O^w io 'Wonduci A Church \5vcation C)CiJl10CJJL iBteto ^orfe &tate CoUegp of Igrtculture at CorneK WLni^jnsitp atftaca. M. §■ Xibrarp Cornell University Library BV 1585.G3 How to conduct a church vacation school, 3 1924 014 084 754 The original of tliis book is in tlie Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924014084754 > H xn < xn < % w -a < iS c Id CO « >. t> is O .S O CO ^ g CO HOW TO CONDUCT A CHURCH VACATION SCHOOL By ALBERT H. GAGE DIRECTOR OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION FOR THE CHICAGO BAPTIST EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AND THE AMERICAN BAPTIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY PHILADELPHIA AMERICAN BAPTIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY BOSTON CHICAGO ST. LOUIS LOS ANGELES KANSAS CITY SEATTLE TORONTO COPYRIGHT; 1921, BV GILBERT N. BRINK, Secretary Published June, 1921 PRIKTED IN U. S. A. TO MY WIFE A LOVER AND FRIEND OF CHILDREN AND MY CONSTANT HELPER IN MY WORK FOR BOYS AND GIRLS PREFACE This book has grown out of actual experience in pro- moting, conducting, and supervising Church Vacation Schools. It is written for pastors, Sunday-school work- ers, and young people who are interested in the religious education of boys and girls and who are anxious to know how to conduct a week-day school during the vacation period. I have had constantly in mind that group of more than a thousand workers (most of whom are volunteers), who are the teachers and helpers in the schools under my supervision each summer. I have sought to answer the questions and meet the problems which they are con- stantly bringing to me. I have had before me the thou- sands of boys and girls in our summer schools. I have tried to meet their problems and give concrete sugges- tions so that they can have a happy and worth-while time in every school. I have been mindful of the numerous letters that come to my desk from all parts of the coun- try asking how to organize and conduct a Vacation School. I have sought to answer their questions and make a book that will be of practical value to those who are interested in this movement. In preparing this book I have had the valuable sug- gestions which have come out of conference and corre- spondence with men and women of the leading denomina- tions who are active in these schools. One of the features of this book is the contribution which has been made by experienced Christian workers Preface who out of their own knowledge and experience have written portions of this book. Florence M. Towne, who prepared the chapter on the Kindergarten, is the efficient Kindergartner in Erie Chapel, Chicago. She is the author of the Presbyterian Manuals on Kindergarten Work for Daily Vacation Bible Schools. She has for several years been the instructor in the Kindergarten Section of the Chicago Federation of Daily Vacation Bible Schools. Mary A. Hargreaves, who prepared the chapter on " Story-Telling," is superintendent of the Children's Division Work of the Chicago Sunday School Associa- tion. She is president of the Story-Tellers' League. Charles A. Boyd, who has written on Dramatization for Older Boys and Girls, is Director of Religious Educa- tion for the Wisconsin Baptist State Convention. He is a close student of Biblical dramatization and the author of several Biblical dramas. Otto F. Laegeler, who prepared the Section on Games, is Director of Religious Education for the New Jersey Baptist Convention. He has had special training and experience in " Supervised Play." Hazel Boyd, who prepared the craft suggestions for older girls, is a graduate of art school and has given special study to " Hand- Work " in connection with the Children's Division Work of the Iowa Baptist State Con- vention. Inez Tallmadge furnished the Cooking aind Sewing schedule which she uses in the Lansing, Mich., public schools. Hazel Sneff Brown, of the Art Department of the In- dianapolis Public Schools, has given directions for poster making and for blue prints of nature objects. Preface Rev. Charles A. Carman, of Shenandoah, Iowa, has written about his " Craft Club." Rev. Ernest R. Fitch, of Duluth, Minn., has told how to make a " Bow " kite. Miss Martha Kralicek, Principal of a Vacation School in the First Bohemian Baptist Church of Chicago, tells how the Daily Vacation Bible School Americanized their Sunday school. To Thomas S. Young, National Director of Church Vacation and Week-Day Religious Schools, of the Amer- ican Baptist Publication Society, I am especially indebted for many practical suggestions, for reading and correcting the manuscript, and for supervising the publishing of this book. It is earnestly hoped that this book will be of real and practical help to those who are seeking to promote and conduct vacation schools, and will inspire many pas- tors and Christian workers to undertake a Church Vaca- tion School for the boys and girls of their own com- munity. " He who helps a child, helps all humanity with an immediateness not possible in any other stage of develop- ment." — Phillips Brooks. INTRODUCTION " How to Conduct a Church Vacation School " is a timely treatment of a most important subject, by an emi- nently well-qualified man. The Church Vacation or Daily Vacation Bible School until very recent years has been looked upon as an oppor- tunity to place children in a religious atmosphere through the attractive medium of personal interests. Its special fields of usefulness have been conceived as the mission and foreign population fields. Religious educational values, and communities supplying ordinary religious ad- vantages, have not been considered factors in the situa- tion. Today this is all changed. It has become . very apparent that a Church Vacation School provides an ex- cellent opportunity for a religious educational program, and that it may be a real school. It is also beyond ques- tion that the best communities, both large and small, may profit by the Vacation School equally with mission or foreign-speaking neighborhoods. No one person has had a more satisfactory hand in producing the changed conception of the purposes and possibilities of these schools than has Rev. Albert H. Gage, the author of this Manual. As director of Re- ligious Education for the Chicago Baptist Executive Council, he has developed these schools both denomina- tionally and interdenominationally in a remarkable way. For two seasons, he has been the director of Vacation Schools for all denominations in Chicago. Mr. Gage writes from personal experience and observation. He Introduction has also called to his assistance in the production of Chap- ters 5 and 6, and part of 7 and 8, outstanding authorities in the fields of which they write. We believe this Manual may be followed to great ad- vantage at every point. Thos. S. Young, Dir. Church Vacation Schools and Week-Day Religious Education under the American Baptist Publication Society, for the Northern Baptist Convention. CONTENTS CHAFTER PAGE I. What Is a Church Vacation School? ... 