It differs from the latter only in its function, which is to teach religion 

 and morality. We have a right to expect the Sunday-school to perform 

 its special function as efficiently as the day school performs its own. 

 A comparison of the two at several points is interesting. 



The total membership of all Sunday-schools is 5,537, an average of 

 72 to the school. Of this number approximately 3,600 are between the 

 ages of 5 and 20. The total white Protestant jjopulation between these 

 ages is about 6,750: 51% of this number are enrolled in the public schools, 

 46% in the Sunday-schools. The day schools, moreover, show a better 

 average attendance. The regular attendance here represents 35% of 

 the total number of school age and 67.3% of the enrollment. The attend- 

 ance upon the Sunday-schools represents only 53.8% of the enrollment 

 and 28.7% of the total. The total average attendance per Sunday is 

 3,360, 43.5 per school. 



The 77 schools have 521 teachers (173 males and 348 females), about 

 seven teachers per school, and one teacher for every 10 pupils enrolled. 

 The public schools have 128 teachers (27 males and 101 females), one to 

 every 30 pupils. In the smaller class groups, other things equal, it ought 

 to be easier to hold the pupils and the Sunday-schools by this token 

 should show at least as high a proportionate attendance as the public 

 schools. At least a part of the explanation of this may be that only 

 five Sunday-schools in the county are making any attempt whatsoever 

 to train their teachers, that there are almost no organized departments 

 or classes, and that not a half-dozen schools are using graded lessons. 

 The teachers are conscientious Christian men and women who are giving 

 the best service of which they are capable. But before the Sunday- 

 school can hold its own as an educational institution these men and 

 women must also be given some special training. The art of teaching 

 may itself be taught. It has been said that the minister might better 

 take the farmer from his plow and put him in the jiulpit than give him 

 charge over a Sunday-school class without some special training. In the 

 former event, he would not be dealing with such i)lastic and impression- 

 able material. The Sunday-school is the strategic point in the church's 

 field of work but it is not receiving by any means the careful attention 

 that it should receive. It is quite as important to train the teachers 

 of the young as the preachers to the old. 



Other organizations: there are 38 young peoj^le's organizations with 

 a total membership of 1,381. These societies meet for the most part 

 weekly. Forty-nine churches are without any form of organization for 

 their young people. Women's societies number 68 with a membership 

 of 1,525. These are chiefly of two sorts. Ladies' Aid Societies and 

 Mission Study Societies. Thirty-three churches are without any 

 women's organizations. But very little effort has been made to organize 



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