{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_32278/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_32278","id":"gutenberg_32278","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/32278","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Religion/Spirituality","Category: Teaching & Education","Christian education -- Teacher training","Sunday schools"],"text":"Produced by Emmy, Tor Martin Kristiansen and the Online\nDistributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This\nfile was produced from images generously made available\nby The Internet Archive)\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSEVEN\n\nGRADED SUNDAY SCHOOLS\n\nA SERIES OF\n\nPRACTICAL PAPERS\n\nEDITED BY\n\nJESSE LYMAN HURLBUT\n\n          _Secretary of the Sunday School Union of the Methodist\n          Episcopal Church_\n\n          NEW YORK: EATON & MAINS\n          CINCINNATI: CURTS & JENNINGS\n\n\n\n\n          Copyright, 1893, by\n          HUNT & EATON\n          NEW YORK.\n\n\n\n\nCONTENTS.\n\n\n                                                              PAGE\n\n  THE ESSENTIALS OF A GRADED SUNDAY SCHOOL. By Jesse L.\n    Hurlbut, D.D., Secretary of the Sunday School Union\n    of the Methodist Episcopal Church                           5\n\n  THE AKRON PLAN. By Hon. Lewis Miller, of Akron, O.           11\n\n  THE WILKESBARRE PLAN. By George S. Bennett, Esq., of\n    Wilkesbarre, Pa.                                           33\n\n  THE DETROIT PLAN. By Horace Hitchcock, Esq., of\n    Detroit, Mich.                                             51\n\n  THE ERIE PLAN. By H. A. Strong, Esq., of Erie, Pa.           65\n\n  THE CHICOPEE PLAN. By Hon. L. E. Hitchcock, of\n    Chicopee, Mass.                                            79\n\n  THE LYNCHBURG PLAN. By Irvine Garland Penn, of\n    Lynchburg, Va.                                             90\n\n  THE PLAINFIELD PLAN. By Jesse L Hurlbut, D.D.               103\n\n  A MODEL SUNDAY SCHOOL ROOM.                                 113\n\n\n\n\nTHE ESSENTIALS OF A GRADED SUNDAY SCHOOL.\n\nBY JESSE L. HURLBUT, D.D.\n\n\nTHE living question in the Sunday school of to-day is that which\nconsiders its form of organization. As every good public school at the\npresent time is a graded school, so every first-class Sunday school must\nbe. There can be no efficient, regular, and satisfactory work done in a\nSunday school without a system of grade.\n\nOn this subject there is extensive inquiry, yet general lack of\ninformation. The majority of superintendents and teachers have either no\nconception or at best an exceedingly vague idea of what constitutes a\ngraded Sunday school. We propose in a few words to set forth what are\nthe essential features of a graded Sunday school.\n\nThe first essential is that the school be divided into certain general\ndepartments, which may be three, four, or five in number. In our opinion\nthe best division is into the four departments--Primary, Intermediate,\nJunior, and Senior. These departments should exist in reality, as well\nas in name, and each department should be recognized as a separate\nelement in the working of the school.\n\nA second essential is that of a definite and fixed number of classes in\neach department. It is not a graded Sunday school where a teacher and\nher class are advanced together into the Senior Department whenever the\npupils reach the specified age. The inevitable result of such a course\nwill be to have in a few years in the Senior Department a large number\nof \"skeleton classes,\" each with a few members, which is the very evil\nto be avoided in the graded system. There should be in each department a\ndefinite number of classes, proportioned to the size of the school, and\nthis number should be kept uniform. A Sunday school is always \"dying at\nthe top,\" by the loss of its scholars after the age of fifteen years.\nFor this fact there are many causes, some necessary, others avoidable.\nBut, whatever be the cause, it is a fact to be provided for in the\nmanagement of the school; and the provision should be, not in adding new\nclasses, but in advancing scholars from the Junior Department and\nfilling up senior classes already organized. The classes in the Senior\nDepartment should be kept few in number, but kept full in size.\n\nA third essential of the graded Sunday school is that of regular\npromotions from grade to grade, with change of teachers. It is not\nnecessary for the pupils to pass from one class to another every year in\nthe Sunday school, though this is done in the public school. While a\npupil remains in the same department he may continue in the same class\nand with the same teacher. But when he passes from one department to a\nhigher, or from Junior to Senior, there should generally be a change of\nteachers. At the period of change from Primary to Intermediate, from\nIntermediate to Junior, from Junior to Senior, the pupil should come\nunder the care of a new teacher. If teachers are advanced with their\nscholars the entire system of gradation will be broken up, and the\nschool will be graded in name only.\n\nA fourth essential element is that of stated and simultaneous transfers.\nThe pupils should not be changed from class to class or from grade to\ngrade whenever the superintendent thinks a change should be made. All\nthe promotions should be made at once throughout the school. A\n\"promotion Sunday\" should be observed, and provided for long in advance.\nFor three months preparations should be made, the superintendent and\nteachers should consult, a committee should consider every case, and the\nchanges should be made deliberately and systematically. On one Sunday in\nthe year pupils should be promoted from department to department, and\nclasses should be advanced from grade to grade in the several\ndepartments. The basis of promotion should be age, knowledge, and\ngeneral maturity of character, and the authorities of the school should\ndecide just how much weight should be given to each requirement.\n\nThe above are all the elements that we consider essential; but there are\nalso two adjuncts of Importance in the graded school.\n\nOne is that of a graded supplemental lesson for each department. Some\nregard this as an essential, and consider no Sunday school properly a\ngraded school without it. We regard it as important, but do not look\nupon it as one of the necessary features. There is need of a\nsupplemental lesson; it will greatly aid in making the Sunday school\nefficient, and it should be adapted to the various grades. But the\nsupplemental lesson, valuable as it is, we do not regard as one of the\nessential features of the graded system.\n\nAnother is that of the annual examination. There are a few Sunday\nschools which require the pupil to pass an examination as the condition\nof promotion. This follows the analogy of the public school; but in our\njudgment it is not an essential part of the graded system. The\nexamination in the Sunday school must of necessity be a very easy one,\nsince it is upon lessons studied but little at home and given for a few\nminutes only once a week. It is apt to be a mere form, and sometimes is\nonly a pretense. While we recommend examinations we believe that they\nshould be left optional, and that the requirements for promotion should\nbe those of age, general ability, and fitness of character. Some reward\nmight be given in the form of a certificate, but it should not be\nnecessary to obtain the certificate in order to receive promotion.\n\n\n\n\nTHE AKRON PLAN.\n\nBY HON. LEWIS MILLER.\n\n\nAFTER an experience of more than twenty-five years with the graded\nsystem as carried on in our Akron Sunday school it can with confidence\nbe recommended to others. It embraces the entire school for all this\ntime, but more especially a course of sixteen years which I will try to\nexplain.\n\nOur rooms are a great convenience, and aid much in perfecting the\nclassification; the system, however, can be carried on in any of the\npresent Sunday school rooms; in fact, for a number of years this system\nwas a success in a church at Canton, O., also in the old Akron Church.\nIn each case there was one larger room and but a few separate small\nrooms.\n\nThe classification is based on the age of the scholar; if, however, a\nscholar seems from some cause to have advanced beyond his age in his\ngeneral studies, which in most cases is determined by his standing in\nthe public schools, such scholar is put in a class suited to his\nadvancement.\n\nThe following analysis will show more definitely the system.\n\n\nTHE INFANT DEPARTMENT\n\nmeets in a separate room, fitted for the purpose with elevated seats.\nChildren of about four years of age are received into this department,\nand remain until they are between eight and nine. Boys and girls are\nkept together in the same room or class. The class can be of any number;\nwe sometimes reach one hundred and fifty. The class is put in charge of\none teacher, with as many assistants as desired. The regular\nInternational Berean Lessons are taught, and much time is given to song.\nIn our Missionary Society this department becomes a separate band, with\nname and motto, making separate contributions, of which proper records\nare kept.\n\n\nTHE INTERMEDIATE DEPARTMENT\n\nmeets in a separate room, fitted similarly to the one described for the\nInfant Department. Scholars from the Infant Class are promoted into\nthis department when eight years old, or sooner if, in the public\nschools, they are in the \"Second Reader\" grade. This class may be of any\nnumber; ours sometimes reaches one hundred. Girls and boys are kept in\nthe same class. This department is also put in charge of one teacher,\nwho has such number of assistants as desired. The regular International\nBerean Lesson is taught in this room, similar in method to that in the\nInfant Class. The \"No. One\" Catechism is taught in this department as a\nsupplemental lesson, and it is expected that, before a scholar leaves\nthis room, the Catechism will be thoroughly memorized. A public\nexamination is made before the scholars are promoted out of this\ndepartment. This, like the Infant Department, becomes a separate\nmissionary band.\n\n\nTHE YOUTHS' DEPARTMENT\n\nmeets in the main room, which is provided with a small table for each\nclass; chairs are used; books and papers are kept in the class table,\nthe teacher carrying the key, the superintendent and his assistants\nhaving master-keys. Scholars are promoted from the Intermediate Class\nto this department when ten years old, or when, in the public schools,\nthey are in the \"Third Reader\" grade. As nearly as possible scholars of\nthe same standing in the public schools are put in classes together, and\nthis distinction is made with scholars of the same age. In this\ndepartment boys and girls are put in separate classes numbering not to\nexceed eight, six being the standard. Each scholar is expected to have a\nBible and read the story of the lesson. Much attention is given to have\nthe scholar understand and comprehend the simple story as told in the\nBible. The regular International Berean Lesson is taught: the lesson\nbook or Berean Leaf is given to each scholar to aid in preparing the\nlesson. The memorization of the names of the books of the Bible, names\nof the prominent Bible characters, and sections of the Catechism are\nrequired as supplemental lessons. For these supplemental lessons a\nseries of pocket memory lessons is prepared by the school; it is a neat\nlittle book, suited for a boy's vest pocket. An examination is made at\nthe end of each year, and the names of scholars having the proper\nstanding are placed on the Roll of Honor. Scholars remain in this\ndepartment about four years. The younger classes are put nearest the\nsuperintendent's stand and, as they are promoted, are moved back each\nyear, the teacher remaining with the same class during the four years.\nEach one of these classes is a separate missionary band and makes its\nseparate report of missionary contributions.\n\n\nTHE SENIOR DEPARTMENT\n\nclasses meet in separate rooms. Scholars are promoted into this\ndepartment when they are fourteen years old, or when they can show a\nstanding equal to the public high school grade. Boys and girls are put\ninto separate rooms, in which they remain under the charge of one\nteacher for three years. The class membership numbers from fifteen to\ntwenty-five. The regular International Berean Lessons are taught, more\nin the analytical form, requiring simple analysis. A blackboard is\npermanently put on the wall of each room, which affords good opportunity\nfor blackboard explanations. For supplemental lessons the scholars in\nthis department take up the study of Bible history, Bible geography,\nand sections of the Catechism in suitable form for memory exercises.\nThese classes form themselves into regular missionary bands, taking a\nmissionary field for a name, with suitable mottoes. It is expected that\nmembers of these classes acquaint themselves by reading, and by\ncommunication with some missionary, with the country and people which\nthey have selected. The classes are socially entertained at the homes of\nthe teacher or parents as frequently as is deemed proper to keep up a\nsocial interest.\n\n\nTHE NORMAL DEPARTMENT.\n\nScholars, when seventeen years old, or sooner if graduates of the public\nhigh school, are promoted into this department. The class may be of any\nnumber; our classes have averaged about sixty. Ladies and gentlemen are\nplaced in the same class, one teacher having charge. They organize\nthemselves into a regular society, having a simple constitution, and\nsubject to the regulation and direction of the Sunday school society. To\nthe teacher is given the responsibility of seeing that proper decorum\nis always maintained. As nearly as possible the regular Chautauqua\ncourse of normal study is pursued. Regular monthly literary and social\nmeetings are held at the homes of the parents, which aid much to keep up\nthe interest of the normal study. At the end of two years the scholars\nthat have the proper standing on the several written examinations in the\nnormal studies receive, at the annual graduating exercises, suitable\ndiplomas, prepared by the school. The scholars do not understand that\nthey are expected to leave or are excused from remaining longer in the\nschool, but they are only now prepared for a better and higher work,\nthat of teaching and leading others in the good work. Many of these\ngraduates become volunteer teachers; they join what, in our school, is\nknown as our\n\n\nYOUNG PEOPLE'S DEPARTMENT.\n\nWe have now three large classes in this department, numbering in the\naggregate about two hundred. One of these classes calls itself the\n\"Reserve Corps.\" They are mostly composed of the normal alumni. This\nclass take up the regular lesson one Sabbath ahead of the school and,\nin regular order, become supplies for absent teachers. They also study\nthe best methods of impressing scriptural truth. The other two classes\nin this department include quite a number of our young married people.\nThey aim to bring out the higher and deeper thoughts and teachings of\nthe lesson.\n\n\nTHE ASSEMBLY DEPARTMENT\n\nis composed of adult members of the school, meeting in a separate room,\nunder one teacher; the number in the class is not limited. The lesson is\nhere taught more on the lecture plan.