Plans for Organization and Membership of Junior Work
By Vesta J. Farnsworth
None will question that there is need for wise planning and for efficient organization among the children of this denomination. As we review the conditions of families, Sabbath-schools, and churches, the question ever arises, What can be done to save the children? While all can see the need, any plan presenting a remedy presents very perplexing problems. We find that many children as they approach maturity become impatient of restraint, disobedient, rebellious. If allowed, some will absent themselves from Sabbath-school and religious services, or if they attend, their conduct is a disgrace to themselves, their parents, and the church. Unless a great change is wrought later, these children drift far from the truth and work of God. Their talents are devoted to the world. A terrible loss is sustained by the children and the church. These conditions bring great responsibility to us all. While the larger part rests upon the parents, yet none of us are excused. Seeing the need, it is our duty to plan, to organize, to work, to pray to bring about a different order of things. A youth in the teen age is like a fledgling with new-found wings. The grown child is liable not only to break with religion, but with moral standards. The tempter bids him eat, as of old. He tastes, eats, and is lost. The hopes of years bound up in him perish in a day. Liberty becomes license, license lawlessness, and lawlessness becomes anarchy. It is high time that we were awake to the danger of our older children. Determined efforts must be made, a loving care exercised. Reforms follow strong conviction and feeling. We must strike while the iron is hot; for when cooled, blows rained upon it make no impression. To many children religious services are irksome because they are not interesting. The child's mind is not the mind of a man. In a clothing store suits for old and young are not all made according to one measure. There are suits to meet the measurements of children and youth as well as of older persons. In our churches we have kindergartens for babies, societies for young people, but scarcely any provision for the intermediate class. Jesus came down where we live, and so we must come into sympathy with those in the teen age if we would help them during this critical period. The Saviour must be presented to them as the Man of joys as well as of sorrows. Any child will do what he loves to do, what he is interested in, and our aim must ever be to help the children to love the good and true, and to love to do right. Religion must be made attractive, not repelling. The education must be conducive to a sturdy, heroic piety. We often say to boys and girls, “Keep still,” but we may as well tell gravitation not to pull, or the sun not to shine. If we hold them for Christ, we must give them something to do. If not working for the Lord, they will serve the devil. They must be made to feel that their services are needed and wanted, and that their help will be appreciated. But the organization of children into working bands is beset with difficulties. Men and women of warm, loving hearts and wise judgment should plan to organize and direct the active minds and bodies of our intermediate children. These younger members of the Lord’s family must not be frowned down, left unnoticed, and given nothing to do. Many bad girls and boys simply need to be interested, to be employed, and to have some channel provided through which to work out their tireless energy. They must be loved, prayed for, planned for, and thus be made one of the valuable assets of the church. The suggestions made in this paper may not accord with the opinions of others, and they may have better plans than any yet devised; but what we want is the best methods, and to agree on some organization that will be simple yet effectual. On one point I think we can all unite; that is that something must quickly be done for the class of children we are considering. The teachers’ summer school held in Portland, Oregon, last year devised plans for the promotion of this work. A committee was appointed which gave careful study to plans for making the missionary meetings profitable to the children in the church-schools, and its recommendations were adopted. Report blanks were prepared, and the788plan set in operation in quite a number of church-schools. Not long since I wrote to over two hundred teachers inquiring how the plan had worked in their schools, and, as far as heard from, all were pleased and pronounced it a success. Some conferences have adopted similar methods, and the Missionary Volunteer secretary in some cases, and in others the Sabbath-school secretary, have organized the children into working bands, and all report good results. But it is felt that the time has come when all should unite in forming plans for a strong and efficient organization for the sake of the children, and to utilize the work they can do. A name should be chosen, and I suggest that of Junior Missionary Volunteers. We are not in favor of an intricate organization; it should be as simple as possible. The simplest machines are often most effectual. It would seem that church-membership should not be required in order to be members of this organization. In church-schools it would be best to let all the pupils be members. The teacher would have charge, and the problems relating to organization, leadership, membership, etc., would be greatly lessened. Where there is no school, I should suggest that the children who are willing to work be allowed to be members, and no doubt their efforts for others would bring blessing to themselves. It would not be at all practical to hold meeting and allow children to have an organization of this kind without proper supervision. The difficulty in junior organizations is not to get the children to come to meetings, but to provide a proper leader. Where there is no church-school, it would seem that the propriety of forming a junior society would depend on, (a) Whether a proper leader can be secured; (b) whether arrangements can be made for profitable meetings; and, (c) also upon the character of the children that would band together, and whether such association would help them spiritually. The leader of children should be consecrated to that work, and in love with those for whom he labors. His example counts for much, and he must be what he would have the children become. He must not only be willing to work in one meeting and do nothing in the next, but he must make continued, steady effort till the work is done. Under no circumstances should children be allowed to go to a meeting of their own Sabbath afternoon, and we might say at any other time, unaccompanied by parents or some responsible person. If it can be arranged, their meetings may be held in the same building while the parents are in another meeting. If this point is not carefully guarded, much evil will result. More harm can be done on the way to and from a meeting than the good accomplished while it is held. The meetings for children should be full of life and interest to them. It would seem that careful plans should be made for these meetings by the General Educational Department and the Missionary Volunteer Department, since it concerns the church-schools, as well as the children of the denomination in general. If programs and outlines for meetings could appear in Christian Education, and the Youth’s Instructor and Our Little Friend cooperate in furnishing information useful in such meetings, it would seem that all these agencies might be helpful to both leaders and children. This plan would need study, and I should do more than simply suggest that where they can be of assistance, they should cooperate with the Missionary Volunteer Department. Possibly it might be arranged to furnish programs and leaflets to leaders, similar to those used in missionary meetings for the church. No doubt the item of expense would need consideration if this were done. Who Shall Have Charge of the Work
The conference leadership and supervision of this organization would seem naturally to fall to the Missionary Volunteer secretary. When a general plan has been arranged, the smaller details might be left to each conference. Some have found membership cards, badges, pins, and similar devices useful, while others object to them. It would seem that such items might be left to the secretaries who have the work in charge, as some might call for different ways of working than would be found best to use in others. Some have objected to the organization of a junior society, on the ground that it would detract from the Missionary Volunteer Society already organized, and which, in some places, is not too strong in membership and working, and that it would make their reports smaller. But if the report of the junior society is made a part of the older society, it would seem to add to its volume instead of decreasing it. Care should be taken not to have the reports duplicated. One of the chief benefits arising from an organization of Junior Volunteers would come to isolated children who have no church or Sabbath-school privileges. All children love to receive letters, and if the Missionary Volunteer secretary could write to these and interest them in work at home, it would no doubt result in great blessing to them. They would feel that some one cared for them, and that they were a part of the great plan for giving this message to the world. While such correspondence would entail labor and expense, yet we feel sure it would be a good investment. Possibly it would be well for the conference secretaries to get a list of the names and addresses of all the children in the intermediate division, especially where there is no church-school, and enter into correspondence with them. This might be the first step in the organization of a society; and in places where it would not be advisable to organize, still the children would be enlisted in effort, and would be enrolled in a conference society similar to the conference Home Department of the Sabbath-school. I am sure the time has fully come for the most serious consideration of the problems connected with the children. While it is true that the proper place for effort to be made and reforms carried out, is in the homes of our boys and girls, yet we must do all in our power to undo the work done in faulty homes and by wrong parental training. MRS. VESTA J. FARNSWORTH.