A Sabbath-School Normal Class of the Avondale School
By Hattie Andre
“It is also the Lord’s design that our schools shall give young people a training which will prepare them to teach in any department of the Sabbath-school, or to discharge the duties of any of its offices. We should see a different state of affairs, if a number of consecrated young people would devote themselves to the Sabbath-school work, taking pains to educate themselves, and then to instruct others as to the best methods to be employed in leading souls to Christ. This is a fine of work that brings returns.” Desirous of heeding this instruction from the Lord, twenty-three of the young men of the Avondale School were formed into a Sabbath-school normal class. On each Tuesday evening for half an hour before the weekly Sabbath-school teachers’ meeting, this class assembled in my recitation room in College Hall to receive instruction in methods of teaching, the art of questioning and receiving answers, class management, etc. An earnest prayer was always offered by one or more of the members for God’s special blessing upon the work. After this, the entire class went to the teachers’ meeting. Oftentimes one of the number took the Testimony study for the evening, and another the study of the lesson. Some of these students had regular Sabbath-school classes to teach. All of them were to be ready any Sabbath morning to teach any class in the senior division whose teacher was absent. The normal class being so large, it was divided into two classes in the Sabbath-school; these classes were taught by one of the members whom I appointed from week to week. On each Wednesday evening, all the teachers of the classes met in my room, where we decided upon the best method of presenting the lesson for the next Sabbath. On each Sabbath at the close of the church service, our class again met for a prayer season. These were precious meetings, and the Lord came very near to us. Besides seeking to become fitted for Sabbath-school teachers and workers, the missionary work was ever kept before us; and the members of the class engaged cheerfully and earnestly in all kinds of missionary work that could be carried on in connection with our school duties. Some of them held meetings and Sunday-schools at Awaba and Martinsville; others distributed papers; still others held home Sabbath-schools with those who could not attend the Sabbath-school at the church. They were usually the leaders in our weekly missionary meetings also. When the time came for school to close and the class to separate for the vacation, we felt that it would be profitable for us to keep in touch with one another. Some went to their homes to assist their parents, quite a number went to canvass, and some remained at the school. We decided to have those away from the school write to me at the close of each month, sending a report of the work accomplished and of their most interesting experiences. From these letters I was to cull such paragraphs as would be especially helpful to all the members of the class, forming from these a general letter which I was to send to each member. HATTIE ANDRE.