1 II. The Need and Value of a Church Vaca- tion School 13 III. How TO Promote a Church Vacation School 20 IV. How to Conduct a Vacation School 40 V. The Kindergarten and the Teacher 60 VI. Story-telling and Dramatization 77 VII. Music — Closing Exhibit — Games 97 VIII. Hand-work 115 IX. The Larger Outlook of the Church Vacation School 152 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE Intensive Training Course Class in Kansas City, Kansas City Seminary and Training School. . Frontispiece Daily Vacation Bible School, Downers Grove, III.. . 8 New Americans. Kindergarten, Aihen Institute, Chicago i^ Older Boys and Girls as Helpers at Aiken Institute, Chicago 20 An Intensive Training-school Conducted at Baptist Missionary Training School, Chicago j^ Thirty-two Pounds of Money, The Missionary Offer- ing of One School ^o A Drop-In Kindergarten 62 Lake Avenue Baptist Church, Rochester, N. Y. .... 82 Hungarian School, West Pullman p^ Garfield Park Vacation School, Chicago p8 An Outing of Vacation Schools, Rochester, N. Y. . . 106 A Class in Kite-making, West Irving Park, Chicago izo Model Doll House, A Class Project, La Grange, III. 120 Craft Exhibit, Twenty-third Avenue Baptist Church, Oakland, California /jo Sanitose Class, Downers Grove, III 1^0 Scroll Saw Class, Downers Grove, III 148 WHAT IS A CHURCH VACATION SCHOOL? A Church Vacation School (or Daily Vacation Bible School as it is more often called) is a group of boys and girls meeting in a church or mission each week-day, ex- cept Saturday, for several weeks in the summer vacation period. The school opens at nine or nine-thirty in the morning and continues in session with a varied program for two or three hours. The best way to find out the characteristics of a Church Vacation School is to visit one in session and learn first- hand the secrets of its great hold upon boys and girls. We had heard that a good school was being conducted in a near-by church. We telephoned the pastor and made arrangements to visit the school next morning and observe the various things that were being taught and made. We started early because we had been informed that this church believes that it is best to follow the estab- lished school habits of the boys and girls and begin at nine o'clock. We wanted to see the way in which the teachers prepare for the day's activities as well as to see the daily program. Even though it was only eight- thirty, we passed several groups of happy children. As we caught snatches of their conversation, we learned that they were on their way to the school and were eagerly anticipating the day's work and fun. As we approached the church we found a group of orderly boys and girls 1 2 Haw to Conduct a Church VaccUion School waiting on the church lawn. One of the teachers came out of the building and was at once surrounded. We could hear the boys and girls beg for a story. We learned that it was quite the common thing for the chil- dren to come early for a story hour before the school began. In a conspicuous place on the church were two big signs. A CHURCH VACATION SCHOOL will be held here from 9 to 12 every morning Beginning Monday, June 27 Songs, Games, Kindergarten, Sewing, Toy-making, Hammock- Knitting, Basketry, Picnics, Bible Stories, and Bible Dramas A Good Time for All Boys and Girls Welcome Going inside we found all the teachers present ; they appeared rested and happy. Everything was in readiness ; the room had been carefully ventilated ; everything about the church was cool, clean, and worshipful. All craft materials needed for the day's work were arranged by departments and by classes. Every room and table and chair which would be used during the day was ready. It was almost time to open the door. One thing more was needful; all gathered quietly for a word of prayer. The verse for the day was read by the leader. All prayed in silence, after which the principal asked the heavenly Father to bless and guide in all that should be .said. It seemed as if there shone in the faces of these workers a What Is a Church Vacation School? 3 new light and a greater power. They went out from the place of prayer to minister to boys and girls as if they were ministering to the Master himself. At exactly nine o'clock the door opened. We caught a glimpse of two lines of children, one of boys, the other of girls, arranged by grades with the smaller children first. As the piano began to play, two led with the Chris- tian flag. and the Stars and Stripes, and all marched to their assigned places. Two chords were sounded by the pianist. At the first chord, all came to attention; at the second, all sat down. The principal of the school, who in this case was the pastor, said, " Good morning, boys and girls." Eagerly they replied, " Good morning." " What is the motto," he said, " of our Vacation School?" They replied, And they helped every one his neighbor, And every one said unto his brother, Be of good cheer! (Isa. 41 : 6.) As they said " Be of good cheer ! " they rang out the words and every one smiled. We also caught the happy spirit of the school. The piano again sounded two chords. It sounded as if the piano had said, " Stand Up." All stood in unison. Reverently the piano began to play that wonderful de- votional hymn. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee. As they sang, the spirit of the street changed to a spirit of reverence and worship. They bowed in prayer, and 4 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School the pastor prayed for them in terms that they could understand. Then several of the boys and girls prayed, and all joined in the Lord's Prayer. They, repeated to- gether the Twenty-third Psalm and sang: Saviour, like a Shepherd, lead us; Much we need thy tenderest care. Then, as a part of their worship and as the outward ex- pression of their devotion, they made their daily mission- ary offering. On a table in front was a quart glass jar. The principal explained that this offering was a love gift to help other boys and girls have a happy time in a Vacation School. He told the school that he hoped they would fill it with coins during the summer. The boys and girls marched around the room past the table. Those who wished put in their offering. The kindergarten chil- dren marched to their own room, where the rest of the morning was spent under the direction of a trained worker who loved and understood the ways of little peo- ple. As the remainder of the school came back to their places, all bowed in prayer as the leader asked the heav- enly Father to accept the gifts and through them make other boys and girls happy. We were a little surprised when one of the boys came forward and led the whole school in a school yell and a school song. Then there were a couple of happy songs. A little bit of fun, how it brightened the hour! The leader asked for the new scholars to come forward and stand on the platform. With them came the boy or girl who had brought them. They were welcomed and the school sang a " Booster Song." The principal told about the picnic for the coming Friday and publicly commended the school for the high grade of work which was being What Is a Church Vacation School? 5 done. One boy who had completed a fine piece of hand- work, was called to the front and asked to show the school his work. Now all were ready and eager for the memory work. Each day the school learns a Bible verse. During the summer several worth-while passages of Scripture are committed to memory. This morning the principal taught the concluding words of the Sermon on the Mount. He explained that the object of memorizing Scripture was to assist in doing in daily life the things taught by the Bible. We were interested in the methods used in teaching the words and the rapidity with which the children memor- ized them. First, he read over the words carefully twice. 24. Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock; 25. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not; for it was founded upon a rock. 26. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand; 27. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell; and great was the fall of it. He named several boys and called them to the platform. To each he gave a picture, asking them not to let the school see it until he told them. When he gave the signal, the pictures were held up onp by one for all the school to see. These pictures illustrated the words they were memorizing. There was a picture of a boy listening, of a girl helping her mother, of the Master himself, and of a half-built house, and of a great rock; a picture of rain, of a wind-storm and of a flood, and then of a house that 6 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School stood solid and firm. It must have taken much time and thought to collect these pictures. But somehow we gath- ered a new meaning from this parable of the Master and found it easy, with the childreUj to remember the exact words, the eyes helping the ears by visualizing the words. In the music period which followed the boys and girls were actually taught to sing. Words and music of the songs were memorized. No song-books or leaflets were in the hands of the children. Correct tone rather than loud singing was insisted upon. They sang " Faith of Our Fathers," "O Beautiful for Spacious Skies," and " The Woodpecker." " Tell me a story " is the eager request of every child In this school two kinds of stories were told, one a habit story, the other a Bible story. Between the two stories there was a brief period of calisthenics. Only those w^o have told stories to eager-eyed boys and girls can appre- ciate the ready response which they gave to these well- selected and well-told stories. The boys and girls six to nine years of age retired to a separate room for their Bible story and expressional work directly after the music period. As the piano played a march the school divided by ages to various rooms and parts of the church for a period of craft work. Each class of about ten pupils had a teacher. The craft work was graded to the age of the child. In many cases the work was selected to illustrate some of the things which had been taught dur- ing the morning. No child was allowed to wander around the building. Each was taught to do his own task neatly and correctly, just as the good Master would like to have it done. This craft period lasted an hour and was far too short for the most of the scholars. When the assem- What Is a Church Vacation School? 7 biy-bell rang, all work was marked and put into a box or sack, and the classes marched back to the assembly- room. The pianist began to play " The Star Spangled Ban- ner." As the school stood and sang (as only school chil- dren can sing) our national anthem, two children marched from the rear of the room, one with the Christian Con- quest flag, one with an American flag, and took their place on the platform. The one with the Christian flag stepped forward. The boys and girls placed their right hands on their heart, saying, I pledge allegiance to my flag, and to the Saviour for whose kingdom it stands, one brotherhood, uniting all mankind in ser- vice and in love. All sang: Stand up, stand up for Jesus, Ye soldiers of the cross; Lift high his royal banner; It must not suffer loss. The child with the American flag stepped forward. All gave the military salute, saying, I pledge allegiance to my flag and to the republic for which it stands, one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. All sang: My country, 'tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty. Of thee I sing. The leader said. What doth the Lord require of thee? 8 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School The school replied. To do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly before thy God. All bowed together and said : The Lord bless thee, and keep thee; The Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and bless thee; The Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. Amen. The two with the flags formed the head of the march as the school passed out. At the door, they stood one on each side while the school passed between the two flags and saluted. We tarried after the school had been dismissed to thank the teachers and to make further inquiries about the work. With the help of several older boys and girls, the craft materials were all put away in boxes and closets, the rooms were put in order, and arrangements were made to secure during the afternoon anything that would be necessary for the next day. When everything was cared for, the principal turned to us with a smile, saying, " Now I am ready to answer your questions about our school." " This kind of work appeals to us," we replied, " there are a few things we would like to ask you." (1) "Do all Vacation Schools have a program exactly like yours?" " Oh no," he replied. " Every school has the privilege of adapting its daily program to its own needs, equip- ment, and teaching force. Some schools have the citizen- ship drill early in the morning instead of at the close. What Is a Church Vacation School? 9 Some close with the Bible story. Some have a two-hour session, others two and a half, and some three hours. Some have a fully graded school, each department — Kindergarten, Primary and Junior, Intermediate — hav- ing its own separate program. Each school and each principal and teacher is free to make such adaptations as are considered best for the needs of the local school. There is a large place for individual initiative. Each year we try out some new plans. We are constantly on the lookout for better ways to do our work and for new ideas in our craft work. We are also studying our whole curriculum so that it will correlate more closely with the Sunday school program and so that the craft work will, as far as possible, supplement the daily Biblical lesson." (2) " What are the outstanding characteristics of a Vacation School?" " A Vacation School is different from any other kind of school. It is not like a Sunday school or public school. It is vacation time. Vacation means a change, not neces- sarily going away from home. Vacation means a good time. We expect the boys and girls to have a good time. We do the things that they like. The whole program is built to fit the life of boys and girls and bring them real joy. Much is made of the devotional part of the program. Instruction is given entirely through stories, either told or dramatized. There are no text-books; songs and Scripture are memorized. Every child loves to make things. In the school they are taught to make many things neatly and accurately. In all their work they are taught the simple art of working together as Chris- tians. This school uses the idle church building in the vacation time to give the boys and girls of the imme- diate community, irrespective of creed, a happy and 10 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School profitable time in Christian surroundings and under Chris- tian leaders." (3) "Does the school do anything outside of the five mornings each week?" " Oh yes, indeed ! Each week there is a picnic or out- ing of some kind. Next week Friday the men of the church are planning an automobile ride. The teachers often arrange a special treat for the members of their classes. Then, there is the big closing exhibit and demon- stration. At that time we place on exhibit all the finished articles which have been made in our school, invite all the parents and friends, and put on a demonstration of a typical daily program." (4) " What is the real purpose of such a school? " " The purpose of a Church Vacation School is to de- velop Christian character. It brings the boys and girls into close daily contact with trained teachers who love them and teach them the ' Jesus way of living.' It brings them into living touch with the Bible and the Christ of the Bible. It creates a social Christian atmosphere in which to learn, to play, and to work. It trains in right thinking, right attitudes, and right doing and sends the boys and girls into their homes with a spirit of kindness and of service." (5) " Who started the Urst Vacation School, and how has the movement spread?" " On July 12, 1909, Mrs. W. A. Hawes of the Epiphany Baptist Church of New York City, impressed by the needs of the children who wandered the streets in the summer-time and by the opportunity for religious and social training, opened a school. She writes : * The school opened the first day with an attendance of one hundred fourteen boys and girls. So many children made it neces- What Is a Church Vacation School? 11 sary to engage three rooms instead of one as planned. The session was held from nine-thirty to eleven-thirty each day except Saturday.' " Rev. Robert G. Boville, Superintendent of the New York City Baptist Mission Society, saw the great value of this kind of work and in 1901 started schools in several mission centers. He conceived the idea of utilizing the idle church buildings of the city for boys and girls under the direction of trained leaders. He called these schools ' Daily Vacation Bible Schools.' The name fully de- scribed a school. It was daily. It was held during the vacation period. The stories told were from the Bible. It was a school. The movement was popular from the very start. In 1906 Doctor Boville organized the Interna- tional Association of Daily Vacation Bible Schools. This Association has been a good promoting agency and has published several excellent manuals. Mrs. Boville has given her trained musical ability to the development of a high standard of music. City after city, and country after country, has taken up the work. The leading de- nominations, recognizing the value of this work, espe- cially among foreign-speaking groups and in missions and as a form of religious education, organized departments to promote Vacation Schools in every local church and community. Then experiments were tried in suburban churches, in rural communities, and in large self-support- ing churches. Everywhere the schools met with increas- ing favor and success. Following the war there came a new emphasis upon Week-day Religious Education. Im- mediately people began to say, ' The Daily Vacation Bible School is a practical form of week-day instruction.' With this new emphasis upon religious education the number of schools in 1920 increased more than 50 per cent. 12 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School " In 1916 the Baptists incorporated the Daily Vacation Bible School idea into its larger program of Religious Education. In 1920 the name was changed to Church Vacation School, thus fitting into the idea of three ses- sions of one religious educational system in each church — thus Sunday, Week-day, and Vacation Schools, one church school with three sessions." II THE NEED AND VALUE OF A CHURCH VACATION SCHOOL The Church \'acation School was organized to meet the needs of boys and girls in vacation time. Its rapid growth proves that there is a real need in every community for work of this kind. The regular routine of school life is far better for chil- dren than the idle days of vacation. However eagerly they hail the last days of school, they have soon explored every nook of tlieir neighborhood, played the old games, and do not know what to do with themselves. It is true that some go away for the summer to a farm, to tlie moun- tains, lakes, or seashore; but the vast majority of the children in nearly every community do not go away at all ; or, if they do go, they remain away only a short time. If it is hard for an adult to be " all dressed up and no place to go," it is infinitely harder for an active boy to have the days of summer on his hands and not know what to do. The forces of evil have not been idle. Commercialized play catches the boy's attention and fills his mind with sordid, distorted, and unworthy ideas. In every com- munity there are bad men who have a peculiar fascination over boys. The devil has always found mischief for idle hands to do. The streets of any community are not safe for boys and girls. The ordinary child does not know how to play alone 13 14 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School or with other children. He needs supervision and direc- tion. Without this a game soon breaks up in a " scrap." Boys and girls are surcharged with activity. Shall this activity be guided by Christian people or neglected and given over to evil men? The local church needs a Vacation School as a means of religious education and as a service which it can render to the boys and girls of its community. It is certainly neither Christian nor good sense for a church to neglect its own boys and girls to do nothing for the children of the community. Each church needs to get a new vision of the importance of youth. Through child- hood adult life can be reached quickest and easiest. Do something for a boy, and you have the good-will and interest of his father. Do something for a girl, and her mother will be interested. Do something for the little children, and ,the grandparents are grateful. The quick- est and surest way for a church to secure the good-will and cooperation of men and women of its community is to put on a real program which will interest and help boys and girls and young people. There are hundreds of churches that have secured the good-will and coopera- tion of the entire community because of the work which has been done through the Vacation School. In every church and community there are young peo- ple at home from college and normal schools. There are many well-educated people in the community that have leisure hours during the summer, who need the joy of service for children. There is nothing that will enlarge life and bring pleasure to these people like a summer spent in a Vacation School. Every church needs to give more attention to religious education. The one hour in Sunday school out of the Need and Value of a Church Vacation School 15 one hundred sixty-eight hours in every week is not suf- ficient time to spend in the religious instruction of boys _ and girls. As much instruction can be given in the four, five, or six weeks of a Vacation School as in one year of Sunday school. Would a church be willing to close its Sunday school for one year? Yet by failing to have a Vacation School it deprives boys and girls of the equiva- lent of one year of regular attendance upon a good Sun- day school. The only place where a Vacation School is not needed is in a community where there are no children. Every one agrees that such a school is a good thing for a con- gested neighborhood of a great city. The neglect of child life is so apparent that no argument is needed. But many people in the suburban districts and in the better resi- dential sections say, " Yes, a Vacation School is good in some places, but we do not need it here." And yet, such a neighborhood may be the very best place to hold a school. A survey of any ordinary neighborhood will dis- cover many boys and girls not in any Sunday school. It is also certain that the children of our best Sunday schools are best prepared to reap large results from at- tendance on the Church Vacation School. In fact the Vacation School idea is growing so rapidly that many large and small self-supporting city, village, and suburban churches are holding successful schools. A Church Vaca- tion School is needed and will succeed equally well in the missions and in the large self-supporting churches in the suburban towns and the churches in small towns, in the open country, and among churches of all nationalities and colors. Because these schools meet a real need, the time is not far distant when every church will plan for a Vacation 16 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School School, either in its own building, or in cooperation with other neighborhood churches, each summer as regularly as it now provides for its Sunday school. A Vacation School is worth while because of the boys and girls. One boy said, " I just love Daily Vacation Bible School." Another asked his pastor who had con- ducted the school, " Say, pastor, why don't you cut off two weeks of your vacation and give us fellows two weeks longer ? " Others say : " We don't know what to do now that Vacation School is out. Why not run the school all summer ? " One of the brightest and best boys, full of life, said to his director on the closing day ; " Good-bye, Mr. G. , we certainly had a good school, and I enjoyed it; and if we have a school next year I will be back as bad as ever." He missed only one day all summer. He said of his parents, " My mother is a Methodist, and my father belongs to the Automobile Church, but he is a Baptist." When a boy friend was coming to visit him, he said, " Mother, isn't it too bad that he didn't come a week earlier so I could take him every day to the Daily Vacation Bible School ? " A business man asked a pastor, " Are you connected with the Daily Vacation Bible School in the Baptist Church ? " Upon receiving an affirmative answer, he re- plied : " I want to thank you for what you are doing there. I think it wonderful to keep the interest and en- thusiasm of the children so strong. We have three chil- dren attending, and we could not keep them home. We were out late last night and did not intend to get up early this morning, but they made us get up and get them off to school, and they ran to get there in time." A Church Vacation School is a blessing to parents. Only those who have had the care of restless children Need and Value of a Church Vacation School 17 on a hot summer day, when they do not know what to do with themselves, can fully appreciate the value of a Vaca- tion School in a cool church building, where the children are happy and learning useful things. One prominent physician said : " This is the best thing I have ever seen. Why hasn't it been done before ? " An Italian mother, whose three children had not missed a day and had made wonderful hand-work, said : " I want to thank you for what you have done for my children. I want them to grow up to be good American citizens." Another mother said : " I cannot express in words what your school has meant to my little boys and the family. They pray before going to sleep and in the morning; also before eating. They are different boys altogether." A Lithuanian woman expressed herself in this way: " Missus ! my boy Leo was such a bad rascal, but now he is so changed. I look at him, say nothing, but hold my breath." A Vacation School is a community and national asset. It brings children of all races, creeds, and nationalities together in one spirit. Home conditions are improved. In the Calumet (Indiana) district the Vacation School was of real value at the time of race riots and helped subdue the race feeling materially. One man said, " Your church is the brightest spot in the community." One of the quickest ways to approach a community is through boys and girls. A Vacation School is one of the best Americanizing agencies now at work in any community of the land. Every church that runs a Vacation School receives many blessings. It advertises the church. It makes peo- ple believe in practical Christianity. It adds new scholars to the Sunday school. It gives the church an opportunity 18 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School to render real service to boys and girls. It develops new workers. In a Bohemian school one hundred and fifty people attended the closing exhibit. Fifty had never been in the church before. Many said, " We will come again because we believe in this church, for it is working for the benefit of our children." A Croatian man who had been very bitter against Chris- tianity said : " The only real Christianity I have ever seen since I came to America is being done at Brooks House (East Hammond) in the morning Bible school. They make no difference between rich and poor, Catholic or Protestant, clean or dirty. There is where my chil- dren are going, for that is the only kind of Christianity worth having." At La Grange, Illinois, where a large Vacation School gained for the Baptist church the good-will of the com- munity, a little girl said to the leader, after the children had been driven out of two groves on an afternoon picnic : " Let's return to the church. Anyhow, there will be no woman in a sunbonnet or a man in overalls to drive us out. They like children at the church and want them around. We can play on the lawn. Let us go back to the church." Can any one estimate what it means to a church for the boys and girls of a community to think of it in that way? In a certain residential community there was a family of seven children. The parents had been active mem- bers of a church. When they moved into this new locality they did not become active in the church in the neighbor- hood, with the result that neither parents nor children were attending any church or Sunday school. The two youngest children attended the Vacation School. This Need and Value of a Church Vacation School 19 interested the parents. The children began to go to church and Sunday school. Now the parents are in- terested in that church and six of the children have re- cently accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour and united with the church. Perhaps the teachers themselves get the most out of these schools. Hundreds of the happiest and most en- thusiastic young people and men and women have the best time of their lives as they bring joy into the lives of little children. One pastor said : " This is the most wonderful experience of my life. It has revolutionized my whole ministry." One young man, indifferent to Christianity, helped boys in craft work. He has decided to fit himself for Christian work among boys. A young woman has decided to go to school to prepare for Chris- tian work. A university professor writes to a city direc- tor of Vacation Schools : " I am glad that you were able to use my daughter last summer. She enjoyed the teach- ing and profited thereby. It seems to have set her think- ing upon possible avenues of life usefulness." Four young women in one training-school for Church Vacation School workers, decided to prepare themselves for life work in religious education among children. Ill HOW TO PROMOTE A CHURCH VACATION SCHOOL If there is one person in any church or community who really believes in a Vacation School, a school can usu- ally be started. This person can get the cooperation of the pastor, and together they can get enough coopera- tion from the church to start a school. A young woman went to her pastor one day and said, " Pastor, do you know what I have been thinking our church ought to do this summer ? " " I do not know what you have been thinking, but I know what I have been praying that we might do," he replied. She said, " I have been studying up the work of the Daily Vacation Bible School and believe we ought to have a school in our church." " Why, that is just what I have been praying for," he said. She became principal of the school, the first in her church and the first in her community, and ministered to over three hundred boys and girls that summer. Another young woman had helped as a volunteer worker in a Polish mission. She became the Sunday school visitor in a large city church. She interested the pastor and others in the enterprise. The church decided to make the experiment for two weeks. At the close, a leading business man called her into his office to thank 20 How to Promote a Church Vacation School 21 her for what the school had done for his six-year-old girl. He retold a Bible story his daughter had learned in the school and repeated,in the home. Then he said : " I want to pay the whole expense of this school because of what it is doing for my girl. In two weeks you have taught her as much real religion as §he could have gained without it in a whole year." A young pastor wanted a school. His church was in- different, neither opposing nor encouraging. He started the school. It was a great success from the very first day. At the close the leading officials of the church thanked the pastor and told him they were with him in the future with their money and with their support for that kind of work. There must be some local cooperation in each church if the Vacation School is to be a real success. Attempts have been made to conduct schools in missions or churches without local cooperation. Even where efficient and trained leaders have been paid and put into such schools, the work is seldom self-perpetuating. The school will continue year after year just as long as some outside organization furnishes the teachers and pays the bills. As soon as this ceases, the school stops. On the other hand, where local cooperation is secured, the church usu- ally adopts the Vacation School as a regular feature of its yearly program. The first secret of a successful school is to secure the interest and cooperation of the local church, or group of churches if it is a community school. So important is this, that it should be an established rule that no school should be attempted without some local cooperation. The church or community where a school is conducted should furnish, if possible, all of the financial support, 22 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School teachers, and helpers. This is true, not only of self- supporting churches, but also of the missions and for- eign-speaking churches. Wherever possible, the church itself, or the governing body of the church, should vote to conduct a school and appoint a strong committee to organize, supervise, and conserve the results of the school. Before this action is taken the church should be informed through literature, stereopticon lectures, and addresses by enthusiastic work- ers as to the nature and the objects of the proposed school. In some cases, various organizations of the church can take over the responsibility of organizing and conduct- ing the school. There are places where this is the regu- lar work of the Sunday school, the men's club, the women's society, or the young people's society. Even if such an organization within the church takes charge of the work it is better for the church to approve the plan. In any case a strong local committee is necessary, either the standing committee on religious education or a spe- cial Vacation School Committee. In some communities it is best for several churches to unite in one school. In this case each church should vote to enter the federated school, to assume its share of the finances and of the workers, and to appoint one or more representatives upon a central committee. This commit- tee, made up of officially appointed representatives of the local cooperating churches, proceeds in the same manner as the committee in a local church. Duties of the Vacation School Committee The committee on the Church Vacation School organ- izes by selecting a chairman, secretary, treasurer, and How to Promote a Church Vacation School 23 such committees as may appear wise. The duties of this committee are to : 1. Decide when and where and how long the school will be held. 2. Arrange for the necessary rooms and their equip- ment. 3. Secure the necessary teachers and helpers and pro- vide for their training. 4. Finance. 5. Advertise. 6. Arrange for the securing of the craft materials and other general equipment. 7. Conserve results. It is very important that this committee get into im- mediate touch with its denominational organization, either national, State, or city. In most large cities there is some central federated organization of the various denomina- tions and organizations interested in this work. Valuable aid can often be secured from the Church Federation, the International Sunday School Association, or the Interna- tional Association of Daily Vacation Bible Schools. Many of the duties mentioned above can best be carried out in cooperation with the denominational plans, or with the plans of the local city Vacation School Federation or committee. When Hold the Vacation School? A Church Vacation School succeeds best when held soon after the close of public schools. Many of the closest students of the movement believe that the school should open the Monday or Tuesday following the close of the public school. They argue that it is best to take the boys and girls before they catch the street spirit and 24 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School while they are accustomed to the habits and routine of school life. They say that the Church Vacation School is sufficiently different from the public school to be in itself a vacation for the children. It is to be observed that many of the very best schools follow this plan. Others contend that it is best to give the boys and girls their freedom for one or two weeks and then begin the school. They argue that these few days satisfy the average child, and that, after he has explored his neigh- borhood and played all the games he knows, he is ready for some form of organized social life with other boys and girls. Another strong argument in favor of this plan is that many of the volunteer workers are school-teach- ers ; they are more ready to help after a few days of rest. Some schools have been attempted in the middle of the vacation period