328 REPORT OF SUNDAY SCHOOL EXTENSION SOCIETY reorganized, with a membership of one thousand eight hundred and seventy-four. The entire number of mission schools is two hundred and sixty-two, with a total membership of four thousand five hundred and fifty-one. A larger number of schools could have been organized, but only those were brought into being that could be under the direct supervision of some pastor, so that the new work might have, not only a measure of pastoral oversight, but the strength of an established church organization behind it. In addition to actual extension work during 1918, our field force participated in six hundred and fifty conventions, institutes and group conferences, thereby helping carry out the educational program of the denomination. Grants of literature to needy schools numbered two hundred and ten for the year, the total value being $1,670.83. Sixteen of these grants went to schools in Hawaii, eight to Colored Congregational schools, seven to Porto Rico, two were for Italian schools, and one for a Slavic school. Regarding the new alignment of the Sunday School work with the Home Missionary activities, constant testimony is borne that it is proving exceedingly effective, and we believe it will result in more carefully co-ordinated plans and in the doing of the work that is most needed in the best possible way. Of the forty-six persons on our list, thirty-five are joint workers, and the remaining eleven are doing definite church work. A growing number of churches supporting mission schools is reported, a life membership list is an actual achievement, and a beginning has been made in connection with invested. funds. The plans for the annual Children's Day service include increasingly definite and comprehensive features to meet the needs of the average school and adapted to the requirements of schools of different types. A questionaire sent out with the 1919 Service brought back replies indicating general satisfaction with it and useful suggestions for future exercises. Efforts are being made to reach more largely than ever before the New Americans in the country, and our special mission in this direction is evident. The emphasis placed on evangelism in our Sunday School program meets with in REPORT OF SUNDAY SCHOOL EXTENSION SOCIETY 329 creasing favor and proves increasingly helpful. Socially there is a marked advance in many directions, and as a community force this organization of children, youth and parents is assuming a place of recognized power. So, while for recognized causes there has been a falling off in the enrollment of our Sunday Schools for 1918, as in other denominations, there have been forward movements inaugurated and brought to fruition that have in view the supreme purpose of the development of character. Now we are facing, during these reconstruction days, a great field for the extension of Sunday School work in places not hitherto reached, and for enlarging the present enrollment in existing organizations. The literature of the society is being developed along strong lines, the endeavor being made to issue that which is concrete and inspirational in its character, dealing with actual experiences in field work in addition to setting forth the plans and ideals of the society. Financially we have reason to be encouraged. The total receipts for the year amounted to $36,202.56, with total expenditures of $32,437.94. On the basis of the National Council apportionment of three per cent, the regular income of the society should reach $60,000. Extra giving from individuals for special work outside the apportionment is to be expected, but is at present small. Eventually legacies will add to the income, and adjustments are now being perfected with the Religious Education Boards for a just share of the invested funds of the Congregational Sunday School and Publishing Society in accordance with the action of the National Council. The many and increasing calls for service present an open door of opportunity. The Sunday School Missionary and Extension work, which under different names and varied direction has for eighty-six years been supported devotedly by the interest and gifts of our churches, needs a larger support than ever before in order that it may do its full share in ushering in the Kingdom. REPORT OF CONGREGATIONAL PUBLISHING SOCIETY Following the instructions of the National Council two years ago, the words "Sunday School" have been dropped from the name of the Society, leaving the official name as indicated above. The most notable change in the personnel of the Society has been the coming of Mr. Albert W. Fell as business manager of The Pilgrim Press. This relieved the general secretary from acting as business manager, and put at the head of that department a man of wide experience and technical ability. Further mention of Mr. Fell's coming will be found. in the report of the Business Department. In conference with the Commission on Missions and the Sunday School Extension Society, arrangements have been made whereby the income from permanent funds held by the society and also such distributable legacies as might from time to time be received should be used for the purposes indicated by the donors under the charter of the Publishing Society. Total receipts from income on permanent funds and from legacies and annuities in the last two years amount to $16,195.35. The work of the Publishing Society and that of the Education Society is closely correlated. The Congregationalist and Advance and the publications of the Religious Education Department have made their columns available for carrying the message and programs of the various departments of the Education Society. Thus the work of the Social Service, Missionary Education, Young People's, Institutions and Student Life, and Field Work Departments are brought to the attention of large numbers of our constituency. There is close working relationship between the Religious Education Publications Department and the departments of the Education Society in the production of all courses of study, pamphlets and program material put out by the Education Society. 1 The Business Department finds in the National and District Secretaries of the Education Society a splendid publicity and advertising medium, especially in connection with religious education books, periodicals and pamphlets, which constitute the major portion of the Publishing Society's output. This is of mutual advantage, since these materials are most effective in advancing the religious education program which the Education Society seeks to further. The reports for the three departments of the Society follow, and indicate something of the efforts and developments of the past two years. ANNUAL REPORT DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PUBLICATIONS For the Year Ending February 28, 1918 Sidney A. Weston, Ph.D., Editor Committee-Hugh Hartshorne Luther A. Weigle Robert Seneca Smith E. V. Grabill Stephen A. Norton Orville A. Petty The work of the Department of Educational Publications has been carried on along the lines outlined in the more extensive report of last year. In the present survey attention may be called to some of the unusual types of work that have been undertaken. ARMENIAN-SYRIAN RELIEF At a meeting of the Sunday School War Council held in September, 1916, representing the Sunday schools of evangelical denominations and the International Sunday School Association, representatives of that body were appointed to co-operate with the Y. M. C. A., the Food Administration, the Red Cross, and the American Committee for Armenian and Syrian Relief for the promotion of these various phases of war work among the Sunday schools. The editor of this department was asked to serve with the American Committee for Armenian and Syrian Relief as Director of Sunday School Relief Work, and the Board of Directors of this Society granted him permission to accept the invitation. Plans had already been started for a Christmas campaign among the schools, as the Christmas season is an especially appropriate time for the sending of gifts to sufferers in the land of Christ's birth. The preparation of educational material for use in the schools, and the planning for the promotion of the campaign, made it necessary for the editor to spend much time during that part of the year in New York at the central office of the relief committee. Considering the late date when the organization for work was finally completed, we felt a certain degree of satisfaction with the results of the campaign. The total returns up to February 28, 1918, showed that $654,006.34 had been contributed by 22,741 schools of 28 denominations in the United States and Canada. Aside from the inspiration of the relief work in itself, all those interested in the campaign were conscious of a new spirit of brotherhood as over thirty denominations entered whole-heartedly into the accomplishment of one task. CONFERENCES This department has held two important conferences this year-one on December 31 in Boston when professional leaders in religious education met with the staff and entered into a thorough discussion of the department's policy and program. The other on January 20 in St. Louis, Mo., with the district secretaries of the Department of Field Work. The continuation of these two types of conference is essential to our work, for on the one hand we receive the help of experts in planning our publications, and on the other hand we are informed through the field representatives of the problems confronted in the individual church, of the success of our material in meeting these problems, and of the needs which must be met by new material. A plan of co-operation between the National Council and this Society for the publishing of educational material has also been agreed upon. This is a forward step in centralizing the publishing work of the denomination, and officially recognizes a wider scope for the educational publications of this Society. |