International Lessons
in the form of the "Picture Lesson Paper." The Lesson Paper is,
however, not taken up until the pupil has been in this department for
four years, presuming that he enters at three years of age. The lessons
during the first four years are orally taught, and consist of selected
verses of the Bible, Lord's Prayer, Beatitudes, and selected portions of
Catechism No. 1. Since the day school system only admits pupils at six
and seven years, it is presumed that they are not prepared to be
classified in any way as students of the International System on account
of their inability to read.
Thus all of the pupils from three to six years are put into one class
and taught orally, as explained above. There are sometimes exceptions to
this general rule in the case of children who may have had early
training around the fireside.
The pupils in the Primary Department, having received the Lesson Paper
at seven or eight years, have only from two to three years to remain
there before the proper age is reached, all other things being equal,
for their transfer to the next department. During the last two or three
years of the Primary Course the pupils have for supplemental lessons
selected Psalms and verses, Catechism No. 1 to Question 25, inclusive.
It has been demonstrated to our board in our promotions that this
Primary Course is well conceived and serves admirably well the purpose
intended, which is to lay a foundation upon which a structure might be
reared without fear of tottering.
In our Intermediate Course the International study begins the first year
with the "Beginner's Leaf" and is used during three years of the five
years' course. In the remaining two years the "Berean Lesson Leaf" is
used. In the use of the Beginner's and Berean Leaves the course of
teaching is laid down by the Examining Board, and the teacher directs
her talk and instruction in that direction. This is to avoid what may be
termed "splatterdash" teaching--the teaching of everything with special
reference to no one particular thing, the teaching of what is understood
and not understood. The supplemental lessons for the Intermediate Course
include the Ten Commandments, Catechisms Nos. 1, 2, and 3, and the Old
Testament read and thoroughly considered from Genesis to Numbers,
inclusive. In this department special effort is made to impress the
Baptismal Covenant, the Ten Doctrines of Grace, Ten Points of Church
Economy, etc.
The pupil is now fifteen years of age, and, all things being equal, he
is ready for the Senior Course.
In this department the "Senior Lesson Quarterly" is used. The
supplemental work consists of a completion of the Old and New Testaments
thoroughly read and considered during the five years. In addition to
this, McGee's "Outlines of the Methodist Episcopal Church" is studied
the first year; "The Teacher Before His Class," by James L. Hughes, in
the second year; "Normal Outlines for Primary Teachers" in the third
year; "History of the Sunday School," by Chandler, in the fourth year;
Discipline of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and "Christian Baptism,"
by Bishop S. M. Merrill, in the fifth year.
Our pupils are then entered in the Normal Training Class, where they
read such books as "Open Letters to Primary Teachers," by Mrs. W. F.
Crafts; "Hand Book for Teachers," by Dr. Joseph Alden. They also
consider more fully the doctrines of our Methodism and the history of
"that great religious movement," as one has termed it. The pupils of
this class subject themselves to much training for Sunday school
teachers. They are permitted and are expected to meet the teachers in
their weekly meetings in order that they may go over the lessons with
the teachers and be prepared in case of an emergency. Our examinations
are held semiannually. In the supplemental work the examinations are
conducted in written form. As to the International studies, the
recommendation of a pupil by a teacher is sufficient to determine his
work and his ability to pass to a higher grade. The teachers conduct
their own examination and make tabulated results, the whole of which is
submitted to our Examining Board, consisting of eight members, who
carefully pass upon it and order the promotion. The promotion is then
made by the superintendent according to the tabulated results.
As an encouragement to pupils we have found it wise to issue
certificates to everyone as they complete the course of study of each
department, and finally, when the Senior Course is completed, to issue a
diploma. The assembly idea also obtains in our school as a part of our
system. This has been found indispensable as an incentive to devotion,
because it makes our higher Intermediate and Senior classes feel their
importance in a measure when they are called together every fortnight to
hear some talk or paper upon some religious topic, apart from the
Primary and lower Intermediate classes. In order that the teachers might
be more thoroughly interested in the success of the system, and thus
influence their children, our superintendent has very wisely introduced
the social feature into our work, and very often in our consideration of
Sunday school matters we find ourselves in the midst of a pleasant and
agreeable reception. This has worked well, for we are all creatures of
humanity with the same innate social tendencies. The day of days, yes,
the red-letter day, is "Promotion Sunday." These Sundays will never be
forgotten. The enthusiasm is equal to that of Children's Day in every
respect. Boys and girls with eager hearts pass from class to class. As a
means necessary to the success of our system our superintendent very
carefully presented the necessity of a larger library than we had. The
plans for raising the money were arranged, and, to use the popular
expression, "they worked like a charm." Hundreds of dollars were raised,
with which we now have over one thousand volumes and a neatly built
library case of twenty feet in length. It would be a pleasure to tell
how that money was raised.
As to the results accomplished in our school by the system, suffice it
to say they are manifold. Order, system, interest, care, study, regular
and punctual attendance by officers and teachers, have been some of the
results. In conclusion, let us pray that our superintendents and boards
will see the necessity for this system in their schools, and that before
long the schools of our Methodism may be one of continuous gradation.