prepare a well worked out program for each session. It is a good plan to
have a large blank book, in which two pages opposite each other are
assigned to the session for the day. Every hymn should be selected in
advance and noted in its place; every announcement to be made should be
written; the outline of a lesson review, if one is to be given, should
be indicated; and space should be left for memoranda of miscellaneous
matters which may need attention. This program should be laid upon the
desk, so that if for any reason the superintendent should be out of his
place upon the platform an associate can go forward without delay.
(2) _Lesson Study._ In schools where the uniform lesson is still
followed in all or most departments, the superintendent should make
himself thoroughly acquainted with the lesson for the coming session. As
has been intimated, he should be prepared for any work expected of his
teachers and scholars. He should be ready after the class study to give
a practical summary of the teachings in the lesson, in a crisp,
well-outlined talk, which will be aided by a blackboard illustration.
And in the increasing number of schools which are employing graded
lessons, not uniform in the departments, the superintendent should have
at least a general knowledge of the subjects studied in each department.
The more thoroughly the superintendent fills his own mind and heart with
the truth, the more efficiently will the truth be taught in his school.
(3) _Social Duties._ The superintendent should know all his teachers,
and, as far as possible, his scholars also. If it be practicable for him
to visit teachers at their homes, the visitation will greatly increase
his influence and his usefulness. If in his own home, or in the parlors
of some family in the congregation, a social gathering of the teachers
and officers can occasionally be held, it will add to the social power
of the school. And in the social relations much can be accomplished
before and after the church service, the school session, the prayer
meeting, and the other gatherings of the congregation. There are
superintendents who keep before them up-to-date lists of the classes,
and by study of faces during the school session, with judicious inquiry,
are able to call large numbers of the scholars by name. Such greetings
will strengthen the superintendent and heighten the loyalty of the
school.
(4) _Seeking Workers._ In nearly all Sunday schools there is a constant
need of helpers, to fill the places of withdrawing or absent teachers;
and the work of supplying the demand generally falls upon the
superintendent. He may find relief in the work of an associate
superintendent, as will be seen in the next chapter. Both the
superintendent and his associate should always be on the alert for new
teachers and for new scholars. As the builder in stone looks at every
fragment of rock, to see where it will best fit into his wall, so the
whole-hearted superintendent studies every individual in the parish, to
find exactly the place he may fill in the school, as an officer, a
teacher, or a scholar; and not infrequently his search will be rewarded
by a treasure.
(5) _Cabinet Meetings._ The superintendent should confer frequently with
the several heads of departments, and with all the officers; talking
with them freely about his own plans, and learning theirs, for the
welfare of the school. It is not necessary that these cabinet meetings
should be formal, having a secretary and a record. They may be held
occasionally, for a few minutes after the session of the school, or as a
social evening at a private house.
(6) _Special Days._ He should keep a calendar of special occasions in
the school year, such as the Sundays set apart for temperance and for
missions, Easter, Children's Day, Rally Day, Decision Day, Christmas,
Promotion Day, and other notable events. Weeks in advance of each
occasion--in the case of some of them even months in advance--he should
begin to consider what special exercises should be held, what
preparation is needed, and who can best supervise the plans. For a
fortnight before Children's Day or the Christmas celebration, many
Sunday schools are in a turmoil of confusion, and lessons abandoned,
simply because the superintendent did not take thought in sufficient
time.
(7) _The Convention._ The Sunday-school work of the Christian world is
now thoroughly organized in international, state, county, and town
associations. Each school finds itself a part in a mighty movement; and
it is the duty of the superintendent to see that his school takes its
place in the Sunday-school army. He should see that in the institute and
the convention his school is well represented; and if at all possible he
should attend these gatherings, and be active in them. Many a worker who
for most of the year is alone, burdened with perplexities, has been
refreshed, has found his vision enlarged and his plans improved, by
conference with other workers, and by listening to experienced
specialists.
3. =His Duties in the School Session.= (1) _Present Early._ He should be
at his post, if possible, from twenty minutes to half an hour before the
opening of the school. However early he may arrive, he will probably
find a group of children there in advance of him; and they will behave
better if his eye is on them, especially if his glance is kind, and with
it is a hand-shake or a word of recognition. The early superintendent
will often be surprised to find how much business in the interest of
the school can be transacted before the session.
(2) _Open Promptly._ With his program ready, he should begin the session
exactly on the minute, and should carry out every item according to the
plan. If for any reason the superintendent is not at the desk when the
moment for the opening arrives, the associate or first department
superintendent should be empowered to call the school to order and begin
the opening service.
