SUNDAY SCHOOLS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3371, 10 November 1911, Page 2

SUNDAY SCHOOLS.

DUNEDIN CONFERENCE

(Per Press Association.) DUNEDIN. Nov. 9

At the conference of the Presbyterian Sunday school superintendents and delegates yesterday a discussion took place on the Assembly’s Sunday school. examination scheme, and it- was decided to ask the examination committee to communicate with the Sunday school committees and representative Sunday school workers in different centres throughout the presbyteries of the Dominion, with a .view to recommending a definite scheme to the next conference. The chairman (Rev. J. McKenzie) intimated that the whole question of graded lessons should be fully discussed at the next annual conference. He would require to get a ruling of the clerks as to the attitude of the Assembly towards the graded lessons, as the matter was .in dispute. It was also decided that the Sabbath school . committee he asked to urge upon the presbyteries the necessity for an effort in every congregation, either by means of children's attendance durinjg the day or otherwise, to secure the regular attendance of children at the ordinary church services, and that a scheme be laid before the conference, to be referred to the Sabbath school committee for consideration and report. also that the gathering suggest to the session the advisability of setting ministers free at least once or twice a month to visit Sunday schools and young people’s societies connected with, the church. It was decided to hold the next conference on Tuesday evening and AVednesday. morning immediately preceding the next meeting of the General Assembly. At the instance of Rev. ,F. AleCfiw (Lower Hutt), a motion was passed calling attention to the increasing desecration of the Sabbath, which resulted in the .work of the -Sunday schools and teachers being seriously hampered. The conference appealed to the members of .golf and other clubs to refrain from employing boys on Sundays in occupations that interfered with their attendance at church and Sunday schools. The mover said he had previously complained of golfers in- his district seeking to entice children to the golf links. The evil was very widespread.