\n\nA course of reading has been prepared, suited to each grade, which will\ngive new life and interest to our library, and will enable us, without\ninterfering with the regular lesson study of the school, to impress many\nthings of deepest interest, such as temperance, church government and\nhistory, amusements and proper entertainments for young folks, leading\nthem on, step by step, to habits of proper employment of leisure hours.\n\nOur aim is to interest the entire church by intrusting the educational\ninterests of the church to the Sunday school society, electing many of\nour oldest members to offices and selecting them as teachers. One of our\nofficers is over seventy years of age, and no one in the Sabbath school\ntakes greater interest or is more efficient, none more acceptable.\n\nThe school is regularly organized and governed by the constitution, as\napproved by the General Conference, and placed in the Church Discipline.\nTeachers are selected and placed by the superintendent, with the\nconcurrence of the pastor, in the departments to which they are, in the\nsuperintendent's judgment, best adapted, and remain with the scholars or\nclass through one department only unless specially changed by the\nsuperintendent. Promotions are made only once a year; exceptional\nindividual promotions may occur in some instances.\n\nThis system possibly seems complicated and difficult to carry out; we\nfind it simple, easy, and natural, solving many problems that constantly\narise in an ungraded school. It especially solves the problem of how to\nretain our young people in the Sunday school. Our system is thus given\nin detail in the hope that other schools may profit thereby.\n\nI will add some suggestions for practically working the scheme:\n\nThere must be entire unanimity among the officers and teachers in order\nto successfully start and carry out a graded plan.\n\nFirst. It must meet with the approval of the pastor.\n\nSecond. The superintendent must with the whole heart be in the effort.\nIn fact, he should be, and I believe must be, the prime mover in every\nstep. The superintendent and assistant superintendents in our school\nduring all these years have every year done all of the work of\nclassifying and arranging of classes, made their own \"roll,\" etc. In\nthis way, and in this way only, can they be properly strengthened for\nthe work. They may, if they so choose, call other officers to their aid;\nthe pastor should, of course, at all times be consulted. The secretary\nmight, in some cases, be of service.\n\nThird. The officers other than the superintendent, are expected to give\ntheir full approval and do all in their power, by encouragement and\ntalk, to aid the work, and, where this cannot be had, secure at least\nno direct opposition.\n\nFourth. The teachers have much to give up. The scholars in whom they\nhave taken special interest may be taken away from them. They may not be\nassigned to have charge of such a class of scholars as they desire; they\nmay be asked to take a place or room which to them for some reason is\nnot agreeable. Fears will be entertained by some that scholars will be\nlost from the school, etc. All these various objections should be\novercome. The aggressive members should have much patience until the\nteachers are, as a body, at least willing to forego their fears and\nmisgivings and will give the scheme a fair trial. Harmony will nearly\nalways produce enthusiastic workers.\n\n\nMETHOD FOR GETTING A PROPER GRADE.\n\n1. Make an enrollment of the school as follows:\n\n          John Brown, Third Reader, age eleven years, March\n            16, 1892.\n\n          Samuel Findley, Fourth Reader, age twelve years,\n            July 13, 1892.\n\nIn this way complete the enrollment of the entire school, commencing\neither with the older or younger scholars, as may best suit; of course\nthose whose ages are above twenty need not be taken; all above that age\nshould be enrolled as married and young people. This kind of an\nenrollment enables a clear understanding into what class to place every\nmember of the school.\n\n2. Prepare an outline floor plan of the Sunday school room on a scale\nlarge enough so that a space can be marked which each class is to\noccupy, and in each space write the names of the scholars, their ages,\nthe number of the class, and the name of the teacher who is to have\ncharge. For rooms with galleries or without the outline plan is the\nsame. Arrange your plan so as to have all the different class spaces on\nthe same sheet of paper. The diagram on page 23 will give an idea of one\nkind of room.\n\nA sheet three feet by two and a half will be needed for a school of a\nthousand members.\n\n3. Having the age and standing in ability on a sheet of paper, outlined\nas described and illustrated, the next step is to make the selection\nof the scholars for the different grades and classes they are to\noccupy. Commencing with the Infant Class, write all the names of the\nInfant Class scholars into the space outlined for their class. Then\nplace the names of the Intermediate Class in the space outlined for\nthem. These two classes are not difficult to arrange, as all below eight\nyears, boys or girls, are placed in the Infant Class, and those between\neight and ten in the Intermediate. These two grades may be subdivided\ninto as many classes as may be desired; in our school we have each of\nthese two grades under one teacher, with one or two assistants. Where\nrooms are convenient subdivisions by age could be made with profit; we\nso divide these classes, and sometimes teach them by sections.\n\n[Illustration: PLAN OF AKRON SCHOOL.\n\nN. B. This plan represents two floors on one diagram. The rooms numbered\nfrom 1 to 10 are in the gallery; those from 11 to 19 are under the\ngallery on the ground floor. The classes numbered from 20 to 56 are not\nseparated by partitions, but are seated in chairs around tables.]\n\nThe Youth's Department is separated into classes of six to eight members\neach, and occupies the main room, boys and girls in separate classes,\nbut so arranged that there is a class of girls, then a class of boys,\nand so on alternately; as far as possible for boys we have a lady\nteacher and for girls a gentleman. We place the older scholars in the\nrear of the room, or in the \"rear circle,\" as we say in our school.\n\nThe roll of the school now serves an excellent purpose; select all the\nboys that are past thirteen years old, but not fourteen, and list them\nwith their standing in the public schools. This is probably best\nunderstood by grade, say:\n\n          John Brown, seventh Primary Grade, thirteen years,\n            March 6, 1892.\n\n          Samuel Jones, seventh Primary Grade, thirteen\n            years, July 24, 1892.\n\n          Jacob Smith, seventh Primary Grade, thirteen\n            years, September 16, 1892.\n\n          Isaac Miller, seventh Primary Grade, thirteen\n            years, April 20, 1892.\n\n          Joseph Crankshaw, seventh Primary Grade, thirteen\n            years, May 19, 1892.\n\n          Thomas Marshall, seventh Primary Grade, thirteen\n            years, February 10, 1892.\n\nYou will not have much difficulty, in a school of three or four hundred\nscholars, to find several class lists all in the same grade and same\nage. This will also permit the selection of certain scholars somewhat in\naccordance with their social standing. Probably one or two classes of\neach age will not all stand in the same grade as in the public schools,\nand there will be others who are not in the public or any other school.\nThe judgment of the superintendent or committee must guide; age probably\nwill be much the best guide, and one, at least, that scholars will\nrecognize and consent to more readily. As fast as classes are formed the\nnames are placed in their locality on the diagram or school room plan.\nSometimes, in order to keep the grade by years, the classes may not\nnumber six and sometimes may exceed six. All the classes are selected in\nthe same way, a class of boys, then a class of girls, and the names of\nthe scholars placed on the diagram as illustrated.\n\nScholars above fourteen and under seventeen are comprised in another\ndepartment, and should be grouped in the same way, only into much larger\nclasses. Where separate rooms can be had fifteen or twenty will not be\ntoo many--young ladies and gentlemen separate. In small schools, of\ncourse, the classes would be less in number. The age will largely govern\nin this grade; only such as are advanced ahead of their class will go\ninto higher grades. The names for each class should be placed in the\nspace they are to occupy on the diagram.\n\nThe Normal Department is next to be selected. All above seventeen and\nbelow twenty that desire to take the course should be put into one\nclass. If a room can be secured large enough fifty to seventy will not\nbe too many. Ladies and gentlemen are placed in the same class. This\nclass becomes an organized literary society, the teacher ex officio\npresident. They meet frequently through the week at some home; a short\nliterary program is arranged and the evening filled up with proper\nsocial entertainment. The class may be composed of all the grades,\nfirst, second, third, and fourth, on the same plan as the C. L. S. C.\nreadings are arranged, all the grades taking the same studies at the\nsame time, as the studies are so prepared that either may precede the\nrest. Not all who enter the Normal will probably pursue the studies with\nsuch vigor as to undertake the written examinations, of which there\nshould be at least two each year. A good plan is to have all go along\nwith the class, because such as will not do thorough work enough to pass\nthese examinations will, after all, probably get as much good in this\nclass as they would in any other, and the associations are such as will\nin nearly all cases retain them in the school; and many times, before\nthe final graduation comes, they will make up the required work and\nfinally receive their diplomas. Only those who have pursued the studies\nand have, with credit, passed the written examinations, should receive\ndiplomas; this gives the proper recognition and is an incentive to\nstudy. All who began the Normal work at the same time pass out of the\nclass at one and the same time, unless by special request some one or\nmore remain behind. Those who have not passed the examinations go out\nwithout diplomas, in our school we hold to a two years' course, half of\nthe class moving out of the class each year, and new members being\npromoted into the class. This, it will be perceived, keeps a continuous\nclass, some coming into the class each year and others being removed,\neither with or without diplomas. With us this plan is working admirably,\nkeeping up a continuous interest.\n\nThe Assembly or Post-Graduate Department: The Department of the Young\nPeople is divided into a Reserve Corps and a Young People's Class. The\nReserve Corps is made up of young people who have passed through the\nNormal Department and such others as will obligate themselves to act as\nsupply teachers in cases where regular teachers fail; from this class\npermanent teachers are usually chosen. Other young people's classes are\nprovided for those who do not thus obligate themselves but are willing\nattendants.\n\nIn addition a Young Married People's Class and an Old Folks' Class\nbelong to the Assembly or Post-Graduate Department.\n\nHaving thus arranged to place in some department and class every member\nof the school, and having every name placed on the diagram in the place\nor class where each scholar belongs, you can study the school members\nand their varied wants and desires, and so adjust teachers, rooms, and\nlocations and provide for a thoroughly harmonious school. All this work\nshould be done at least a week before promotion day, so that changes can\nbe made after a careful looking over of the scheme of classification. Do\nnot consult teachers or other officers than those who have been aiding\nin arranging the classification. You must give teachers and scholars to\nunderstand that all has been done that is possible in the judgment of\nthe officers for the interest of all the best possible results. Secure\nfrom the school a willingness to submit to the judgment of those whom\nthey have placed at the head.\n\nAll preparations being completed before the day of promotion, it will\nnot need to exceed thirty minutes after the school is opened on\npromotion day to place every scholar in the class and department to\nwhich he belongs in a school of six to eight hundred scholars. The\nsuperintendent, with diagram in hand, remains at his desk, the\nassistants being his aides. He first calls the names of the Old Folks'\nClass and asks them to go into whatever room is assigned them; next the\nYoung Married Folks' Class, the Reserve Corps, and Young People's Class,\neach in order will be asked to retire into the rooms or apartments\nassigned them. The teachers assigned for these classes will at once be\nasked to take charge of such classes. The Normal Class members will be\nasked, with their teacher, to remove into the room assigned them. Then\nthe classes between the ages of sixteen and seventeen, with their\nteachers, to the rooms assigned them. The assistant superintendents will\nsee that the rooms are in readiness and that the scholars recognize the\nrooms that they are to occupy. In the same way classes whose ages are\nbetween fifteen and sixteen, with their teachers, will be arranged in\ntheir rooms or apartments. In like manner the classes between fourteen\nand fifteen. This disposes of the Assembly or Post-Graduate, the Normal\nand the Bible or Senior Departments. If in a modern room, with a full\nsuite of apartments, these departments can be asked to close their doors\nand proceed with arranging themselves for work.\n\nThe Youth's Department comes next in order. Every class, section, or\ndesk being numbered to correspond with the diagram numbers, and the\nassistant superintendents being fully posted as to the order of these\nnumbers, the teachers should be asked to remove to the class place to\nwhich they were assigned by the superintendent. The older scholars will\nbe asked first, by reading the names of the scholars who belong to each\nclass separately, requesting them to move to the class to which they\nwere assigned. Read slowly enough to avoid confusion, waiting after the\nnames of a class are read until all are fairly in their places; soon all\nwill understand and the work will proceed rapidly. Having thus called\nevery teacher and every scholar and placed them in their proper classes\nin their order in the Youth's Department (the whole being done much\nquicker than it can be told how to do it), this department is set to\nwork; the names of the scholars are carefully ascertained by the teacher\nof each class, preparatory to making up the class record, then the\nlesson can be taken up. All children between the ages of eight and\neleven are placed in the Intermediate Department and placed under the\ncare of the teacher selected for this division. Then all children under\neight years go into the Infant Department. In some schools these last\ntwo departments might be placed in one room and a suitable number of\nteachers provided, so that grading, similar to that of the Youth's\nDepartment, might be arranged.\n\n\n\n\nTHE WILKESBARRE PLAN.\n\nBY GEORGE S. BENNETT.