(3) _Conduct Program._ The superintendent should conduct the general
program of services; although it is advisable to recognize the associate
and others, by calling upon them to take some part in the opening or
closing services. A superintendent whose methods were always well chosen
was wont once in each month to invite some official or prominent member
of the church, who was not an attendant upon the school, to be present,
sit upon the platform, and offer the prayer at the opening of the
session. This kept the leading members of the church in closer relation
to the school.
(4) _During the Lesson._ As a general principle, the superintendent
should remain at his desk during the lesson period; but to this rule
frequent exceptions will be made. The supply of substitutes for absent
teachers, and the assignment of new scholars to classes, belong to the
field of the associate superintendent.
(5) _Lesson Review._ In the Sunday schools which still follow the
uniform system of lessons, studying the same portion of Scripture in
all, or nearly all, the grades of the school, the superintendent should
give a brief practical summing up of the practical points in the lesson;
but this review should not exceed five or six minutes in length. If the
pastor possesses the gift of terse, crisp speaking, this practical talk
may be given by him. In the schools adopting the graded courses of
lessons this review should be given in each department by the department
superintendent. Here again the adaptation to the point of view and needs
of the pupils of each grade can be made much more effective than in the
ungraded school.
(6) _Closing._ The superintendent should so carry out the program as to
close the session at the time appointed. An hour and a quarter is as
long as is profitable for the school; and everything that needs to be
done can be brought into that space. Often much time is lost by
unnecessary delays between the numbers on the program.
4. =Miscellaneous Duties.= Here are a few general suggestions, hints,
and "don'ts" for the superintendent, briefly stated:
(1) _Notebook._ Let the superintendent remember to obtain that notebook,
to keep it at hand, and to make use of it. Some pages at the end of the
book might be reserved for special suggestions gathered from books,
periodicals, and meetings.
(2) _Quiet._ Let him be careful not to make much noise during the
session, but to set an example--which will soon be felt--in favor of
quiet and orderly conduct. It is not at all certain that he needs a bell
for calling attention; but if he uses one, let it be a little, gentle,
quiet bell, held in the hand as a signal, and never rung vociferously
or repeatedly. Said a new superintendent as he tested the bell on
Saturday before assuming office, "What a magnificent bell this would be
for calling missionaries home from India!" But he never used it in the
school. One of the best superintendents of a generation ago was widely
known as "the silent superintendent." He was not deaf nor dumb, but his
manner was noticeably quiet, and his large Sunday school was always in
perfect order.
(3) _Early Lesson._ Let the opening service be short, so that the lesson
period--which is the important part of the program--may be reached while
the teachers and scholars are fresh and the air of the room is pure.
(4) _Use the Bible._ If a Scripture lesson is read by the superintendent
and school responsively, it should be from the Bible upon the desk or in
the hand of the leader, and not from a lesson quarterly. Encourage the
use of the Bible as a text-book and for reference. If the superintendent
always brings his own Bible, he can appeal to his teachers and scholars
to follow his example. With regard to the Scripture reading in the
opening service, it is the judgment of many thoughtful superintendents
that even in a school following uniform lessons the reading should not
be the lesson for the day, but a devotional portion of Scripture,
perhaps a selection from the Home Readings of the week. It is a good
plan for the first reading of the lesson for the day to be by the
teacher and the class together.
(5) _Lesson Period._ No interruption should be allowed to break into the
time assigned for class study, except under imperative necessity. The
teacher and the class should hold that period sacred to united study,
without being diverted from their task by secretary, librarian,
superintendent, or pastor. Said Bishop Vincent once, "I would like to
have suspended from the roof of the Sunday-school hall a series of great
glass half-globes, one for each class, to be dropped down over the
class, and kept there during the time reserved for the study of the
lesson!"
(6) _Speakers._ A visitor should rarely be invited or allowed to address
the school; never, unless the superintendent has sufficient knowledge to
be sure that he will speak briefly, interestingly, and pointedly. Before
the uniform lesson concentrated the studies of the Sunday school it was
the custom to invite almost any visitor to speak to the school; and many
were the wrongs inflicted upon the boys and girls in those good old days
by dull, loquacious Sunday-school orators. But almost everybody now
understands that the Sunday school is a working institution, and its
work must not be interrupted.
(7) _Self-control._ There will be times when the superintendent will
need to be on guard over himself; times when he feels depressed, or
melancholy, perhaps a little cross. If he yields to his natural
impulses, the school will soon perceive the state of his nerves, and
some scholars may even endeavor to add to his trials. At such times, let
him watch over himself mightily, and resolve, no matter how he feels, to
"keep sweet," to speak gently, and to look cheerful.
(8) _The Aim._ Lastly, one purpose should ever stand before the
superintendent, and should be the constant object of his endeavor--to
lead all his scholars into a personal, vital relation to Jesus as the
Christ, to bring them into union with the church, and to inspire them to
enter upon active Christian service.
