To The California Sabbath-School Association.
By J. E. White
It is with feelings of regret that I shall be absent from your yearly meeting. This feeling of regret is solely on account of the disappointment it will be to myself, as I always enjoy Sabbath-school work, and have looked forward to our first yearly Sabbath-school association reunion with much pleasure. As the secretary and two members of the executive committee will be with you to conduct the exercises we feel assured that the business of the association will not suffer in any particular, through the absence of your president, and we hope and expect that the business transacted at this meeting will give the Sabbath-school work in California an impetus which will be felt throughout the whole year. Changes are taking place in all the avenues and walks of life. Nothing is stationary. We are either going forward or retrograding. Christ says that we either gather with him, or scatter abroad. I never knew such a thing as a stationary Sabbath-school—one which neither lost nor gained in interest, usefulness and numbers, and my field for observation has been quite extensive. Especially have I been anxiously watching the schools of California during the past year, and it has been with pleasure that I have noticed a marked increase in their efficiency. There are some exceptions however which I wish to notice. These may be considered under two heads:— 1. Where the officers of the school take hold of the work as with the ends of their fingers, as if it were a disagreeable job; who never give the lessons and the work before them any particular study, and go through it as a matter of routine because they have to. Such a school is sure to go down. If a man undertakes to manage a farm he throws off his coat and goes to work. He considers the qualities of every field he has to cultivate, he considers what treatment they have received before him, and in this manner he ascertains the quality and adaptability of every field. He can then decide upon the kind of crop to put on each field, to secure the greatest yield. Then after selecting the seed to be sown with the greatest care he is ready to begin work in earnest. Just so with the efficient Sabbath-school superintendent. He must first classify his school as a farmer would classify his fields. He is then prepared to say what seed should be sown in each class. In other words the instruction can then be apportioned to the capabilities of the various classes. But with this, his work is only begun. He should constantly have his eye on the whole school to see that the teachers understand their duty, and perform it faithfully. 2. The other class of obstacles in the way of a good school is where the teachers and scholars feel no special responsibility, and allow the whole weight to fall on the superintendent. This is even worse than the first, as the superintendent can do but little without the full co-operation of both teachers and scholars. But where the effort of officers, teachers and scholars are all united the Sabbath-school is a power for good. There is one thing in our favor this year. Our new constitution will be found much better adapted to our wants than the old one. The matter of the management being left with an executive committee will be appreciated by all. Then taking the reporting system, and the representation by delegates, and we have as complete a system for Sabbath-school work as can be found. Assured that every effort in the right direction will be crowned with success, I close these hastily penciled remarks by saying, God bless our Sabbath-school. August 22, 1878. J. E. WHITE.