AND YE SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH, AND THE TRUTH
VOL. XL VIII.
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CHARLOTTE, N. C*THUI
_:__ •■■■ _ r - • . - ^
pSDAY, MARCH 4, 1926.
NO. 9.
HOW THE DAILY VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
SHOULD BE CONDUCTED
By Rev. Jesse B. Barber.
(Paper read at the Annual Workers' Conference, held at Brain
erd Institute, Chester, South Carolina.)
The problem of presenting
this subject would be rendered
far simpler for me, had the mak
ers of the program seen fit to
give it one more word, so as to
make the subject read, How the
V. B. S. Should Not Be Con
ducted, for, concerning V* B.
Schools as well as many other
ventures, memory’s pages
abound with glowing and class
ic examples of that which
ought to have been done, but
was not, and that which, from
every conceivable point of view,
ought not to have been even
attempted, but was very thor
oughly accomplished, notwith
standing.
The point of significance for
us, however, is found, not in the
failure of our V. B. S’s to meas
ure up to our pre-conceived no
tions, nor yet to our clearly es
tablished standards, but that
they have been conducted at all,
and that each year sees more,
larger, longer, and better schools
and a more active interest in
the movement.
It is of moment, also, to note
that the movement is by no
means a city enterprise, carried
on mainly by our stronger city
churches, with their recognized
advantage in numbers, leader
ship and opportunity. The
fact is that our larger fields have
been, generally, the most dere
lict. It is the school of average
size, or smaller, and in town or
rural community, that has con
tributed most to the adoption of
advanc^. f
speak of course with reference
to those schools that are found
wthin the realm of this Confer
ence.
The salutary effects of this
movement are to be discussed
elsewhere, but it is pertinent to
our sub jet to consider, for the
moment, one phase of this fruit
age.
Not inconsiderable among the
results attributable to the
growth and progress of the V.
B. S. movement,^® the opportu
nity given for evaluating the
quality ot the work we are do
ing. With the experiences of
years before us, and from act
ual observation and contact with
many types of schools, it can
reasonably be expected that a
consensus of best' methods
emerge and be formed into a
sound, practical program.
The standard V- B. S. pro
gram of our Church is typical of
the best efforts in that direction.
It proposes that a standard
school shall have a term of at
least twenty-three • teaching
days, and a daily session of two
and one half hours. It shall have
four departments; Kindergarten.
Primary, Junior, and Interme^
diate; a principal and at least
four department teachers, be
sides assistants or helpers, and
other officers. The minimum re
quirement for the Principal and
teachers of the standard V. B. S.
is one year of an approved T. T.
course, and twenty hours train
ing in V. B. S. work. An attend
ance of 85 per cent of the pu
pils enrolled 5 days or more,
material graded for each de
partment in worship, instruc
tion and expressional activities,
and the use of standard records
are further required.
But the merest' glance at this
\ standard suffices to produce the
ponviction that it is far beyond
the reach of the greater num
ber qf pur schools. This is quite
true, ''but this does not reflect
discredit; upon the standard. The
• mark of a standard school is not'
a gift to be bestowed; it is an
achievement, an honor to be
won often at the cost of years.
But for the winning of it, and
in the keeping thereof, there is
great reward, and not for the
V. B. S. alone, but for the whole
field.
Examples of this are numer
ous. First, let us say that a
school is desirous of attaining
the standard T. T. course. It will
be found that the most effective
way of meeting this necessity
is the organization of a T. T.
class in the Sabbath School,
thereby preparing teachers, not
only for V. B. S. work, but for
the Sabbath School and Young
People’s work as well.
Then, too, the standard re
quires facilities for separate de
partmental activities. I have ob
served a number of schools that
have adopted permanently the
improvements introduced by the
V. B. S., as curtains for separate
class work, the greater use of
instruments, pictures, and in
some cases, graded lessons.
Again, the denominational
week-day church school plan is a
logical and a tremendously ef
fective sequence to an efficient
V. B. S- Every year our minis
ters tell us how loathe they—the
ministers and workers—are to
end their V. B. S’s, and how the
children look forward so eager
ly each summer to their reop
ening. I must confess my sur
prise and no small disappoint
ment at the saddening fact that
out of so many progressive
fields within the bounds of our
Conference, not one, to my
knowledge, has even attempted
a week day School of Religious
Education.
A V. B- S. conducted accord
«Dg«tar .thB ataadarri prognm ^
our Church, is the goal toward
which we set our faces, the aim
for which we should constantly
strive.
But you will quickly say,
“This cannot be done; our fields
are too small, our workers too
few, our facilities too meager.”
And this may well be granted.
The records will show that.few,
if any standard schools ever have
been conducted in our portion of
the Southland. I doubt strongly
if there has ever been one. But
this does not mean that we can
not have standard schools next
year. It surely does not mean
that we should not expect to
have standard schools in the fu
ture.
It means that we should plan
our schools to serve the pres
ent as best' we can, and as well
plan for the future. Two meth
ods of building churches are
popular: one, to erect a tempor
ary structure, or to adapt an old
building to church purposes,
with a view of doing away with
it at a more convenient season,
which sometimes never comes.
The other plan is to begin the
building with a part or unit
which is designed to be perma
nent, and which forms a harmo
nious and an integral part of the
completed edifice. The advan
tages of the latter plan are ob
vious. We would do well to pat
tern after it. Let us build our
V. B- Ss. on the unit system.
Let us do away with the make
shifts and shacks.
Some adaptation is necessary,
for while holding that we should
have standard schools as the
years pass, we must have
schools during the process and
the only method we have is that
of remolding or remodeling the
standard program to fit our
needs and our weaknesses. And
so we have adapted and adapted,
and at times with woeful result's.
A good lady of my acquain
tance of yester years, who was
our church organist, suffered
from this malady of “adapting.”
The choir never practiced, and
so on Sunday morning when the
minister would announce a
hymn, there would be a scram
ble to see if they knew the tune.
If they did, and especially if it
wae one of the grand old inspir
T ■ ■' ■ -
ing airs, great would be their
amazement and consternation
to find her strumming the pre
liminaries of some strange,
weird thing, which no one knew,
and which few, if any, cared to
know. Some of our efforts at
adapting the standard program
have been as clumsy and as
wretchedly ineffective
Adaptation of the standard
program usually takes the fol
lowing courses:
First, the length of the five
weeks term is shortened. While
the full term is always to bo
preferred, and should always be
our aim, such is found often im
practicable. This should not be
discouraging, however, for a
long term is not necessarily ftn
indication of efficiency. Certain
ly a short term school is far bet
ter than none at all. And, too,
short term schools can be made
very effective. Two of the best
V B. S’s in the Synod of East
Tennessee during the past sum
mer lasted only one week. What
ever the length of the term, ev
ery endeavor should be made to
carry out the full program as
thoroughly as possible.
In the second place, as suffi
cient well trained teachers are
not always available, the facul
ty is generally under-manned,
and consequently, one or more
departments are combined. This,
in many cases, is most unfortu
nate, and especially where the
attendance is large, as it is diffi
cult, almost impossible, to avoid
the attendant confusion and loss
of effectiveness. A ■‘pertain
amount of “doubling up” is per
missible in smaller schools, and
in these it should be very care
fully done.
Third, the standard lesson
materials are frequently substi
tuted for V. B. S’s, and worship,
instruction, and related activi
ties are grouped around central
foemes. Thfl - auk
jstitute materials cost little or
nothing is perhaps the chief
cause of their popularity, but
in reality their cost is greatest
in the loss of effectiveness they
bring to the school. The stand
ard lessons should be used.
A word about records. Each
school is expected to keep an ac
curate record of each of its pu
pils- This is generally consid
ered sufficient. But in almost
every school we find boys and
girls whom we do not know, and
who vanish after commence
ment. If these names and ad
dresses are given to the Sabbath
School at the end of the V. B.
S. term they can be sought and
found, and saved to the school.
The activities of the V. B. S.
day are divided into seven
units or periods. Besides the
preparatory and closing periods
there are periods given to de
votions, memorizing Bible pas
sages and hymns, singing, Bible
stories, and related expressional
activities^
It is well stated that “one of
the most important items in the
success of the school is the prep
aration which is made for the
session of the first day, and the
first day itself.” The materials
to be used should be on hand.
Plans and arrangements for
equipment should thoroughly be
worked out. A meeting of all
who are to help carry on the
school should be held some days
preceding the opening. In this
way the work can be gone over,
step by step, and each person
know clearly and definitely his
or her duties.
The day begins with a pre
paratory period for teachers, at
which time the materials are
set in order, the rooms arranged,
and the final plans for the pro
gram adopted. A significant
feature of this period, and one
which should never be omitted,
is the teachers’ prayer service.
To us the words of the Bulletin,
“This may take only a few mo
ments, but in those few mo
ments of time, all the workers in
the school should be gathered
together in order that the work
'may be carried on in a real
sense of dependence upon God,
the Father.”
(Continued on page 4)
Fi >m ail indications Lincoln
Pres lately is forging to the
fron . The General Council of
line 4n Presbytery held its last
ENINGS IN LINCOLN
PRESBYTERY
Re# H. W. McNair, Stated Clerk
lg before the Spring
of Presbytery, on the
of Fee Memorial Insti
r February 27, with all of
lembers present save one
The ^following were present:
J. Coxe, R. M. Moore,
ie, H. W. McNair and
what
this
much interest and o:
be remembered for the
of brotherly love which
erized it.
churches in the Presby
teryf ere supplied save our
churgh in Paducah, and we hope
to supply it soon. Ferguson
Mehtori&l church, Louisville,
Ky., Is making history under
the i song preaching and power
ful! ifluence of Rev. Coxe.
1 Cc telia church, Bowling
Gree i, Ky., is also striving to
takelthe first place, and from
we learn from Bro. Byrd,
be one of the strong
hts for our great Church,
interest is kept up. When
Presbytery robbed old
in of Revs. Coxe and Byrd
k one of the greatest
steps| °* ^er history.
Rev. Moore, who came to us
frojnj Gabawba, and is retiring
Moderator of Lincoln Presbyte
ry, i$.bringing things to pass in
Danville. Revs. Miller and
Hayhes, ministers of Westmin
ster laid New Hope, respective
making things go. Dr.
, although not a member
coin, but has kindly con
to take care' of our ex
mountain work, is always
and the people ovc
the only man who can preach.
Our slogan is: Better preach
ers, harmony in the work, a
high type of ministers, and more
funds raised for all purposes.
We shall throw our strong arms
around the ministers of our
Presbytery and work and live
together as a family.
Any man who wants to work
in harmony and abide by the
laws of the Church, will find no
better field than Lincoln Pres
bytery. On the other hand, if
he hopes to override law and
order and live a life of laziness,
he had better seek other fields
of labor.
Presbytery will meet with the
Ferguson Memorial church,
Louisville, Ky., Thursday, April
8, 7:45 P. M. All who wish to
attend will please notify Rev.
P. J. Coxe, 2505 W. Magazine
St., Louisville, Ky. Bro. Coxe
ana nis hock ten us tnat tnis is
to be one of the greatest meet
ings ever held.
Bro. Coxe, we are with you
and shall do our part in helping
to make it a great gathering.
Just here we are taking the
opportunity to invite our own
Dr. Henry L. McCrorey, Presi
dent of Johnson C. Smith Uni
versity, to be with us. We read
much of his visits to near-by
gatherings, but why not launch
out and give us a visit? To be
certain Dr. McCrorey is properly
invited, we are inviting him in
a personal letter and hope he
will be with us. We are sure
that the bodies near him, al
though meeting about the same
time, will be willing to spare
him once in a decade. Dr. Mc
Crorey, we are looking for you!
To close our remarks without
mentioning the women of the
Presbytery would be out of the
question. Our good women are
felt as never before and we feel
justified in saying that they will
rank with any of the older and
larger bodies. The budget they
were asked to raise has been
raisd and several dollars beyond.
They are to have a popular meet
ing on Friday night, April 9,
and the meeting promises to be
the best ever held.
Power is the agent of all pro
gress. With intellectual power
we work out new ideas.
LINCOLN ALUMNI TO
RAISE FUNDS.
Washington, D. C., Feb. 22.—
rhe Washington Branch of the
General Alumni Association of
Lincoln University is sponsor
ing a movement to secure sub
stantial contributions for the
school. The plan, is to get the
graduates to open both their
tieafts and their purse strings in
behilf of their Alma Mater as
they have never done before,
rhey will advocate the adoption
>f their plans by the General
Association at the coming June
ncement.
:he erection of an annex
present dining hall to accommo
date two hundred and fifty stu
dents as the McCauley refecto
ry is inadequate for the present
student body of two hundred
and eighty-five. This is known
to be an urgent need and many
oyal Lincoln men are ready and
willing to help relieve this con
dition.
Another prominent issue in
the minds of the Lincoln men
is the electing of an honored
graduate to the Trustee Board,
rhe men feel that the Trustees
should show the same spirit
along this line as other institu
tions have shown their gradu
ates
The local alumni feel that the
graduates should be called upon
for a larger share in the support
of the school’s athletic sports.
For the past forty years Phil
adelphia has - been considered
as “home-town” for Lincoln, and
efforts should be made to buy
or control a park there for foot
ball games, etc., and play the
home games in that city.
Loyal men all over the coun
try have agreed to support such
plans when they are convinced
an advanced step may be car
ried out successfully, the Wash
ington branch is advocating the
appointment of a National Or
ganizer whose duty will be to
visit the men and associations
throughout the country.
ED1STO ISLAND, S. C.
Edisto Island is still on the
map of South Carolina and our
Presbyterian church and school
are still on Edisto Island. We
have been planning for some
time to let you hear from us
other than through “Uncle Bil
lie,” who seems to be too mod
est to tell what is going on
among us.
Our school has an enrollment
of 104, and our daily average
attendance is about 90. We ata
seeing results from the labors
being put forth for the educa
tion of the children, and the bet
terment of the community by
the influence of the Presbyteri
an work here. The children are
becoming more interested each
year, this being verified by the
average attendance. The par
ents find it hard to keep the
children home to care for the
younger ones while they go to
the farms or lodge meetings.
The young men home from
Johnson C. Smith University
for the holidays were Messrs.
Jonathan Williams, Michael
Knights, Jr., Arthur Campbell,
Paul Morrison, W. L., Jr., and
Perry Metz. No one needed to
ask where they were from. Ev
ery one could see the great
change and influence college life
has made with these young men.
We hope to have some more to
go oti next term.
If you had seen “Uncle Billie”
Christmas when his six boys
were home from J. C. S. Univer
sity you would have thought he
was just 16 years old himself—
the youngest of the bunch.
Our church is taking on new
life, and every one is working
hard to have the church re
paired and everything ready to
entertain Presbytery in April.
The Missionary Society could
be called the “Busy Bees,” as
quite a number of women can
be found every Saturday from
1 to 4:30 P. M., making quilts
fco be sold to help with repairs.
Our church now has a vested
’hoir, the second in Atlantic
Presbytery. Since Hie reorgan
ization 01 the choir the members
have realized it ig absolutely ne
cessary to be punctual at ser
vices and to attend choir prac
tice. They are doing excellent
svork under the management of
»ur organist, Mrs. Estelle Camp
bell, leader of the Women’s club
3f our church. .
A very creditable program
was rendered the second Sab
bath afternoon, entitled, “The
23rd PsaKfrlh * Song and Sto
ry.” It was enjoyed by all and a
aeat sum was raised.
£ur senior elder, “Unde^Bil
ie,&s he is affectiohatefycalled
by many, is energetic and loy
al to his church. He believes in
ioing his daily duty and is de
sirous of seeing others do the
same. He believes in progress.
Mr. W. W. Campbell, Jr., our
junior elder, is a live wire and
follows in the footsteps of his
father. He is a chip off of the
old block.
Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Jackson
have the sympathy of the com
munity in the loss of their
daughter, Edna. Mr. Jackson
is our faithful Sabbath School
Superintendent, but his been
ill for several months. We hope
for him a speedy recovery.
You will hear from Edisto
Island again.
“A MEMBER.”
ZION HILL CHURCH, AND
FRASIER ACADEMY,
BAMBERG, S. C.
We are delighted to report up
to this time the success of the
work along several lines. Dur
ing the visit of our Synodical
Evangelist, Rev. J. E. Jackson,
we had several of the young
faithful. We have noticed also
that our Sunday evening servic
es are better from a numerical
as well as a financial standpoint.
This is due largely to the screen
lectures given by Rev. Robin
son every Sunday P. M. since
the purchasing of his stereopti
con machine.
The Sunday school is also in
a splendid condition. Even the
inclement weather does not in
terfere with the attendance to
a great extent.
The Mission Study class has
helped the young people to see
more clearly their duty as
Christians.
The three additions to the
school this year are as follows:
a basket ball outfit, a volley ball
outfit, and a sewing department.
Frasier is proud of having won
two games of volley ball from
the Bamberg High school.
Our mid-term examination ifs
over. Some of the students are
happy as to their standing, but
we have some sad ones also.
Rev. H. M. Scott, S. S. M.,
with headquarters now in Ocala,
Fla., was the pleasant week-end
visitor on the campus several
weeks since. We were delighted
with his presence and are hop
ing for him much success in his
work.
The Williams Silver Tone
Quintette Singers rendered a
pleasing programme at the Fra
sier auditorium, Saturday P. M.,
February 20, to a full house of
white and colored people.
Rev. Robinson’s text Sunday
morning was taken from Joel
3:14. His subject was, “The Val
ley of Decision.” All present, we
believe, were uplifted as well
as benefitted by his inspiring
discourse.
Rev. Robinson is a splendid
worker. Yet we do not wonder
at his success during these years
with such an energetic wife as
he has to help him to push the
work in the person of Mrs. M.
A. Robinson. We hope for them
continued success.
A MEMBER OF THE FAC
ULTY.
To be happy in business you
must have the feeling that you
are doing something to help
your customers move forward.