VIII
THE ASSOCIATE AND DEPARTMENT SUPERINTENDENTS
1. =The Necessity.= In every Sunday school there is need of an officer
to aid the superintendent and to take his place when absent. Even in a
small school the supervision can be more thorough and the teaching more
efficient, if some one is at hand with authority to relieve the
superintendent of minor details, and give him freedom for the general
management. And in a large school assistants to the superintendent are
an absolute necessity, for each department becomes in itself a school.
There is need, therefore, of a general assistant to be the chief of
staff to the superintendent, and, in a large and well-organized school,
of a special assistant in each department.
2. =Titles.= Until recently, the assistant superintendent in most Sunday
schools was merely one of the teachers named to take the place of the
superintendent when absent, but with no duties when the head of the
school was present. In the complete organization that is now becoming
general, the office has been renamed, and its functions distinctly
assigned. The chief assistant to the superintendent is now generally
called the Associate Superintendent, a higher title for his important
and regular duties. The chief of each department in the Sunday school is
generally called Department Superintendent, that is, Primary Department
Superintendent, Senior Department Superintendent; and each department
superintendent has the same relation to his department that the
associate superintendent holds to the school.
3. =Appointment.= The associate superintendent should be nominated by
the superintendent and confirmed by the board of teachers and officers.
When two candidates are nominated for the office of superintendent, and
one obtains a majority, it is not wise to elect the minority candidate
as associate superintendent, unless he is entirely acceptable to the
newly chosen superintendent. The chief executive of the school should
not be compelled to find next to him a rival, who may be an uncongenial
worker, to carry out plans with which the latter may not be in accord.
In order to possess freedom in his policy the superintendent should
choose his own chief helper; but he should receive the confirmation of
his choice from his fellow workers in the school. The same plan of
nomination and confirmation should be followed in the choice of the
department superintendents. The associate and the department
superintendents should constitute the superintendent's cabinet, to be
called together often for consultation upon the interests of the school.
4. =Duties of the Associate Superintendent.= (1) _Not a Teacher._ Unless
the school be small, with less than a hundred members, the associate
superintendent should not at the same time be the regular teacher of a
class. He will find other work to occupy his time, both before and
during the session of the school. He may, however, hold himself ready to
act as substitute for an absent teacher.
(2) _Deputy Superintendent._ If for any reason the superintendent is
absent, his place should be taken promptly by the associate
superintendent. It should also be understood that if at the moment of
opening the school, or at any point in the general service, the
superintendent is not on the platform, the associate shall act as his
representative, without the slightest reflection upon the
superintendent's administration, the two being regarded in their work as
one.
(3) _Providing Substitutes._ One definite duty of the associate
superintendent should be to provide substitutes for absent teachers,
relieving entirely the superintendent from that burdensome and
perplexing task. The teachers should permit no ordinary hindrance to
keep them from their classes, for no one can fully supply the place of a
true teacher in the regard of the scholars. But when a teacher finds it
necessary to be absent he should make strenuous endeavor to find a
substitute; and if unable to secure one, should notify, not the
superintendent, but the associate; and before the lesson period the
associate should have a supply ready.
If the school has been properly graded it will include a
Teacher-training Class; but under no circumstances should the associate
take one of its members as a supply teacher, even for one Sunday. This
class should remain untouched by the demand for teachers until its
members have completed the prescribed course. If there is a Reserve
Class, substitutes should be called from it in some order, preferably
alphabetical, so that the same members will not be taken too
frequently.
Where the Sunday school is held in the afternoon or at noon, the
associate can generally provide for needy classes by watching at the
morning service for possible teachers. If he is compelled to look for
them in the Adult or Senior classes of the school, he should be present
early, and if possible obtain his supplies before the opening of the
school. If the associate superintendent has done his work, when the
lesson begins, every class will have a teacher seated before it, ready
for the Bible study. He should never wait until the time for opening the
lesson to see what classes need teachers, and then undertake to obtain
them by interrupting the teaching in three or four classes and calling
for volunteers, while the classes without teachers are listlessly
waiting, and valuable time is lost from the half-hour of the lesson
period. All this work should be done before the lesson, and, if
possible, before the opening of the school.
(4) _Assignment of New Scholars._ Another duty of the associate
superintendent is to meet new scholars and assign them to classes. For
this work he should be present early, meet the scholars as they come,
learn who the new scholars are, write down names, places of residence,
ages, parents' names, why they come; and prepare material for the card
catalogue under the secretary's care. Scholars bringing new members, and
teachers into whose classes they may come, should introduce them to the
associate superintendent, who should at once take charge of them. No new
scholar below the grade of Senior should choose his own class, although
his desire to be with friends should be considered, so far as it will
not interfere with the established system of classification. Some large
graded schools have a temporary class to which new pupils in the
Intermediate and Junior grades are assigned for a few sessions until
their permanent place can be fixed.