\n\n\nTHE topic assigned me is a large one. Being a business man I shall not\nattempt anything theoretical, but shall be as practical as possible. The\nbest way I can serve you will be to give you the result of the effort\nmade by our own school in trying to solve some of the problems of\nto-day, in the organization, management, and grading of Sunday schools.\nWe have been asked to do this, and in speaking, therefore, of our own\nschool, do not accuse us of seeking only to parade our school before\nyou. We shall give you only the plans that have worked well with us, and\ntell you of the system and methods employed and now in actual operation\nin the Sunday school of the First Methodist Episcopal Church of\nWilkesbarre, Pa.\n\nIt has taken some time and much labor to get our machinery in working\norder. We do not claim to be pioneers or original. We have taken many\nof our ideas and plans from others; we have no patent right on our\nsystem. What we have is yours, and if we should find anything of yours\nin this line suited to our use we should not hesitate to appropriate and\nincorporate it in our own.\n\n\nCHURCH AND SCHOOL.\n\nWe have a short and simple constitution, the form of which can be found\nin the Discipline of the Church.\n\nThe school is a part of the church, and is under the supervision of the\nSunday School Board, consisting of the pastor, the Sunday School\nCommittee appointed by the Quarterly Conference, the officers and\nteachers of the school. The superintendent is nominated annually by the\nSunday School Board, and confirmed by the Quarterly Conference. The\nother officers of the school, male and female assistant superintendents,\nsecretary, treasurer, librarian (who appoints a suitable number of\nassistants), chorister, organist, teachers of the Primary and\nIntermediate Departments (who appoint their assistants), and the\nteacher of the Teachers' Class, are elected annually by ballot of the\nboard. The teachers are nominated by the superintendent, with the\nconcurrence of the pastor, and are elected annually by the board. The\nschool is thus brought under the immediate care and control of the\nchurch, and is not a separate or distinct organization. Being thus one\ndepartment of the church the official board of the church annually\nappropriates a sum of money sufficient to meet the ordinary running\nexpenses of the school. Extra expenses are met in various ways.\n\n\nEXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.\n\nWe have an Executive Committee of five, elected from among the officers\nand teachers, with the superintendent as chairman. This committee\nrepresents the school in the interim between the stated meetings of the\nSunday School Board, conducts all examinations, has charge of all\npromotions from one class or department to another, the distribution of\npupils to classes, and the assignment of teachers to classes.\n\n\nBUILDING.\n\nThe building occupied by our school is one of the finest ever erected\nfor Sunday school purposes. When dedicated, in 1877, Dr. (now Bishop)\nVincent declared it to be the most complete Sunday school chapel in the\nUnited States, and this, he added, meant the world, for the buildings of\nthe United States for Sunday school use were infinitely superior to\nthose of other countries. It is constructed in the shape of a semicircle\nand is two stories high. The first, or ground floor, contains a prayer\nroom, church parlors, class rooms, and the library. The second, or\nprincipal floor, is arranged especially for Sunday school uses. This is\na vaulted room with a gallery running entirely around it. Beneath the\ngallery, and facing the superintendent, are placed the Primary and\nIntermediate Departments; their seats are on raised platforms. Large\nfolding doors with glass panels and illuminated Scripture texts shut off\nthese rooms from the Junior Department. The gallery over these rooms\ncontains five large Senior Class rooms. The floors are a series of wide\nplatforms, and chairs are used for seats. Lifting glazed doors,\nbeautifully ornamented with appropriate Scripture texts, shut off these\nrooms from the auditorium. The main floor is occupied by the pupils of\nthe Junior Department, who sit on chairs grouped around their class\ntables. The Normal Class sits at one side and the Reserve Corps at the\nother side, behind the Junior Classes. The superintendent, from his\nplatform, commands a view of the entire school. He can see everyone and\neveryone can see him and the blackboard behind him. The rooms are so\narranged that at the opening and closing exercises the schoolrooms can\nbe made one audience room. The visitors' gallery is behind and over the\nhead of the superintendent, facing the school. The woodwork of the\ninterior is of Southern pine, finished in oil. The entire building is\nbeautifully painted and frescoed, but the decorator's hand is shown more\nprominently on the walls and vaulted ceiling of the Sunday schoolroom,\nwhere the passion flower and grapevine are artistically blended with the\nGreek and Latin symbols representing Christ. In the arch over the\nsuperintendent's desk is a large--almost life-size--oil painting on\ncanvas, and attached directly to the wall. It is a copy of Hoffmann's\ncelebrated picture, \"Christ in the Temple,\" and is pronounced a fine\nwork of art. The floors are all covered with carpets, which are of\ncolors that harmonize with the wall decorations, and the rooms are\nseated with chairs, making this Sunday school building unusually\nattractive and elegant.\n\n\nGRADING.\n\nOur school numbers 700, officers, teachers, and pupils, with a large\npercentage of men and women in the Senior Classes. We have most of the\nmodern appliances for Sunday school work, and a most enterprising and\nfaithful corps of officers and teachers. Until within four or five years\nour school had been divided into the usual Primary, Intermediate,\nJunior, and Senior Departments, and the teachers had for many years\nsustained a successful weekly teachers' meeting for the study of the\nlesson. There were, however, manifest weak points in the work done. The\ninstruction on the part of the teachers, in many cases, was superficial,\nand there was lack of study on the part of the pupils. The Sunday\nschool had been considered too much as a place where an hour or two\ncould be pleasantly passed on the Sabbath, where the members could be\nentertained without much work or study on their part, and consequently\nwas of little profit. Our officers and teachers for some time considered\nhow our school might be improved, made more efficient, and more\nsatisfactory results be obtained. A committee was appointed to consider\nthe whole subject. The public school of to-day is looked upon as a model\nin method and thoroughness of work. While there are many points of\ndifference between the two, yet progressive Sunday school workers have\nsought to overcome the apparent difficulties, and incorporate, as far as\npossible, the best features of the secular school.\n\nSome of the members of our committee had been either directors,\nofficers, or teachers of public schools, and thus gave to the subject\nthe benefit of their knowledge and experience. The committee spent\nconsiderable time in studying the plans adopted in successful\nschools--some of the more noted were visited; prominent Sunday school\nleaders were consulted, and in every way light and information were\nsought. They in due time made their report, which, after being\nthoroughly considered and discussed, was unanimously adopted, and the\ncommittee were instructed to carry out the recommendations of their\nreport. The committee had a delicate task to perform, to take a school\nof 700 members and arrange them in the different grades sought to be\nestablished. The whole plan was carefully explained to the school, and\nprinted circulars, containing full information, were placed in the hands\nof the Senior Department, where the greatest changes were to be made.\nThe teachers for the new classes to be formed were first chosen, then\nthe committee met with the other teachers of the classes in the Senior\nGrade, and by mutual agreement their scholars were permitted to leave\nany of the existing classes and join any of the new classes to be formed\nas they saw fit, without the least hesitation or embarrassment either on\nthe part of pupil or teacher. The members of the Reserve Corps were\nsecured by special invitation from the superintendent. The classes of\nthe Junior Department were, with the general consent of their teachers,\ndivided by the committee into the first, second, third, fourth, and\nfifth years. The committee used their best judgment and made the\nassignments without examination, general attainments and age being the\nstandards. Transfers were also made from the Primary to the\nIntermediate, and from the Intermediate to the Junior Department of such\nas should be promoted. Most of these changes were made on a review\nSunday, though some time was previously taken in the necessary detail\nwork, and the transformation was accomplished with the best of feeling,\nboth on the part of teachers and scholars.\n\nWe have six grades. Primary, Intermediate, Junior, and Senior\nDepartments, Normal Class, and Reserve Corps.\n\n\nLESSONS.\n\nThe International Lessons are used throughout the entire school. The\nstandard of promotion from one department to another is the age of the\npupil, knowledge of the ordinary lessons, and especially of the\nsupplemental lessons studied in each class of the school, with two or\nthree exceptions. These supplemental lessons occupy the first five\nminutes of each lesson period, and contain valuable information in\nregard to the Bible and the Church.\n\n\nTHE PRIMARY DEPARTMENT.\n\nIn this room the instruction is oral, and the lesson is taught to the\nentire class by the principal. She is assisted by several ladies in\nmaintaining order, leading the music, marking the roll, taking the\ncollection, noting birthdays, and caring for the wants of the children.\nThe blackboard and visible illustrations are freely used. The children\nremain here until they are eight years of age. They are taught besides\nthe regular lessons the Lord's Prayer, the Beatitudes, a number of\nverses of Scripture, and several Psalms. On passing an examination on\nthese supplemental lessons they are promoted to the intermediate\nDepartment.\n\n\nTHE INTERMEDIATE DEPARTMENT.\n\nIn this room also the instruction is mainly oral. The children are\ntaught the lesson by the principal, who uses blackboards and charts\nwhen needed. She likewise has her assistants, who perform for her the\nsame service as is rendered by the assistants in the Primary Department.\nThe Catechism of the Church, the Ten Commandments and the Apostles'\nCreed are taught as supplemental lessons. Here the children remain three\nyears, or until they are eleven years of age. On passing an examination\non the supplemental lessons they are promoted to the Junior Department.\n\n\nTHE JUNIOR DEPARTMENT.\n\nIn this department the boys and girls are assigned to separate classes.\nAs far as possible the girls are taught by male and the boys by female\nteachers. Each class contains six or eight pupils, who sit around a\nlittle table, the drawer of which holds their order of exercises and\nsinging books. The pupils remain in this department five years, or until\nthey are sixteen years of age. These classes are divided into five\nsections, representing the five years of study in this grade. The pupils\nof the first section, or year, occupy seats to the right, immediately\nin front of the superintendent; the pupils of the second year at the\nleft, immediately in front of the superintendent; the pupils of the\nthird year behind the first, and the pupils of the fourth year behind\nthe second. The pupils of the fifth year sit at one side, at the left,\nand are divided into two large classes for convenience sake, and use for\nrecitation two of the church rooms on the first floor of the building.\nThe teachers go with their classes as they are promoted from year to\nyear in this grade, and when their classes are promoted to the Senior\nDepartment they turn back and take new classes from the Intermediate\nDepartment.\n\nThe pupils of the first year, the most recent from the Intermediate\nDepartment, remain in this section one year, and then, if able to pass a\nsatisfactory examination in the names of the books of the Bible and the\nfive doctrines of grace, they may be promoted with their teachers to the\nsecond year. The supplemental lessons in this grade are printed on cards\nand furnished to each scholar. The pupils of the second year remain in\nthis section one year, and then, if able to pass a satisfactory\nexamination in Bible biography from Adam to the Judges, the Apostles'\nCreed and the Beatitudes, they may be promoted to the third year.\n\nThe pupils of the third year remain in this section one year, and then,\nif able to pass a satisfactory examination in Bible biography of the\nJudges and Kings, the Ten Commandments, the Great and New Commandments,\nthey may be promoted to the fourth year.\n\nThe pupils of the fourth year remain in this section one year, and then,\nif able to pass a satisfactory examination in the biography of the New\nTestament, the women of note in the Old and New Testaments and the eight\npoints of Church economy, they may be promoted to the fifth year.\n\nThe pupils of the fifth year remain in this section one year, and then,\nif able to pass a satisfactory examination in Bible geography and\nhistory, they may be promoted to the Senior Department.\n\n\nTHE RECEPTION CLASS.\n\nConnected with the Junior Department is a Reception Class for pupils\nbetween the ages of eleven and sixteen. All new scholars who join the\nschool and are entitled to enter the Junior Department become members of\nthis class. The teacher makes it her special duty to learn the scholar's\nage, attainments, home influence and surroundings, and tests his\npunctuality and regularity of attendance. After the scholar has passed a\nsatisfactory probation he is assigned to a class in the graded system of\nthe school.\n\n\nTHE SENIOR DEPARTMENT.\n\nIn the Senior Department the classes occupy three of the five large\nrooms in the gallery. The members of these classes remain in this grade\nthree years. They study as supplemental lessons \"The Chautauqua Text\nBook Number 19--'The Book of Books,'\" divided into a course of study for\nthree years. Those who pass satisfactory examinations, and who desire\nit, are promoted to the Normal Class.\n\nThere is connected with the Senior Department a Lecture Class, where the\nlesson is taught entirely by the lecture method. No questions are asked\nthe members. Visitors and strangers are made welcome to seats in this\nclass. There is also a General Bible Class, where the lesson is largely\ntaught by questions and answers. These two classes--the Lecture and\nGeneral Bible Class--occupy large rooms in the gallery, and are for\nthose graduates of the Senior Department who do not wish to fit\nthemselves for teachers in the Normal Class, and for all others of\nmature years who wish to study the International Sunday School Lessons\nwithout entering the graded system of the school.\n\n\nTHE NORMAL CLASS.\n\nThe Normal Class occupies seats on the main floor, at the left of the\nsuperintendent, during the opening and closing exercises, and uses for\nrecitation one of the church rooms on the first floor of the building,\nfurnished with blackboard and maps. In the Normal Class the regular\nInternational Lessons are studied very briefly. For two years the class\nis taught the lessons of the Chautauqua Normal Union, and passes yearly\nwritten examinations on the studies pursued. At the end of two years the\nmembers who have passed satisfactorily the examinations on the printed\npapers furnished by the Normal Union are graduated, receive their\ndiplomas, and are promoted to the Reserve Corps, to be drafted on\noccasion into the teaching force.