A CHANGE IN THE GRADING OF THE SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSONS.
By M. H. Brown
For some time we have felt that the grading of our Sabbath-school lessons could be improved. This conviction has never taken shape until recently. After mature deliberation and counsel with the publishers of the Youth's Instructor, the executive board of the International Sabbath-school Association has decided to make the following changes in our lessons, to take effect Jan. 1, 1901:— 1. To have a series of lessons for the Instructor, graded a little lower than the present junior lessons, to be known as lessons for youth. It is certainly appropriate to have lessons for youth in a youth's paper. The junior lessons will then be discontinued, and the more advanced in the junior division will study the senior lessons, and use the Lesson Quarterly. 2. To discontinue the intermediate lessons now being published in Our Little Friend, and put in a kindergarten department in its place. Most of the youth who now study the intermediate lessons would then study the lessons for youth, which will be published in the Instructor. Many of these feel that Our Little Friend is too much of a child's paper for them, and they are anxious to have the Instructor, which has reading adapted for them; but they can not have it because they do not study the Sabbath-school lesson published in it. Our readers will notice that this plan will probably affect the circulation of the Instructor favorably and of Our Little Friend unfavorably. But it is believed that the proposed grading of the lessons will be a real improvement, and will best serve the interests of our Sabbath-schools. And it is thought that if this plan is best for the cause at large, Our Little Friend will not permanently suffer by its adoption. After Jan. 1, 1901, therefore, our Sabbath-school lessons will be graded as follows:— 1. Senior lessons, which will be published in the Lesson Quarterly. 2. Youth's lessons, which will be published in the Youth's Instructor. These will be adapted for those who are eleven years old and upward, leaving each school free to decide when members shall pass to the senior division. 3. Primary lessons, which will be published in Our Little Friend. These will be adapted for those between the ages of seven and eleven years. 4. Kindergarten lessons, to be published in Our Little Friend. These are designed to aid parents in the home and teachers in the school in teaching the little ones that are under seven years of age. It will be noticed that these changes in our lessons are not radical nor sweeping. They are slight, and yet we believe that our schools will regard them as material improvements, which are worthy of adoption. They will certainly make our lesson grades more consistent and natural, and will place the Youth's Instructor and Our Little Friend in a more harmonious relation to our schools in the matter of the lessons they publish and the class that reads them. We give notice of this change at this time so all our schools can plan for it, and be ready to adopt it the first of next year. The officers of each school should study the plan that is herein set forth; and if there are any features of it that are not well understood, inquiry should be made of the secretary of the State association. Sabbath-school officers should also carefully consider the needs of their respective schools, so they can order the requisite supplies for each division in due time. There may be no material change in the relative number of papers needed; but the wants of the school should be ascertained beforehand, so that there will be no disappointment on account of lack of proper supplies. M. H. BROWN.