“I think if you analyze the needs of the school, in fact, going right at
it as if it was a merchandizing problem, of course the one basic and
fundamental need is growth. I presume we’re all agreed we won’t be
satisfied till we build up the biggest darn Sunday School in the whole
state, so the Chatham Road Presbyterian won’t have to take anything off
anybody. Now about jazzing up the campaign for prospects: they’ve
already used contesting teams, and given prizes to the kids that bring
in the most members. And they made a mistake there: the prizes were a
lot of folderols and doodads like poetry books and illustrated
Testaments, instead of something a real live kid would want to work for,
like real cash or a speedometer for his motor cycle. Course I suppose
it’s all fine and dandy to illustrate the lessons with these decorated
book-marks and blackboard drawings and so on, but when it comes down to
real he-hustling, getting out and drumming up customers--or members, I
mean, why, you got to make it worth a fellow’s while.
“Now, I want to propose two stunts: First, divide the Sunday School into
four armies, depending on age. Everybody gets a military rank in his own
army according to how many members he brings in, and the duffers that
lie down on us and don’t bring in any, they remain privates. The pastor
and superintendent rank as generals. And everybody has got to give
salutes and all the rest of that junk, just like a regular army, to make
’em feel it’s worth while to get rank.
“Then, second: Course the school has its advertising committee, but,
Lord, nobody ever really works good--nobody works well just for the love
of it. The thing to do is to be practical and up-to-date, and hire a
real paid press-agent for the Sunday School--some newspaper fellow who
can give part of his time.”
“Sure, you bet!” said Chum Frink.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account