\n\n\nTHE RESERVE CORPS.\n\nThe Reserve Corps consists of the graduates of the Normal Class and\nothers who are specially fitted for teaching. They occupy seats on the\nmain floor, at the right of the superintendent, during the opening and\nclosing exercises, and use for recitation one of the church rooms on the\nfirst floor of the building. The members of this class enter it with the\ndistinct understanding that they will hold themselves in readiness to\nteach when called upon, and they act, in turn, as substitute teachers\nfor the regular teachers who may be absent. They study the lessons one\nweek in advance of the school, so when asked to teach a class they are\nprepared by the study of the previous Sabbath. From this class the\npermanent teachers of the school are generally taken. This fact is a\ngreat incentive to diligence and punctuality on the part of the regular\nteachers, as they know that a number of qualified persons stand ready to\ntake their places if they are irregular or not acceptable.\n\n\nPROMOTIONS.\n\nExaminations in each department are held during the month of March, by\nthe Executive Committee, and the promotions are all made on one Sunday\nin April. This promotion or commencement day becomes one of great\ninterest and importance. The members of the Normal Class who have passed\ntheir examinations are presented before the entire school by their\nteacher for graduation. They receive their diplomas from the hands of\nthe pastor, who presents them with words of praise and encouragement.\nThey then take their seats with the Reserve Corps. Promotions from the\nSenior Department then fill up again the Normal Class. Promotions from\nthe Junior Classes fill up the empty room in the Senior Department. The\nJunior Classes are all advanced one year, and the Intermediate\nDepartment gives a new first year to the Junior Grade. The depletion of\nthe Intermediate Department is then supplied from the Primary\nDepartment. The primary room fills up, not by promotions, but by\nconstant accessions made from Sunday to Sunday.\n\n\nCONCLUSION.\n\nWe have tried to give you, as best we could, some idea of our school. We\nare by no means satisfied with it; there are too many weak places yet to\nbe found. We do not allow, however, our pupils to go on from year to\nyear without learning something, and we afford them the opportunity of\ngaining much valuable knowledge. We shall continue to labor on in this\nline and try to make it what its name signifies that it is, a school--a\nschool on the Sabbath for the study of God's word. We have gone into\ndetail in regard to our work that we might help some out of difficulties\nunder which they may labor. If we have dropped a word, or made any\nsuggestions that shall be helpful to Sunday school workers in organizing\nand conducting their schools, we shall be amply paid for the preparation\nof this paper.\n\n\n\n\nTHE DETROIT PLAN.\n\nBY HORACE HITCHCOCK.\n\n\nFOR many years, while serving as superintendent of Sunday schools, I saw\nhundreds of children grow up to young manhood and womanhood, and in a\nmajority of cases go out from the school because they had reached such\nmaturity. Every conceivable effort was made to retain them by securing\nthe best teachers and offering such attractive social influences as\ncould be introduced into a class. Occasionally some magnetic teacher\nwith marked and strong personality would succeed for a time in holding a\nconsiderable number of young people in the school, but such teachers\nwere hard to find. The The scholars never seemed willing subjects, but\nbound in some way to a service that was neither palatable nor in all\ncases profitable. Why is this so? was the question asked by troubled\nteacher and superintendent, and too often it was attributed to the\nperverseness of the young people, and they were given over to the world\nwith the hope that early instruction might have left some seed in their\nhearts that would in future years bear fruit for their good and the\nglory of God.\n\nIn the midst of these discouraging conditions, which seemed to be almost\nuniversal in the Sunday school (so much so that in every institute\nprogram was found this topic: \"How can the young people be retained in\nthe Sunday school,\" and when the paper was read and the discussion\nended, the mystery was not solved), the writer began to search for the\ncause that produced these conditions, and asked the question of himself.\nWhy did you leave the Sunday school at the age of sixteen, just as these\npeople do you are so troubled about? Going back to those days and\ndigging out of memory their thoughts, I found that there existed in my\nmind the thought which was confirmed by the conduct of all schools, that\nthe Sunday school was for children, and not for young people, and that\nas I was no longer a child I was out of place. It was not that I did not\nlike to be in the school, but that I had changed conditions and the\nschool had not; therefore was not adapted to me or my wants. This was a\nrevelation which led to the thought that the fault was not in the\nsplendid young men and women who left us, but that of the organization\nand adaptation of the school to their needs. The conclusion was that if\nwe would retain our young people in the school and church, we must adopt\nmethods and instruction which would be in accord with their age and\nthought. The public schools at once gave a pattern to be followed. The\ngraded system made some part of the school fit every scholar who came to\nit, and gave to each one in lower grade a laudable and helpful ambition\nto reach the higher. This idea, I conceived, might, in a modified form,\nbe introduced into the Sunday school, and as soon as the plan was\nmatured I proceeded to introduce it into the Central Methodist Episcopal\nSunday School of Detroit. I will as briefly as possible outline it,\ntrusting it may be helpful to others.\n\n\nGRADES.\n\nThe school was divided into four grades, namely, the Primary,\nIntermediate, Junior, and Senior, with two other departments, the\nNormal and the Home, each one of which was under the direction of a\nspecial superintendent, all of whom were under the direction of the\ngeneral superintendent, the object of this being to make some person who\nwas adapted to the place responsible for the department; and it has\nproved to be an excellent feature of the graded system, as every\nassistant superintendent, without any friction with others, has been\nambitious to make his or her department as successful as possible.\n\n\nTHE PRIMARY DEPARTMENT.\n\nThis grade should consist of all children under eight years of age,\nunder the instruction of a single teacher, with such assistants as are\nneeded. Kindergarten methods of instruction may be introduced to give\nvariety, and by the object lessons used to teach through the eye and by\nthe movements of the body lessons from the Word never to be forgotten.\nBefore promotion to a higher grade scholars should be able to repeat\nfrom memory the Apostles' Creed, the Ten Commandments, and the\nTwenty-third Psalm. The ingenious teacher in this grade will invent a\nhundred methods for instruction, but before all she must comprehend that\nshe is in the most responsible position in the school. She is laying the\nfoundation for the instruction of the other grades, and as she builds so\nwill the superstructure be strong or weak.\n\n\nTHE INTERMEDIATE DEPARTMENT.\n\nThis grade should be made up of scholars promoted from the Primary\nGrade, and all between the ages of eight and twelve years, and should be\ndivided into classes of about seven scholars each. They should study the\nsame lesson as the Junior and Senior Grades, and in addition to that the\nCatechism of the Church to which the school belongs. This may be taught\nby the teacher of the class or by the superintendent of the department.\nPromotion to the Junior Grade should be made when scholars are about\ntwelve years of age, or upon a test of fifty questions in the Catechism,\nto be answered in writing, the scholars to pass if forty are answered\ncorrectly. This is the test we employ in this grade.\n\nIt is important that much should be done for these scholars. Special\nprinted programs and reviews should be prepared for them, and they\nshould receive much attention from the officers of the school. This\ndepartment should also be a training school for teachers, who should be\nselected from the Seniors for their fitness for such work and after a\npledge has been made that they will attend the weekly teachers' meeting\nfor study and help in methods. These teachers should be promoted with\ntheir classes when they show they can do more advanced work. Great care\nshould be taken in the selection of a superintendent. One who is apt to\nteach will find abundant opportunity to assist both teachers and\nscholars.\n\n\nTHE JUNIOR DEPARTMENT.\n\nAll scholars between the ages of twelve and sixteen should be placed in\nthis grade. In most schools this will be the largest department. The\nwisest and best teachers should be selected for it, as the scholars are\nof that age in which we find them restless and difficult to interest. As\na rule it will be in the same room with the Seniors, and should be\nrecognized as a grade as frequently as Seniors. It may be done in many\nways, but should be especially in the opening and closing exercises of\nthe school. They may be called upon to read responsively with the\nSeniors, or to sing the solo part of a hymn while all join in the\nchorus. Special work may be given them in connection with the school,\nbut not jointly with any other department. If you can keep the Junior\nGrade busy you can both educate and benefit them. They have great pride\nin being recognized as a separate organization. The members of this\ngrade should be promoted at the age of sixteen to the Senior Grade. It\nmay be on some examination, but I believe it not best, for this is the\npoint where the boy and girl have gone away from school because they\nthought they were no longer children and a child's school was not the\nplace for them. Recognize the fact that they are young people as soon as\nthey do, and promote them because they are, into an element that is\ncongenial. At once they are bound to the school by personal pride and by\nsocial influences that they are not quick to abandon. Use these\nelements wisely, and the school has won a victory. The superintendent of\nthis department should be a person whom all the boys and girls like\nbecause he is one of them, and while he is \"one of them\" he should not\nforget above all things that he is their superintendent, with a\nresponsibility resting upon him to secure their salvation.\n\n\nTHE SENIOR DEPARTMENT.\n\nThis most important grade will have in it all persons over sixteen years\nof age, and all classes should be on an equal footing; that is, that all\nshould be called Senior Classes, whether the members are sixteen or\nsixty. There should be no \"Bible classes.\"\n\nIn the formation of Senior Classes great care should be taken so to\nadjust them that there shall be no friction. The social idea must be\nconsidered, although the scholar should not know that it is being\nthought of. Scholars who would have no sympathy with each other, and who\nwould never harmonize, should never be placed in the same class; if they\nare, one or the other will leave the class or school. In the selection\nof teachers for the Senior Classes great care should be taken. These\nscholars must be taught, not entertained; so men and women must, if\npossible, be found who are well informed, apt to teach, consecrated to\ntheir work, and who will give to their lesson and class such attention\nas is required to insure successful work. It is far better in this grade\nto have a few good teachers with large classes than many teachers, some\nof whom are incompetent to instruct, and smaller classes. Special\ninstruction should be given in the way of courses of consecutive\nlessons, lectures, and anything that will supply the intellectual wants\nof these young people. Never allow the methods of instruction to get\ninto ruts. Teachers should be helped by pastor and superintendent, and\nnothing should be left undone which would interest and attract the young\npeople. The social element should be employed under careful supervision,\nbut always with the Senior Grade alone. Never allow the children of\nlower grades to have a part in a social gathering with the Seniors\nunless by special invitation of the young people. This is the point\nwhere they are sensitive, and it must be well guarded.\n\nEmploy the young people in every possible way. Let the ruling members of\nthe church recognize them and give them all the church work possible,\nand they will do it, not only well, but with a spirit that will be\ninspiring to the church.\n\nMany years of experience convince me that from this department must come\nthe best material for teachers for the school, and will help to settle\nthe vexed question as to where we can get teachers. Take them from the\nSenior Grade and give them such Normal training as will fit them for\nteachers and officers. The knowledge that the superintendent is looking\namong the Seniors for competent persons to fill all places of\nresponsibility is a great inspiration to them, and exalts their idea of\nthe character and usefulness of the Sunday school.\n\nThe members of this grade are at an age when they are ready to enter\nupon some business, and the question as to what it shall be and where\nthey shall get a situation is a very serious one to them. There is no\nway in which officers and teachers can bind the young people more\nclosely to themselves and the school than by taking a personal interest\nin their business, and helping them to secure such employment as they\nneed, and securing situations where they will be under good influences.\n\n\nSUGGESTIONS.\n\nIn the Primary Grade a great effort should be made by the teachers to\nsecure a personal acquaintance with the mothers of the children. If\npossible call at their homes and thereby learn something of their home\nlife, always making a memorandum of such things as impress the teacher\nas having an influence upon the character of the scholar.\n\nA Saturday afternoon reception for the mothers, who, if possible, are to\nbring their children, is an excellent method. It should be very\ninformal.\n\nAvoid in this grade, as in all others, the idea of paying scholars by\nprizes, or in any other way, for efforts made to learn or do what is\nright, but always keep before them the idea that they are to do well\nbecause it is right. This gives the little ones a self-respect which is\npowerful in its influence.\n\nIn making promotions from one grade to another it is not best to have\nironclad rules. If a class is to be promoted it is not best to leave one\nor more out because they have not quite reached the age required.\nNeither is it wise to insist upon a scholar being promoted because he\nhas reached the proper age, unless he is willing to leave the class he\nis in.\n\nPromotion may be made once or twice a year. I think once is best, and\nthen it should be at a special service in which all the school should\ntake part.\n\nIf a teacher is a misfit in a class the time for promotions is the time\nto put that teacher where he can work without friction, without giving\nany publicity to the change. It is also an excellent time to place a\nscholar not easily controlled with a teacher who is especially fitted to\nhandle him. The scholar should never know why the change was made.\n\nEvery Sunday school should have a Normal Class. Courses of study have\nbeen prepared which can be handled by any good teacher or pastor who\nwill make an effort. This course will give not only teachers but\nscholars an exalted idea of the Bible as a book, and prepare them to\nexpound the lessons as they could not without such a course of study. If\nthere is not a class individuals may take the course alone and pass\nexaminations, which will entitle them to the diploma of some of the\nSunday school assemblies.\n\nMany superintendents say they cannot grade their schools because they\nhave not separate rooms for the departments. It is desirable to have\nseparate rooms, but if you do not have them you should grade the school,\nputting each grade by itself in some part of the room, if you have but\nthe one. An aisle or a curtain may be the dividing line. Most excellent\nresults have been realized where the whole school was in one room.\n\nThe Home Department is for the benefit of persons who cannot attend\nSunday school. The conditions upon which membership is secured are that\nthey shall study the lesson for the day one half hour on the Sabbath;\nall members to report quarterly whether they have kept the pledge. Those\nwho join this department are members of the school and entitled to all\nits privileges, such as lesson helps, the use of library, and all other\nthings that other members enjoy. This department should include persons\nwho are distant from the school, the aged, the sick, and may include\npersons who reside hundreds of miles away, especially those who have\nbeen members of the school in other days. This department should have a\nsuperintendent who will give it attention and look after all who become\nmembers.\n\n\n\n\nTHE ERIE PLAN.\n\nBY H. A. STRONG.\n\n\nTHE query often arises whether the modern Sunday school is now at its\nmaximum of efficiency in the line of its development. Wonderful is the\nprogress already attained. The introduction of the International Lesson\nSystem marks an epoch. Before that separate schools and even teachers\nwere a law unto themselves. Now schools are in touch one with another;\nsectarian barriers have been broken down; the unity of the cause is\nrecognized. The Church is one; so are her schools. The culture and the\nspirituality of the Church catholic everywhere are now the teacher of\nthe teachers. Helps to Bible study are so multiplied and improved that\nit is difficult to see how an advance step could be taken here. The\ntestimony is well-nigh uncontradicted that the Bible is studied as never\nbefore in the light of modern research and science. Teachers, as a\nbody, are measuring up to these privileges and responsibilities.\n\nThe advance movement in Sunday school work may not be in its literature,\nnor in the efficiency or the enthusiasm of its corps of teachers.\nElsewhere must we look for the necessity for improvement.\n\nThe Sunday school is a school. The expression sounds trite and\ntautological; but it needs emphasis. Bishop Vincent in his latest book,\n\"The Modern Sunday School,\" discusses the proposition that the \"Sunday\nschool is and must be a school.\" Out of the fullness of his knowledge\nand experience proof is there given that the organization, system of\nteaching, and methods of the public schools must be appropriated by the\nSunday school of the day. The modern Sunday school must stand or fall as\nit is contrasted with the modern public school. By such a comparison\nalone can excellencies or deficiencies be revealed.\n\nWonderful has been the development of the public school system in the\npresent generation. Great teachers have appeared in all ages and schools\nhave gathered about them. But this age is remarkable in this, that it\nhas adopted a system of instruction for youth and has trained teachers\nfor that system. The combination of these two elements makes the modern\ncommon school system. Let the adults of to-day state the case of their\nday. Such a comparison would show the value of the present. The great\nboon from the State to the youth of to-day is an educational system\nbased on scientific principles.\n\nIn that system two essentials must be emphasized: first, departments;\nand, second, the place of the pupil. These departments form a series\nthat are mutually related and dependent. They each mark a step in the\ndevelopment of the mind of the pupil. Again, the pupil has his proper\nplace in that system, assigned not by caprice but by a principle. That\nprinciple is the attainment of the pupil in the studies of the system. A\ncompetent instructor could find by examination the true place of any\npupil in any city public school. Such a statement is so self-evident\nthat it excites no surprise. It is as it should be. The method of\nassignment and promotion is the public school system. Without it that\nsystem would not be what it is.\n\nApply now these essentials as tests to the Sunday schools. How are\npupils there assigned and promoted? The answer must be that such\nassignment and promotions are there unknown. Here we touch a radical\ndefect and weakness. The statement of that weakness hardly needs\nelaboration.\n\nAs we study further the public school system we find there a course of\nstudy. That course of study, comprehensive and complete, the work of\neducators, is the glory of the system. It is this curriculum that makes\nits pupils students. In these points also compare the Sunday school.\n\nA summary of these conclusions may be made. The modern Sunday school is\nnot the peer of the modern public school. The Sunday school has a\ndefective system of unrelated, independent departments. The modern\npublic school has a perfect system of correlated dependent departments.\nThe Sunday school has no system of promotions, no training school for\nteachers, and no course of study. Do its pupils study? Why, they are not\nrequired, nor examined.\n\nIs there a remedy for such defects? Could its department be perfected?\nYes; but the disease is deeper than that. Could a system of promotions\nbe devised? Undoubtedly. Could a teachers' class be formed? Many schools\nhave that. To treat these symptoms separately is not to reach the source\nof the disease. It is but to tamper with difficulties.\n\nThe solution lies in a \"Course of Study.\" In the public school the\nsystem rallied around a common center--its course of study. All the\nagencies employed were to render that course effective. Out of a\nsupplemental lesson system will arise conditions that will crystallize\ninto correlation of departments, methods of promotion, a Normal\nDepartment with its commencement day, and, best of all, by the help of\nthe home and the church, an atmosphere of study for the scholar without\nwhich a school cannot be.\n\nIt is believed that such a course of study is practicable. Is it not\nthus that the modern Sunday school as a school must be improved?\n\nIt is evident that the course of instruction in the Sunday school will\nbe different from that of the day school. There, mental culture is\nsought; here, spiritual culture is the end in view. There, many are the\ntext-books on diverse themes; here, one book and one theme. The Bible\nand its revelation must be the book and the theme of any supplemental\nlesson system. It may be taken as an axiom that that system will be the\nmost efficient and acceptable which has the most of the Bible in it and\nwhose teachings best mirror the Bible.\n\nThe writer has prepared a series of text-books to be used as a\nsupplemental course of study in the Sunday school. These books have been\ncompiled in connection with his work as superintendent; and as they were\ncompleted they were tested in the Sunday school at Erie, Pa. The first\none was written five years ago, and since then they have been\ncontinuously used.\n\nThis school, as now graded, consists of the following departments:\nPrimary, Junior, Senior, Normal, Reserve, and Assembly. The Primary\nDepartment has a four years' course and classes to correspond. The\nNormal Department has adopted the two years' course of study of the\nChautauqua Normal Union. The course of study to which attention is\ndirected is an eight years' course--four years for the Junior\nDepartment and four for the Senior Department. This course receives\npupils from the Primary room at the age of about ten, and, after it is\nfinished, passes them on to the Normal Department.\n\n\nTHE BOOKS OF THE COURSE:[A]\n\n          _Junior Department:_\n              First Year--Catechism.\n              Second Year--Catechism.\n              Third Year--Life of Christ.\n              Fourth Year--Church History.\n\n          _Senior Department:_\n              First Year--Jewish History.\n              Second Year--Jewish History and the Bible.\n              Third Year--Christian Evidences.\n              Fourth Year--Christian Evidences.\n\nAll these books are catechetical in form, simple in statement, and seek\nthrough the questions to give the theme a natural unfolding. They are\nprinted uniform in series. The Junior books have each about twenty pages\nthe size of the Church Catechism, and the Senior books have each about\nthirty pages.\n\nThe Catechism is the first book of the series. Experience teaches that\nthen memory best aids in its mastery. To these text-books on the\nCatechism is added a supplement on the books of the Bible and its\nhistory and geography. The \"Life of Christ\" undertakes to tell that life\nin the words of the gospels. \"Church History\" treats of the apostolic\nChurch and great events in that history, as the Crusades and the\nReformation under Luther and Wesley. The first Senior book, \"Jewish\nHistory,\" follows mainly the outline of the Old Testament emphasized by\nthe lessons of the international course. The second year book completes\nthat history, and has chapters on the Bible--its translations and\ngeography, etc. The third and fourth years are employed in the study of\n\"Christian Evidences.\"\n\nA glance shows that the course of study is a study of the Bible, the\nJunior books being taken from the New Testament, while the Senior cover\nthe Old Testament.\n\nThis system calls for regular examination in which the classes of the\nschool participate; it creates an atmosphere of study for the scholars.\nThey are expected and required to study, and they meet that expectation.\nThis system further promotes harmony between the different departments\nof the school and forms a basis for promotion for the scholars and\nclasses. Promotions are as regular and as judicious as in the public\nschools.\n\nFor what it is, and what it promises, it is brought to the attention of\nthe Church and Sunday school.\n\n\nTHE GRADING.\n\nIn this work the number of departments into which the school is to be\ndivided must be fixed. The following will probably be found requisite:\nPrimary, Junior, Senior, Normal, Assembly, and Reserve Departments. The\nPrimary Department may be graded in unison with the school and a course\nof four years' study be adopted. The Normal Department takes the\nChautauqua Assembly course of study. The Assembly is the adult Bible\nClass of the school. Graduates of the Normal Department constitute the\nReserve Department. This department studies the Sunday school lesson a\nweek in advance of the rest of the school, and stands ready to fill the\nplaces of absentee teachers. The main body of the school constitutes the\nJunior and the Senior departments. The course of study is for these\nDepartments, and covers a period of eight years. Their grading is a work\nof tact and difficulty.\n\nThe scholars should be formed into classes, averaging seven to a class.\nThese classes, when organized, should be seated in the school, with the\nview of promotion from year to year. In a school of five hundred pupils\nthe classes would average about five to each grade.\n\nWhere these departments occupy the same room the Juniors may be seated\non one side, according to rank, and the Seniors on the other side. The\nposition of the class, being won by merit, becomes a place of honor\nwhich the superintendent wisely uses. In the first organization a\nperfect grade is not attainable. Out of the material given only an\napproximation to the ideal can be hoped for. Time will cure defects.\nEach year the entire system moves. With a few annual promotions the\nactual attains the ideal and the system becomes perfect in its grade.\nIn this we make haste slowly.\n\n\nTHE STUDY OF THE BOOKS.\n\nThe time of the introduction of the books and the method of their study\nare for the decision of the school. A suggestion may be offered. The\nSunday school year may follow that of the public school. If so, their\nstudy would begin in September, and the examination would be the June\nfollowing. But, whenever introduced, it should be made plain that the\nbooks are auxiliary only to the International System of Bible study.\nEach session should have an allotted period of time, at least five\nminutes, for their study. Each teacher can divide the given matter into\nconvenient parts so that the whole may be mastered in nine months. This\nstudy will be tested by an examination.\n\n\nTHE ANNUAL EXAMINATION.\n\nThis examination is the keystone of the whole system. Without it the\ncourse of study is a failure. Its importance must be emphasized before\nthe whole school. How to emphasize it is a problem that each school must\nsolve. A description of the plan adopted in the school where the system\noriginated may throw some light on that question. Some Sunday in June is\nselected as the day for the examination, and of that day the school is\nforewarned. Examination questions, twenty in number, and covering the\nwork of the year, are furnished each scholar. These questions are so\nprinted as to leave blank spaces under each question for the answer to\nbe written by the scholar. The whole session of the school is given up\nto the examination. The papers are gathered and careful work is put\nthereon in marking the same. Each answer is marked on a scale of 5, and,\nif the answers are correct, the paper is marked 100. The marks thus make\na system of percentage easily understood by all. The minimum percentage\nto pass the examination is 75. Those who get 75 and upward are known as\nhonor students.\n\nThe Sunday following the examination a full report of the work of the\nschool is read. An honor roll of students who pass the examination is\nplaced upon the blackboard or printed in fine form and placed upon the\nwalls of the room. These honor names are arranged alphabetically and\nwithout the percentage of standing, so that it is an equal honor to all\nstudents.\n\nThe Commencement Day of the graduates of the Normal Class occurs shortly\nafter the examination. These exercises are given on some suitable\nevening of the week, and are made the event of the school year. After\nthe exercises comes the banquet. For this occasion the Sunday school\nroom is made by the graduates a veritable bower of floral beauty. The\nNormal graduates and the honor students are received as the honored\nguests at these festivities.\n\nSuch a description may make plain how to emphasize the examination. At\nleast two months before the examination the superintendent should make\nshort, pointed appeals to the scholars and try to fill them with the\nspirit of study. These examination honors, open to every one, should be\nmade plain to all. Adults work with an object in view. It is the same\nwith the children.\n\nThe written examination, its report read to the school, the roll of\nhonor, the promotions, the Commencement and its banquet, are appeals\nnot made in vain to the modern child. What must be the legitimate result\nof such an appeal to the children? They work for the examination as they\ndo for the examination in the public schools. These last weeks are busy\nones. They meet evenings at the homes of the teachers, and on Sunday\nthey gather at the church in special session for class study.\n\nUnder such inspiration whole classes have handed in perfect papers. And\nyet some may and will fail. For them a second examination is given.\n\nThen on the day of promotion the whole school moves forward and occupies\nthe rank won. A course of study can thus revolutionize a school and\ncreate an atmosphere of genuine study.\n\nFOOTNOTE:\n\n[A] These books have been published in pamphlet form by the Methodist\nBook Concern as \"Graded Lessons for the Sunday School.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE CHICOPEE PLAN.\n\nBY HON. L. E. HITCHCOCK.\n\n\nCAN the graded system be successfully used in small Sunday schools? The\nplan described in this article has been in successful operation for\nseveral years in the Central Methodist Episcopal Sunday school in\nChicopee, Mass., in which the membership during that time has averaged\n200 and the average attendance has been about 150.\n\nBefore describing in detail the plan it may be well to stale three\nprinciples on which the plan is based:\n\n1. A school, in order to be such, must be instructive as well as\nevangelistic, and if instruction is to be given there are many\nprinciples of instruction which have been worked out in our system of\npublic schools and which have come to be accepted as right principles of\nteaching anything, and these principles cannot be ignored in teaching\nin the Sunday schools any more than they can in the day schools without\nimpairment of the results desired.\n\n2. In general terms, the most important principle of successful teaching\nis that it should be progressive and adapted in succeeding years to the\nnormal development of the mind of the average child, and this relates to\nthe method of teaching a given subject as well as to the selection of\nthe subjects which shall be taught.\n\n3. Another principle of successful teaching which is of almost as much\nimportance as the one just alluded to is that there shall be one person\nat the head with a definite plan of work.\n\nApplying these principles to Sunday school work, this school supposes\nthat there is certain instruction which properly belongs to the Sunday\nschool to give; that there is no reason why the Sunday school should not\nmake use of the best methods of instruction which are known to educators\nso far as applicable; and that when the superintendent is elected to his\nplace the church in effect commits to him or her the entire care of that\npart of the work of the church, and that it is perfectly proper for him\nto direct his teachers in the work which he will have done in his school\nduring his term of office.\n\n\nPLAN OF ORGANIZATION\n\nThe school is divided into three departments, Primary, Intermediate, and\nSenior. The Primary Department keeps the children until the New Year\nafter they are eight years old; the Intermediate takes them through a\nten years' course of study, and then the Senior Department receives them\ninto the Bible classes.\n\nThe Primary Department, which meets in a room by itself and has its own\norder of exercises, is divided into as many classes with separate\nteachers as may be necessary for the proper care of its little folks,\nand all under the care of a superintendent of that department. The usual\nexercises of this department are of the general character customary in\nsuch grades.\n\nIn July the class which will graduate at the end of the year is formed\nand placed in the care of a certain teacher, whose special duty is to\nsee that the class is prepared to graduate. The graduating exercises are\npublic, and a neat diploma is presented to each scholar who thus\ngraduates.\n\nThe Intermediate Department is divided into ten grades, each\nrepresenting a year of study and each containing two classes, one of\nboys and one of girls, although there is no reason why boys and girls\nshould not be together in the same class. There is no division of the\nSenior Department into grades. It contains only three classes, namely,\nthe Young Men's Bible Class, the Young Ladies' Bible Class, and the\nGeneral Class.\n\n\nCOURSES OF STUDY.\n\nThe principal work of the school is done along the lines of the\nInternational Lessons, which are used in all the departments, although\nthe method of teaching them varies in the different grades.\n\nIn addition to the International Lessons Supplemental Lessons are taught\nin the Primary and Intermediate Departments. In the Primary Department\nthese include the Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments, the Twenty-third\nPsalm, the Beatitudes, and the Apostles' Creed.\n\nThe following schedule will show at a glance what are the specific\nstudies of each grade in the Intermediate Department:\n\n  -----------------------------------------------------------------------\n  Age. | Grade.  | International Lesson.       | Supplemental Lesson.[B]\n  -----------------------------------------------------------------------\n       |         |                             |\n    9  |       I | Learn and recite the        | First half of Catechism\n       |         |   memory verses.            |   No. 1.\n       |         |                             |\n   10  |      II | Same as Grade I.            | Last half of Catechism\n       |         |                             |   No. I.\n       |         |                             |\n   11  |     III | Learn memory verses         | Life of Jesus.\n       |         |   and one thought.          |\n       |         |                             |\n   12  |      IV | Study persons (if any)      | Studies about the\n       |         |   and one thought.          |   Bible.\n       |         |                             |\n   13  |       V | Study places (if any)       | Bible Geography.\n       |         |   and two thoughts.         |\n       |         |                             |\n   14  |      VI | Study manners and customs   | Bible History.\n       |         |   and two thoughts.         |\n       |         |                             |\n   15  |     VII | Teachings of the lesson     | History of Christian\n       |         |   having special reference  |   Church.\n       |         |   to manhood and            |\n       |         |   womanhood.                |\n       |         |                             |\n   16  |    VIII | Same as Grade VII.          | History of M. E.\n       |         |                             |   Church.\n       |         |                             |\n   17  |      IX | Teachings of lesson bearing | Doctrine and rules\n       |         |   directly upon practical   |   of the M. E.\n       |         |   Christianity.             |   Church.\n       |         |                             |\n   18  |       X | Same as Grade IX.           | Government of M.\n       |         |                             |   E. Church.\n  -----------------------------------------------------------------------\n\nSome explanation of the above is needed:\n\n1. The study of the International Lessons. In all the grades the first\nthings to be learned in each lesson are the title, the Golden Text, and\nthe lesson story, and after these are learned the teachers take up the\nspecific grade instruction as above. The lesson thought, which appears\nfirst in Grade III, is carried through all the remaining grades as the\ncentral thought for the session. These thoughts are selected by the\nsuperintendent, and by him indicated to the teachers at the beginning of\neach quarter. To illustrate: Take the lesson for September 11, 1892, the\ntitle of which was Philip and the Ethiopian. After learning the title,\nGolden Text, and lesson story the different grades will study as\nfollows:\n\nGrades I and II. Learn the memory verses: 35-38.\n\nGrade III. Learn the memory verses and study thought: \"Philip preached\nJesus.\"\n\nGrade IV. Study about the persons: Philip, Candace, the eunuch, and\nEsaias, and also the same thought as in Grade III.\n\nGrade V. Study about the places: Jerusalem, Gaza, Ethiopia, Azotus, and\nCesarea, and the two thoughts: \"Philip preached Jesus,\" and \"Prompt\nresponse to call of duty.\"\n\nGrade VI. Study customs: going to Jerusalem to worship, ceremony of\nbaptism, riding in chariot, and the same two thoughts as in Grade V.\n\n      Grades VII and VIII. Thoughts--\n          \"Philip preached Jesus.\"\n          \"Prompt response to call of duty.\"\n          \"Habit of reading.\"\n          \"Understand as you read.\"\n          \"Act up to your knowledge.\"\n\n      Grades IX and X. Thoughts--\n          \"Philip preached Jesus. I can do the same.\"\n          \"Prompt response to call of duty. How these calls come.\"\n          \"Fulfillment of prophecy.\"\n          \"Immediate conversion and baptism.\"\n          \"The new-found joy.\"\n\n2. The Supplemental Lessons. The aim of these lessons is to furnish\nsystematic instruction upon the subjects indicated, which are matters\nthat every well-informed person ought to know, but which cannot be\ntaught from the International Lessons. Each year contains thirty-six\nlessons which can easily be memorized and recited in the twenty minutes\nusually allowed for this study. The titles readily suggest the nature of\nthe lessons.\n\nA weekly teachers' meeting is held under the direction of the\nsuperintendent for the purpose of assisting the teachers in the right\nunderstanding of the things required to be taught on the succeeding\nSunday, and instructing them in methods of teaching that particular\nlesson. It is a sort of teachers' meeting and normal class combined.\n\n\nEXAMINATIONS AND MARKS.\n\nWritten examinations upon the International Lessons are held at the end\nof each quarter, and one upon the Supplemental Lessons is held near the\nclose of the year, upon each of which the scholars are marked. Each\nscholar is also marked at each session of the school upon a scale of\nfive credits, as follows: one for attendance at the opening of the\nschool, one for attention during school time, one for attendance at\nclosing the school, one for attendance upon preaching service, and one\nfor lesson study at home. These marks, taken in connection with the\nexamination marks and the knowledge of the general work of the scholar\nduring the year, determine his promotion at the end of the year. The\nscholar who completes the course satisfactorily is awarded the diploma\nof graduation and admitted to the Senior Department of the school. No\nspecial work other than that usually taken up in Bible classes has been\nattempted in any of the classes of the Senior Department.\n\n\nSPIRITUAL WORK.\n\nAlthough great stress is laid upon the work of instruction in the\nschool, it must not be concluded that the spiritual work is overlooked.\nThis is attended to in two ways: first, in the lesson thoughts in\nconnection with the International Lessons, which are selected, as far as\npossible, to enable the teachers to illustrate and enforce spiritual\ntruths; and, secondly, each teacher is expected to do all she can in the\nway of personal example and influence to bring the members of her class\nto Christ. Of course, if any special religious interest at any time in\nthe church seems to call for it, the work of the school is suspended and\nall the energy is brought to bear upon the evangelistic part of the\nwork.\n\n\nRESULTS.\n\nThe actual working of this plan has demonstrated that many things which\nmight seem to be objections have been only imaginary. At the start the\nscholars were classified according to their ages, with occasional\nmodifications with reference to their places in the public schools, and\nthe teachers were placed in the different grades with reference to their\nrelative abilities, and they were asked to teach certain specific\nthings, which of course they cheerfully did. The scholars, who are\naccustomed to this method in the public schools, at once caught the\nidea, and their parents became interested to see that their lessons were\nlearned before coming to the school. The attendance of teachers became\nmore regular, for each teacher, having his own specific work to do, very\nsoon realized that if he were absent his work could not be fully done by\na substitute, and the attendance of the scholars was much improved, for\nthey could see actual advancement from Sunday to Sunday.\n\nThe attendance of scholars in the Intermediate Department averages fully\ntwenty per cent more than in any other department. Of course, the\nadoption of any system of graded work means considerable work for a\nsuperintendent at the start, and this to a busy man is a serious matter;\nbut after the system is fairly started it works easier and with less\nfriction to annoy than any other plan, and the cause is worthy of the\neffort required.\n\nTwo reasons why schools should be graded may be given: 1. Children will\nbe interested in what they can understand, and if the instruction both\nas to form and substance is adapted to their growing intellectual\nabilities it will easily be received and taken care of, while, on the\nother hand, if it is not comprehended it excites no interest in the mind\nof the child, and he is glad to get out of the school as soon as he can.\n\n2. The teachers do not go on with their classes from year to year\nindefinitely, and by this means it is possible to bring ten succeeding\nclasses under the teaching of the ablest teacher you can get in a\nparticular grade, instead of confining that able teacher to only one\nclass for ten years. There can surely be no question as to which is the\nbetter course.\n\nFOOTNOTE:\n\n[B] These Supplemental Lessons have been published by Hunt & Eaton, New\nYork, as \"The Ten Minute Series.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE LYNCHBURG PLAN.\n\nBY IRVINE GARLAND PENN.\n\n\nIT was early in the year of 1890 when it became a positive fact, to the\nsuperintendent who is now leading our Sunday school, that we had\naccomplished practically nothing as a school during the twenty years of\nour existence. In this school our superintendent was entered when but a\nlad of five years. He had shifted from class to class, not by reason of\nany promotion by the superintendent, teacher, or any other officer of\nthe school, but as he advanced in age from five to eight, eight to ten,\nand ten to fifteen years he correspondingly grew in size, and of his own\nfree will and accord he moved from class to class, with no other\nrecommendation for promotion but age and size. At the age of fifteen he\nwas made secretary, and in that official capacity he took account of the\npennies collected, disbursing them as the board might order.\n\nOur future superintendent was then promoted to be the teacher of Bible\nClass No. 3. It was not Class \"Three\" because its members knew more or\nless than Class 1 and 2, but because its members were a class of misses,\nwhile Classes 1 and 2 were masters and young men. In fact, Class 3 was\nas much entitled to be Class 1 as Class 1 was to be Class 1. He was then\npromoted to his present position. His career is related in order that it\nmay be shown that the conclusion which he had reached was founded upon\npersonal experience and observation, which he took no account of then,\nbut which served to demonstrate more forcibly to him that the Sunday\nschool was accomplishing nothing save the one fact that it met on Sunday\nmornings ostensibly for religious instruction. It must be said, however,\nin justice to other superintendents, that, whatever inclination he had\nto seek and ascertain the defects and best needs of the school, he was\nled slightly in that direction by those who had shown that something was\nneeded, and who knew that a change must take place if our Sunday school\nwould maintain her standing as a large and growing one in the\ncommunity. We numbered four hundred, in round figures, and while during\nthe boyhood of our superintendent the corps of teachers were not\nefficient, by reason of the lack of advantages necessary to proper\nqualification, yet when he came into office he found himself surrounded\nby a corps of teachers nearly all of whom were prepared by intellectual\nand divine strength to teach anything that could possibly be put into a\nSunday school course with propriety.\n\nNo longer were there \"blind leaders of the blind\" in the school, but\nintelligent leaders in mind and heart. It was a proposition that needed\nno demonstration to our superintendent that he now had the opportunity\nto present the one thing needful in the school, namely, method and\nsystem in instruction and the adaptiveness of work to the susceptibility\nof the pupil, which is the essence of the grade idea. As soon, then, as\nthis idea was clear, our superintendent at once began inquiry and to\nhunt literature bearing on this subject.\n\n\"The Modern Sunday School,\" by Bishop J. H. Vincent, was the first book\nconsulted, and the first sentence of Chapter XII, on Gradation, gave\nthe idea which settled the conviction. The sentence reads: \"The Sunday\nschool is a school.\" Nothing is truer than this one sentence, and the\nsooner our superintendents and teachers get this one idea ineradicably\nfixed in their minds the better it will be for our Sunday school\ninterests. Most assuredly the \"Sunday school is a school\" to teach the\nthings of God, to instill his truths and impress his good deeds and\nloving favors to the children of men upon the mind and hearts of those\nwho must grow up in the admonition of the Lord, if they would make\nvaliant soldiers and good citizens. It was evident that our Sunday\nschool was a school, though poor in order, poor in work, and poor in\neverything but singing and the giving of picnics. Dr. Vincent's book was\nfurther consulted, with others, and our superintendent reserved several\nmonths to mature his plans and present them.\n\nIn the meantime several articles in the \"Sunday School Journal\" of May\nand September, 1890, greatly helped him. A plan of action was finally\ndecided upon; first a new registration, giving name, age, educational\nfitness, and some minor matters, was gotten of each pupil as accurately\nas possible. In the meantime our plan had by this time been told the\nschool, and the taking of a new registration, preparatory to the\ngradation, created a genuine revival of interest in the work. And, too,\nwhen the fact was known that the school was undergoing a change which\nwould give larger and better opportunities to the children, fathers and\nmothers who could not themselves read, but who knew what it was to have\nJohn and Mary to go from Catechism to Catechism, from class to class,\nevery time higher and higher, gave vent to their feelings in many\n\"Amens\" and \"God-bless-yous.\" To these expressions of approval and the\nprayers of this class the success of our system may be greatly\nattributed.\n\nThe registration having been taken, our superintendent was intrusted\nwith the gradation of the school. On the one hand the burden was light;\non the other heavy. The labor was light, for no amount of it could seem\na burden, so great was the interest in the four hundred souls who were\nnow for once to be put into the shape of an ideal Sunday school.\n\nOn the other hand, it was for once a burden to do duty as he saw it,\nbecause there were large boys and girls who had been hitherto neglected\nin this ghost of a school, and now had to suffer the worry of doing a\nthing over when it might have been done well at first. But our\nsuperintendent had no time now to indulge in sentimentality; the work\nwas to be done, it was given him to do, and he knew it was for the best\ngood of the school; hence he went at the work in the fear of the Lord.\nDuring three weeks of incessant prayer and labor the work was done,\nsubmitted to and approved by our board. What a change to be made during\nthe next Sunday! John, who could not read, used to be in Bible Class No.\n1; now he is to study the Catechism.\n\nDuring the next Sunday the grading was done, classes rearranged,\nteachers replaced to suit the departments; and after all was done we\nlooked calmly upon the scene, and never in all the history of our Sunday\nschool did it look so well, and never have we seen children with such\nbright and happy faces as were in that school on that morning. It will\nnever be forgotten even by the smallest pupil. As I have said, they were\nalways good singers, but with new life in them they sang the praises of\nGod on that morning until it seemed we were all tasting of the riches of\nGod as never before. The three departments arranged were Primary,\nIntermediate, and Normal, with provision for a Normal Training Class. It\nmay be said here that we have seen the necessity very clearly for the\nintroduction of a Junior Department or Course on account of the length\nof our now existing departments. This will be done on \"Promotion Sunday\"\nafter our January examination.\n\nA course of study was carefully arranged to cover the three departments,\nconsisting of seven years: Primary Course (provided child entered at the\nage of three), ages from three to ten years; five years' Intermediate\nCourse, ages from ten to fifteen years; five years in the Senior Course,\nages from fifteen to twenty years. These departments, and the years in\neach, will be slightly modified by the introduction of the Junior\nCourse.\n\nThe course embraces in our Primary Department the International Lessons\nin the form of the \"Picture Lesson Paper.\" The Lesson Paper is,\nhowever, not taken up until the pupil has been in this department for\nfour years, presuming that he enters at three years of age. The lessons\nduring the first four years are orally taught, and consist of selected\nverses of the Bible, Lord's Prayer, Beatitudes, and selected portions of\nCatechism No. 1. Since the day school system only admits pupils at six\nand seven years, it is presumed that they are not prepared to be\nclassified in any way as students of the International System on account\nof their inability to read.\n\nThus all of the pupils from three to six years are put into one class\nand taught orally, as explained above. There are sometimes exceptions to\nthis general rule in the case of children who may have had early\ntraining around the fireside.\n\nThe pupils in the Primary Department, having received the Lesson Paper\nat seven or eight years, have only from two to three years to remain\nthere before the proper age is reached, all other things being equal,\nfor their transfer to the next department. During the last two or three\nyears of the Primary Course the pupils have for supplemental lessons\nselected Psalms and verses, Catechism No. 1 to Question 25, inclusive.\nIt has been demonstrated to our board in our promotions that this\nPrimary Course is well conceived and serves admirably well the purpose\nintended, which is to lay a foundation upon which a structure might be\nreared without fear of tottering.\n\nIn our Intermediate Course the International study begins the first year\nwith the \"Beginner's Leaf\" and is used during three years of the five\nyears' course. In the remaining two years the \"Berean Lesson Leaf\" is\nused. In the use of the Beginner's and Berean Leaves the course of\nteaching is laid down by the Examining Board, and the teacher directs\nher talk and instruction in that direction. This is to avoid what may be\ntermed \"splatterdash\" teaching--the teaching of everything with special\nreference to no one particular thing, the teaching of what is understood\nand not understood. The supplemental lessons for the Intermediate Course\ninclude the Ten Commandments, Catechisms Nos. 1, 2, and 3, and the Old\nTestament read and thoroughly considered from Genesis to Numbers,\ninclusive. In this department special effort is made to impress the\nBaptismal Covenant, the Ten Doctrines of Grace, Ten Points of Church\nEconomy, etc.\n\nThe pupil is now fifteen years of age, and, all things being equal, he\nis ready for the Senior Course.\n\nIn this department the \"Senior Lesson Quarterly\" is used. The\nsupplemental work consists of a completion of the Old and New Testaments\nthoroughly read and considered during the five years. In addition to\nthis, McGee's \"Outlines of the Methodist Episcopal Church\" is studied\nthe first year; \"The Teacher Before His Class,\" by James L. Hughes, in\nthe second year; \"Normal Outlines for Primary Teachers\" in the third\nyear; \"History of the Sunday School,\" by Chandler, in the fourth year;\nDiscipline of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and \"Christian Baptism,\"\nby Bishop S. M. Merrill, in the fifth year.\n\nOur pupils are then entered in the Normal Training Class, where they\nread such books as \"Open Letters to Primary Teachers,\" by Mrs. W. F.\nCrafts; \"Hand Book for Teachers,\" by Dr. Joseph Alden. They also\nconsider more fully the doctrines of our Methodism and the history of\n\"that great religious movement,\" as one has termed it. The pupils of\nthis class subject themselves to much training for Sunday school\nteachers. They are permitted and are expected to meet the teachers in\ntheir weekly meetings in order that they may go over the lessons with\nthe teachers and be prepared in case of an emergency. Our examinations\nare held semiannually. In the supplemental work the examinations are\nconducted in written form. As to the International studies, the\nrecommendation of a pupil by a teacher is sufficient to determine his\nwork and his ability to pass to a higher grade. The teachers conduct\ntheir own examination and make tabulated results, the whole of which is\nsubmitted to our Examining Board, consisting of eight members, who\ncarefully pass upon it and order the promotion. The promotion is then\nmade by the superintendent according to the tabulated results.\n\nAs an encouragement to pupils we have found it wise to issue\ncertificates to everyone as they complete the course of study of each\ndepartment, and finally, when the Senior Course is completed, to issue a\ndiploma. The assembly idea also obtains in our school as a part of our\nsystem. This has been found indispensable as an incentive to devotion,\nbecause it makes our higher Intermediate and Senior classes feel their\nimportance in a measure when they are called together every fortnight to\nhear some talk or paper upon some religious topic, apart from the\nPrimary and lower Intermediate classes. In order that the teachers might\nbe more thoroughly interested in the success of the system, and thus\ninfluence their children, our superintendent has very wisely introduced\nthe social feature into our work, and very often in our consideration of\nSunday school matters we find ourselves in the midst of a pleasant and\nagreeable reception. This has worked well, for we are all creatures of\nhumanity with the same innate social tendencies. The day of days, yes,\nthe red-letter day, is \"Promotion Sunday.\" These Sundays will never be\nforgotten. The enthusiasm is equal to that of Children's Day in every\nrespect. Boys and girls with eager hearts pass from class to class. As a\nmeans necessary to the success of our system our superintendent very\ncarefully presented the necessity of a larger library than we had. The\nplans for raising the money were arranged, and, to use the popular\nexpression, \"they worked like a charm.\" Hundreds of dollars were raised,\nwith which we now have over one thousand volumes and a neatly built\nlibrary case of twenty feet in length. It would be a pleasure to tell\nhow that money was raised.\n\nAs to the results accomplished in our school by the system, suffice it\nto say they are manifold. Order, system, interest, care, study, regular\nand punctual attendance by officers and teachers, have been some of the\nresults. In conclusion, let us pray that our superintendents and boards\nwill see the necessity for this system in their schools, and that before\nlong the schools of our Methodism may be one of continuous gradation.\n\n\n\n\nTHE PLAINFIELD PLAN.\n\nBY JESSE L. HURLBUT, D.D.\n\n\nTWO years have passed since our Sunday school was graded, and the\nresults of the system are now so apparent that we can safely recommend\nour plan, for it has met and endured the test of time. Our Sunday\nschool, before the grading was accomplished, embraced about four hundred\nscholars of all ages, with an average attendance of two hundred and\nseventy-five. Its officers and teachers were fifty in number. It was by\nno means an ideal school, though above the average in the efficiency of\nits work and the interest of its exercises. Its building, however, is a\nmodel of convenience and adaptation to the work of the Sunday school,\nhaving around the main hall eighteen class rooms, all capable of being\neither secluded or opened together at a moment's notice.\n\nWe found in out Sunday school certain evils and defects, all of which\nmay be seen elsewhere. Some of these were: 1. \"Skeleton classes\" in the\nSenior Department, consisting of four or five scholars, being the\nremains of what had once been large classes of boys and girls. 2. A\nconstant tendency among the young people to fall away from the school\nafter reaching the age of sixteen or eighteen years. 3. Great\ndiscrepancies of numbers in the classes; large and small classes side by\nside in the same grade. 4. In almost any given class a lack of unity in\nthe age and the intellectual acquirements of its members. 5. Great\ndifficulty in obtaining suitable teachers for new classes, or to take\nthe places of teachers leaving the school.\n\nAfter many conversations a conclusion was reached that most of these\nevils might be removed, and others of them might be lessened, if the\nschool were reorganized according to a good system, and then maintained\nas a thoroughly graded school. A committee was chosen to prepare a plan.\nCorrespondence was held with graded schools, all printed information\nwas carefully studied, a plan was prepared, printed, submitted to the\nSunday School Board, discussed, modified, and finally adopted\nunanimously. The following are the principal features of the plan, for\nwhich we make no claim of originality, as each of its elements was\nalready in successful operation in one or more graded Sunday schools:\n\n1. That the school should be arranged in four general departments: The\nSenior, for all over sixteen years old; the Junior, from ten to sixteen\nyears; the Intermediate, from eight to ten; and the Primary, for the\nchildren younger than eight years. These divisions are not arbitrary,\nbut represent the average standard of age, to which exceptions might be\nmade in special cases.\n\n2. In each department the number of classes to be fixed and invariable,\nexcept that in the Junior Department there might be some necessary\nelasticity in the number of classes, owing to the varying number of\nscholars promoted into the department in different years.\n\n3. Promotions to be made annually, and all at the same time, on the last\nSunday of March. Except in special emergencies no changes in classes to\nbe made during the year, either by teachers or scholars. If a teacher\naccepts a class on \"Promotion Day\" it is generally to be considered an\nengagement for the entire year, unless a necessity arise.\n\n4. While in the same department a teacher and his class to be advanced\ntogether; that is, from the first year of the Intermediate Grade to the\nsecond, from the first year of the Junior Grade to the second, etc. But\nthe promotion from one department to another to be attended with a\nchange of teachers, in order to keep the same number of classes in each\ndepartment, especially the Senior Department, from year to year.\n\n5. While special supplemental lessons may be provided for each\ndepartment, the promotions to be made upon general fitness, age, and\nintelligence, and not upon the result of an examination. No examination\nupon the plan of the public schools is practicable in the Sunday school,\nwhere all the classes are studying the same lesson. All attempt at\nmaking an examination the prerequisite of promotion is apt to become a\npretense in the actual working of the scheme.\n\n6. It was also decided that the entire school should be reorganized on a\ncertain day, in accordance with the above plan. A careful committee of\nseven members, including the pastor and superintendent, made a canvass\nof the school, ascertained the age of each scholar under seventeen,\nconferred with the teachers, and then prepared a new list of teachers\nand scholars for all classes in the school, making many changes, both in\nthe teaching staff and the assignment of scholars.\n\nSunday, March 30, 1890, was a memorable day, being our first \"Promotion\nSunday.\" We approached it with some anxiety, for on that day our\ncommittee held in its hands the fate of every teacher and every scholar.\nOld ties were to be broken, new relations were to be entered upon. Ten\nteachers were to be returned to the ranks as Senior scholars, and the\ncomplexion of every class was to be changed. No one could tell what\nheart-burnings would be engendered and what disappointments would come.\nThe superintendent made a statement of the new plan, and proceeded to\nread the new roll, beginning with Class No. 1 of the Senior Department.\nAs the names were called the members left their former classes and took\ntheir new places in the class room. Eight classes were assigned to the\nSenior Grade, each having a separate room. These classes were a young\nmen's class, three young ladies' classes, a class of elderly ladies, a\nlecture class of ladies and gentlemen, a class of reserve teachers, and\na normal class to be trained for teachers in the course of the\nChautauqua Normal Union.\n\nIn the Junior Department sixteen classes were formed. Those of the\nlowest rank, the first year, took the front row of seats; the second\nyear the second row, etc. Those of the fifth year Junior were in two\nclasses, one for boys and another for girls, each having a room. The\nteachers of these two classes remain constant, and change their scholars\nevery year; but during the first four years of the grade the teachers\nadvance with their scholars, changing their seats every year, but\nretaining their classes.\n\nThe Intermediate Department consists of two large classes, each in a\nseparate room. One class is of little children just promoted from the\nPrimary Department; the other, of those who have been in the\nIntermediate Grade a year. The teacher remains with each class for two\nyears, the term of this grade. We are inclined to favor a three-year\nterm in this grade, with a class for each year, thus making the age at\nadmission to the Senior Department seventeen instead of sixteen years.\n\nOur Primary Department formerly consisted of nine or ten small classes\nunder one Primary superintendent. In the reorganization we constituted\nit as one class, with a teacher and an assistant. This change released a\nnumber of teachers for service in the school, and was on the whole an\nimprovement. Whether it would be desirable everywhere depends on\ncircumstances. In many places it might be easier to find ten teachers,\neach of whom can teach ten scholars, than one who can teach one hundred.\n\nWhen the roll of the school had been fully called every teacher and\nevery scholar had been assigned, except one boy, who had joined the\nschool that day, and was left standing in the middle of the room in a\nbewildered state of mind over the revolution which was going on around\nhim. A view of the newly arranged classes from the platform showed the\nschool looking more orderly than ever before, and gave it the appearance\nof having twice as many adult scholars as formerly.\n\nOne item must not be forgotten. The superintendent announced that each\ndepartment would hold a \"reception\" adapted to the age of its members.\nThe Senior reception was appointed for Monday evening of the next week,\nand was to include upon its program music, addresses, readings, cake,\nand cream. All the young people were eager to be counted in, and hence\nwilling to leave their old classes for the new ones. A fortnight later\nthe Junior Department held its reception, with a stereopticon\nentertainment and the refreshments. Even if a boy can obtain a\nsuperabundance of cake at home he will be drawn by the prospect of\nanother slice to the Sunday school sociable. Each department held its\nown reception, all were happy, and the young ladies and gentlemen were\nnot made to feel that they were simply on the fringe of an institution\nadapted mainly to little children.\n\nThe system thus inaugurated has been in operation two years. What have\nbeen its results?\n\nThere were at first some complaints by teachers, scholars, and parents.\nBut only one teacher left the school; the classes settled down to work\nand soon became acquainted; a few changes, but only a very few, were\nmade in the assignments of the scholars, as, for example, where a\nmistake had been made in the age of a pupil; and soon everybody was\nsatisfied with the new arrangement. Among its manifest benefits we may\nnote the following:\n\n1. The Senior Department is maintained with large classes and growing\nnumbers. There is a social feeling, an \"esprit de corps,\" in a large\nclass which is not found in a small one; hence the shrinkage is less.\nAnd whatever loss is met is more than supplied from the new blood\ninfused each year on \"Promotion Sunday.\"\n\n2. The scholars in the Junior Department have an aim and a hope before\nthem. They look forward to their promotion with earnest expectation, and\nare on this account the more loyal to the school.\n\n3. Inasmuch as all changes are made at a given time they are prepared\nfor. For three months the superintendent is planning for \"Promotion\nSunday.\" If a teacher can be better fitted with a class, a change is\nmade at that time; and where many changes are made at once the friction\nof each is reduced to a minimum. Classes are made more nearly uniform in\ntheir constituency, and the school is kept up to an evenness of\norganization which greatly increases its efficiency.\n\n4. There has been a marked increase in the membership of the school.\nNotwithstanding the organization of a mission school by the church,\ntaking away several workers and some scholars, the school has an\nattendance from seventy-five to one hundred larger than that of two\nyears ago.\n\nAfter a trial of two years we are sure that the establishment of a\ngraded system and a faithful adherence to its plans have greatly\nbenefited our Sunday school.\n\n\n\n\nA MODEL SUNDAY SCHOOL ROOM.\n\n\nTHE Sunday school is the door to the Church through which enters the\ngreat majority of its members. This fact alone would account for the\nincreasing interest that the Church now manifests toward the school. As\nthe institution which trains the young for the Church, and leads both\nyoung and old into the Church, the Sunday school is entitled to the\nChurch's support and care.\n\nThe housing of the Sunday school is one of the most important subjects\nthat can come before the Church as the guardian of the school. Too often\nthe work of the school is impeded by unsuitable and inconvenient\nquarters. Just as the public school building now claims the attention of\narchitects and sanitary engineers, the Sunday school hall is also\nattracting notice.\n\nIt is only twenty-two years since the first building thoroughly adapted\nfor the uses of the Sunday school was erected at Akron, O. This\nbuilding, the joint conception of the Hon. Lewis Miller, superintendent,\nand Mr. Jacob Snyder, architect, has furnished most of the ideas\npeculiar to Sunday school construction, and is therefore entitled to\npreeminence in the record. Others have improved upon the details of the\nAkron plan, but its fundamental principles have never been superseded,\nand can never be. Those principles are only two, and they seem almost\nincompatible with each other. They have been called \"aloneness\" and\n\"togetherness;\" that is, that each class in certain departments shall be\nisolated in a separate room, and yet that all the classes may be brought\ntogether into one room for general exercises without delay, without\nconfusion, and without the change of seats by the classes.\n\n[Illustration: FIRST FLOOR PLAN\n\nVINCENT CHAPEL]\n\nAmong the dozen or more Sunday school buildings on the Akron plan one of\nthe most convenient and most complete, yet not one of the most\nexpensive, is that connected with the Methodist Episcopal Church in\nPlainfield, N. J. As this was for twenty years the church home of the\nRev. Bishop John H. Vincent, the Sunday school bears the appropriate\nname of \"Vincent Chapel.\" The plans were drawn by Mr. Oscar S. Teale,\narchitect. Mr. Teale was at that time the efficient secretary of the\nschool, and added to an architect's knowledge a worker's practical\nacquaintance with the needs of the Sunday school. The chapel, as may be\nseen by the diagrams, embraces a large room, with eighteen smaller\nclass rooms around it, nine upon each floor. The partitions of the class\nrooms are so arranged as to offer no obstruction to the line of vision\nfrom any seat in the building to the superintendent's desk and the\nblackboard fastened to the wall back of it. Thus the superintendent can\nsee and be seen by every pupil and teacher in the building. He can also\nbe heard with perfect ease in every class room, as the acoustic\nproperties of the building are excellent.\n\nThe main room is used by the Junior Department, in which the scholars\nare from eleven to sixteen years of age. The classes are seated\naccording to grade, the \"first year Juniors\" on the front row of\nclasses; the \"second year Juniors\" on the second row, etc., for four\nrows, the boys on the superintendent's right, the girls on his left.\nEach year, on \"Promotion Sunday,\" the classes move one row farther from\nthe desk, and the new classes formed from the Intermediate Department\ntake the front row of seats.\n\nThe nine class rooms on the ground floor are used as follows: In the\nleft-hand corner, just where the most of the scholars pass in entering\nand leaving, is the secretary's room. Next is the \"fifth year Junior,\"\ninto which all the girls enter after four years in the Junior Grade,\nleaving their former teachers for a new one. In this class they stay\neither one or two years, according to age and acquirements, and from it\nare promoted to the Senior Department. The third room is that of the\n\"Ladies' Bible Class;\" the fourth, the \"Reserve Class.\" Next comes the\nchurch parlor, seating a hundred people, and used by a large Senior\nClass. The next room is for the \"first year Intermediate,\" that is,\nthose just advanced from the Primary Department; the seventh, the\n\"second year Intermediate;\" the eighth, a \"young men's Senior Class;\"\nthe ninth, and last, the boys' section of the \"fifth year Junior,\" the\nlargest class of boys in the Junior Department.\n\nOn the ground floor are four entrances, one at each corner. As the\nchapel stands at the rear of the church it was necessary to have the\nprincipal entrance on each side of the room facing the school. This is a\nslight drawback, as a rear entrance would be preferable, in order not to\ndistract attention to the late comers.\n\nThe partitions between the class rooms are windows of ground glass of\namber color. They are movable, so that classes can be united whenever\ndesirable. Those between class rooms and the main room are double doors\nof ground glass, so hung that they may be swung aside easily, and\narranged when open not to interfere with the line of vision. All the\nrooms are well lighted and well ventilated; and the main room, when all\nthe rooms are closed, has abundant light and air from a clear story\nabove, with movable windows.\n\nTo the gallery and its classes there are three entrances. The one from\nwithout the building leads exclusively to the Primary Class, which, by\nhaving its own exit, can adjourn earlier than the rest of the school.\nThe two other stairs are interior and lead to the gallery corridor, on\nwhich all the class rooms of the upper floor open. These are separated\nfrom each other and from the main room by sliding doors of amber glass,\nso that they may be united or isolated at will, and in a moment. The\nseats in these classes rise in tiers so that those in the rear as well\nas in the front can see the platform and the blackboard. There are nine\nclass rooms, of which the central one is for the Primary Department, and\nall the others are for the Senior classes. All the Senior classes are\nlarge, and are kept full by promotion every year from the Junior Grade.\n\n[Illustration: GALLERY PLAN\n\nVINCENT CHAPEL]\n\nThe library room is at the main entrance, so that books may be delivered\nby the pupils while passing into the school, and might be given to them\nwhile passing out, though in fact they are brought by the librarian to\nthe classes. On the opposite side of the building, in the rear of the\nentrance, is a kitchen, which is used at entertainments and social\ngatherings. For these two or three of the class rooms are thrown\ntogether as a refreshment room adjoining the kitchen.\n\nOne advantage of such a chapel is its expandable character. When all the\nrooms are closed there is seating capacity for two hundred and fifty\nchairs in the main room, which generally suffices for the prayer\nmeeting, while room after room may be opened as the congregation\nincreases. This form of building is equally adapted for the Sunday\nschool, the prayer meeting, and the social gatherings of the Church.\n\n\nTHE END.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nTranscriber's Notes:\n\nObvious punctuation errors repaired.\n\nPage 51, repeated word \"The\" removed from text (The scholars never\nseemed)","title":"Seven Graded Sunday Schools: A Series of Practical Papers","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":20732}