Sunday-School Success: A Book of Practical Methods for Sunday-School Teachers and OfficersWells, Amos R. (Amos Russel)
Religion
Sunday-School Success: A Book of Practical Methods for Sunday-School Teachers and Officers
Wells, Amos R. (Amos Russel)
Sunday schools
This outline does not omit the school management, and occasional
discussion of the work of superintendents and other officers will
belong under the last head; but the teachers are so many compared with
the officers that _their_ work should be treated the more generously.
I think most convention programmes deal far too much with the
machinery of the work, any way.
The best mode of helping the officers is by an officers' conference;
and if the convention holds but two sessions, I would urge that one of
them be broken up into conferences. In one room the primary workers
may meet; in another, the superintendents and their assistants; in
others, the librarians, the secretaries, the choristers, the teachers
of intermediate classes, the teachers of adult classes, the heads of
home departments, the pastors. Programmes for these conferences
should be arranged with as much care as for the main convention, and
nothing should be done at random. It is a good plan, at the opening of
these little simultaneous gatherings, to appoint one member of each to
take notes of the best things and report them succinctly to the entire
body when it reassembles.
There are three classes of topics that I especially delight to see on a
convention programme. First, the fundamentals. We must not forget the
host of new workers constantly coming into our ranks. "How to ask a
question" is an old, old theme; but there are enough new teachers to
keep it forever fresh and pertinent. Second, new methods, exploited by
authorities, by practical workers. Third, what I call "encouragements,"
topics that inspire, cheer, comfort, victories gained, rewards in sight.
Hallelujah themes.
To these I must add a fourth: work for the audience. I would give the
listeners a chance to "talk back" about once every hour, and something
to do, besides listening, every half-hour. Question-boxes on practical
topics are incomparable interest-quickeners. An answer-box is a reversed
question-box. It contains written answers by the teachers, two or three
questions of wide scope and great importance being propounded on the
programme; such questions as: "What do you do with pert children?" "How
do you get your scholars to study their lessons?" A wise leader, with
the grace of conciseness, is required for both these exercises.
Yes, and he is needed for the "open parliaments," or conversational
discussions of helpful topics by brisk dialogue between audience and
platform. These may be made merely parade-grounds for "smart" leaders,
or genuine experience meetings, true council fires. It is wise to send
a special invitation to your best teachers, asking them to be prepared
with suggestions or questions for the open parliament, that it may
start off with momentum already obtained. A summarist, too, is a good
appointment; he listens quietly to the open parliament, and at the
close gathers up, in a few sentences that stick, whatever is best
worth preserving out of the discussion.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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