(5) _Detailed Supervision._ There are also minor duties wherein the
associate superintendent can be of great service. While the
superintendent is at the desk directing the general exercises, his
associate may be upon the floor, quietly observing the condition and
needs of the school. He can note where Bibles, song books, or lesson
quarterlies are needed, and can see that they are distributed without
interrupting the service. He can also give quiet attention to the order
of the school, calling to their duty boisterous, talking, or inattentive
scholars. For the superintendent to stop in announcing a hymn or reading
the Scripture, to rebuke some disorderly or thoughtless pupil, breaks
into the service and mars its dignity. The associate superintendent can
accomplish the desired result at the right moment by a light step and a
gentle word.
(6) _Chief of Staff._ In a word, the associate superintendent should be
the chief of staff to the executive head of the school, his eyes, ears,
and hand; possessing full acquaintance and accord with his plans, and
carrying them out in his name; informing and advising him, yet careful
of criticism; avoiding all that would hinder, and aiding in all that
would make his management successful. He can divide the labor, and
relieve his chief of some of the most perplexing and trying details,
leaving him free to watch over the general interests of the school.
Whoever can fulfill such a service is an invaluable worker, and should
be held in high honor.
Many of the duties named above may be in the sphere of the department
superintendent, who should be in his section what the associate
superintendent is to the school.
IX
THE SECRETARY OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
1. =Importance.= The secretary of the Sunday school is an officer of far
greater importance than is generally supposed. In too many schools some
youth in the adolescent period is made secretary, merely to keep him in
the school, without consideration of his capacity and adaptedness to the
office. As a result of an unsuitable appointment, the minutes of the
teachers' meetings are incomplete, the registry of the classes is
neglected, and the true condition of the school cannot be ascertained.
If by any good fortune or by a more careful choice an able and faithful
secretary takes his place, at once a new impulse is felt by the school.
The superintendent, the teachers, and even the scholars will realize
that energy, accuracy, and thoroughness count for much in the work of
this department. They will appreciate faithful service, and will
themselves respond to its influence.
2. =Qualifications.= The ideal secretary of a Sunday school should
possess the following characteristics:
(1) _A Business Man._ He should possess the instincts of a man of
business, being willing to work, systematic in method, and thorough in
care of details.
(2) _Regular in Attendance._ He should make the Sunday school his
business on Sunday, with a fidelity equal to that which he manifests
toward his vocation through the week. His regularity should also
embrace promptness, coming in advance of the hour; for much of the
secretary's work may be done before the opening of the service.
(3) _Good Writer._ He should be able to write legibly, and possess skill
in framing sentences correctly, and in writing them plainly, without
unnecessary flourishes.
(4) _Quick Mental Action._ His mental processes should be sufficiently
rapid for him to set down an ordinary motion, presented in a public
meeting, without requiring it to be repeated or written out by the
mover. An able recorder will promptly express in the minutes the form of
a motion or the spirit of a speech, thereby saving much time in the
meeting and much space in the report.
(5) _Quiet Manner._ The secretary should watch the program and do his
work without interrupting it. He should never appear among the classes
during prayer, during the reading of Scripture, or while a speaker is
addressing the school. Only under urgent necessity should he come to a
class in the lesson period, and in that case only at its beginning.
During intervals in the service, or during the singing, he may find it
needful at times to pass among the classes; but he should do this
necessary work quietly, without distracting the attention of the school.
(6) _Courteous Conduct._ His bearing should always be that of a
gentleman, refined and courteous, thoughtful of others and patient
toward all; a manner enabling him to win the friendly aid of every
teacher, upon whom the accuracy of the class record must depend.
Whoever can be found, in the school or the community, possessing these
qualities, or approaching them, should be chosen as secretary of the
Sunday school, whether man or woman. Often a young woman, accustomed
through the week to business methods, becomes an efficient secretary of
the Sunday school.
3. =Appointment.= The secretary should be elected by the board of
officers and teachers. As he is not merely an assistant to the
superintendent, but an officer of the school, it is not necessary that
he should receive a nomination from the superintendent. His term of
office should be one year, with as many reelections as will promote the
good of the service.
4. =Assistants.= In almost any school the secretary will need an
assistant, whom he should nominate, subject to confirmation by the board
of teachers and officers.
5. =Department Secretaries.= In a graded Sunday school there should be
an assistant secretary for each department, who may be one of the
teachers, or in the Senior and Adult grades, one of the scholars. He
should take the records of the classes in the department and transmit
them to the secretary of the school. But the secretary is responsible
for the records of the entire school, and should see personally that the
record of each department is complete.
6. =Duties.= The work of the secretary may be classified as follows: