The Boston Meetings and Reception

BY GEORGE W. PENNIMAN

The presence in Boston, Friday, April 26, 1907, of more than three hundred representative Sunday-school workers of the United States and Canada-scheduled to sail Saturday, April 27, on the White Star Line Steamer Romanic for the World's Fifth Sunday School Convention in Rome, May 18-23—was greatly appreciated by the Sunday-school workers of Boston and vicinity.

The Boston Daily Globe, April 27, devoted nearly four columns, with illustrations, to a report of the reception accorded the distinguished visitors. The Globe said:

"Nearly all the delegates arrived in Boston by Thursday and their advent was made the occasion of an exhibition of that enthusiastic and tactful hospitality with which Boston delights to welcome visitors who come for a special purpose.

"These guests were joined by the members of the International Lesson Committee, which had been in session here this week at the Hotel Brunswick, and the combined company were taken in hand by a committee headed by Dr. Samuel B. Capen, president of the International Sunday School Convention of 1906, while associated with him were William N. Hartshorn and ten presidents and ex-presidents of Massachusetts Sunday-school organizations and denominational clubs.

"The first incident was a reception by Lieutenant-Governor Draper at the State House in the 'Hall of Flags,' followed by an automobile ride through the most beautiful portions of the city. In this the committee had the assistance of E. J. Woolley, prominent in Boston's business circles, through whose influence a large number of automobile dealers tendered the use of some of their best machines for the occasion. Although the streets were dry and the wind high, causing discomfort from dust, the participants voted the ride a success and were greatly pleased with the sightseeing.

"An informal reception at the home of Mr. and Mrs. W. N. Hartshorn, 54 The Fenway, was tendered the guests. Among those present were: Mr. H. J. Heinz, Mr. E. K. Warren and wife, Mr. F. A. Wells and wife, Mr. Marion Lawrance, the Rev. B. B. Tyler, D.D., and wife, the Rev. Dr. O. P. Gifford, the Hon. John R. Pepper, President W. D. MacKenzie, President J. S. Stahr, LL.D., Mr. A. B. McCrillis and wife, Mr. John D. Haskell and wife, and many others. This reception was followed by a reception and banquet at Ford Hall. Here opportunity was given for the delegates to become acquainted with each other, and the hour before entering the banquet hall was filled with introductions and the renewal of friendships.

"After-dinner speeches were 'limited to five minutes,' as per announcement, but the bottled-up eloquence could not escape fast enough to give the ten men on the program time, and five of them had to content themselves with applauding the others.

"Mr. Hartshorn called the assembly to order, and after the doxology and a prayer by Prof. Ira M. Price, the Hon. Robert F. Raymond, of New Bedford, president of the Massachusetts Sunday School Association, was introduced as chairman.

"The speakers, in addition to Mr. Hartshorn and President Raymond, were: the Rev. Dr. B. B. Tyler, of Colorado, president of the International Convention of 1902; the Rev. Dr. E. I. Rexford, principal of the Diocesan College in Montreal, and the Rev. O. P. Gifford, of Buffalo [now of Boston], formerly pastor of the Warren Avenue Baptist Church of this city.

"A vote of thanks for the abounding hospitality of Boston was proposed by the Rev. J. C. Massee, of North Carolina, and carried by a rising vote of the visitors. Among other things, the resolutions said, 'Many entertainers have done excellently, but the Boston Sunday-school workers have excelled them all. The courtesies extended have been unusual

and picturesque. To this delightful day the automobile owners of the city have contributed in a magnificent ride about Boston. We are heartily grateful and pledge renewed allegiance to our great work. We are sure that the fellowship of this day will add appreciably to the pleasure of the coming voyage, and the value of the convention.'

"The gathering broke up shortly before 8 o'clock, and all proceeded to Tremont Temple, where a large audience had already assembled.

"After an opening service of song led by Charles L. Estey, of Brockton, Hon. Samuel B. Capen, LL.D., the presiding officer of the evening, called upon the Rev. Dr. P. S. Henson, pastor of Tremont Temple, to read the Scriptures, and Prof. Charles R. Hemphill, of Louisville, Kentucky, to offer prayer."

In his opening remarks Dr. Capen, referring to the presence of the distinguished Sunday-school workers, the guests of the evening said, "They represent one of the greatest movements of all the ages," and he added," Blot out the work which these gentlemen are doing, and what has been done during the past twenty-five years, and you have put back the coming of the Kingdom by a century."

To the Reverend Dr. A. F. Schauffler, of New York, Secretary of the Lesson Committee, was given the topic, "Why the Present International Lesson System?" He said in part:

"Time was in the Sunday-school world when every school and almost every teacher did as they did in Israel at a certain time, that is, did as seemed good in their own eyes in the matter of portions of Scripture to be studied. Sometimes in a given school varied helps were used in the same session.

"It was noticed by leaders thirty-seven years ago that sometimes the Old Testament was almost entirely abandoned or, at least, not studied. It was noticed that sometimes the lessons got into the Epistle to the Romans, and whenever they got there they never got out. It was confusion worse

confounded in the Sunday-school world from a pedagogical standpoint.

"The result was that before 1872, leaders like B. F. Jacobs, J. H. Vincent, now Bishop, Edward Eggleston, and others of that type got together to see whether some improvement could not be made along the line of Sundayschool study of the Word of God. That was the genesis of the International Uniform Lesson System. We now are in the outflowering and fruitage of that movement which started thirty-five years ago.

"The evolution of the International Lesson System has made millions and millions pulsate to the great thoughts of divine revelation from Sabbath to Sabbath. This power in uniformity has been felt in the Sunday-school world from California to Maine, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, from the new world to the old. Thus it is, that every Sunday the vastly major part of the Sunday-school world turns to the same theme in the same book, for the study of the same truth, under the guidance of the same Spirit.

"It is not without significance that in India alone, for example, the International lessons are translated into forty different languages and dialects. It is not without significance that in New Zealand and Australia, Cape Colony and India, Japan, Korea and China, as well as Europe and America, they are pulsating in the realm of Sunday-school thought, to the same purpose and the same desire and the same supreme end, and are traveling along the same pathway. This is what the International system of lessons has been, under the blessing of God, able to reach, and this, by the blessing of God, it shall continue to prosecute to the best of its ability.

"Has the International system become outworn? I am one of those who believe that it has not. Although still international, and still largely pulsating along the same general lines, there will, undoubtedly, be gradations of lessons according to age and intelligence of scholars.