and, in a few cases, have been conducted in August. Generally speaking, the best results can be obtained by starting the school in June or early July, soon after the close of public schools. Most of the schools begin at nine or nine-thirty in the morning and continue for a period of two or three hours. A few schools begin as late as ten o'clock, and fewer still have an afternoon session. Those who advocate the nine- o'clock hour do so because the child has the established habit of going to public school at that hour. They say that it is easier to build upon the school habits of the children than to form new habits. Other schools begin at nine-thirty. They argue that both parents and chil- dren sleep later in vacation time and prefer the later hour. It is to be observed that in the cities the nine- o'clock hour seems to be best for the boys and girls, while in the suburban communities and in villages the later hour is often adopted. How to Promote a Church Vacation School 25 How Many Weeks? The first schools were held for six weeks. Later the time was shortened to five, and in some cases to four weeks. The reason for the shorter time was that many pastors, missionaries, and helpers could be secured dur- ing the latter part of June and during July but not during August. August was their own vacation month. Hence, the length of the school depends upon the number of weeks which can be utilized between the close of public school and the vacation period of the workers. Where Hold the School? A church, mission, or settlement house, is the best place to hold the school. Schools have been held in private homes, in store fronts, in hired halls, in public-school buildings, in empty freight-cars, in tents, or even in the shade of a friendly tree. The regular activities of the average church are at a low ebb in the summer. Most churches are fairly well equipped with musical instru- ments, blackboards, tables, an assembly place, and various classrooms. The church is associated in the minds of people with religious instruction. Hence, the Church Vacation School, which stresses the Bible and its teach- ing, should be held in a church. If several churches unite in a community school, then the central committee should select one building best adapted for the work for the school. If there are several buildings equally adapted, then the school will rotate year by year. In a few centers where several churches are cooperating, it has been found of advantage to hold the kindergarten in one building, the primary in another, and the junior-inter- mediate in a third. 26 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School Arrangement and Equipment of Rooms Many successful schools have been held in one room. But the best results can be obtained where there are several rooms. There needs to be a large assembly-room with a good piano, blackboard, and comfortable seats. In many cases the church auditorium is used. Where this is done an occasional organ recital on the pipe-organ will be greatly enjoyed and will deepen the spirit of rever- ence. In other schools the main assembly-room of the Sunday school is used. The kindergarten needs a separate room with small tables and chairs and a musical instrument. If it is a graded school, then there needs to be a separate room for the primary department for their stories, dramas, ex- pressional work, and craft activities. The boys and girls six to nine years of age do better work when by them- selves. For the craft work ther^ needs to be a separate room or parts of a room for the older boys and another for the older girls, with tables and chairs and such craft materials and tools as may be required. Much of the success of a school will depend upon the arrangement and equipment and ventilation of the various rooms. Care- ful study should be made of the building. The various departments and craft classes should all be planned out and located before the school opens. Do not forget to have plenty of good drinking-water. What Teachers are Needed? Every school must have a principal, a pianist, and a kindergartner. These three could handle a school of fifty. In that case the principal would take full charge How to Promote a Church Vacation School 27 of the first hour and of the boys' craft period. The pianist would have charge of the music and of the girl's craft period. The kindergartner with the help of one or two older girls would care for the little people. The larger and better-organized schools have a prin- cipal, a secretary, a pianist, a music leader, a story-teller, a craft director, a kindergartner, a Primary leader, and enough craft helpers to furnish every group of ten boys or girls a craft teacher. The Principal is the head of the school. The organiza- tion, discipline, and supervision of the entire school heads up in him. He conducts the worship and the memory drill, and takes charge of the older boys' craft hour. In many cases he is the pastor of the church. College or seminary young men or women, or women who have had public-school experience and training, make good principals. The Secretary keeps an accurate record of the enrol- ment and the daily attendance, makes the required daily, weekly, and final reports to city or national organiza- tion, and puts into the hands of the local pastor for con- servation purposes the correct names and addresses of all those who have attended. The Pianist must know her part of the program. She must be a good player, always on time, and ready at any time to follow the direction of the principal or the music leader. A good pianist can do more than any one else to produce reverence, promote good singing, and establish order. As all signals for the school to stand or to sit are given on the piano, it is necessary that the pianist work in closest harmony with the principal. She usually teaches one class in the craft period. The Music Leader directs all the music of the school. 28 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School In her musical work " the object is not merely to secure correct singing, but to influence child nature through obedience to the laws of music, and to implant the love of good songs and good music." She teaches the songs and leads the calisthenics and arranges for any special musical numbers. She can aid in the Biblical dramas or in a craft class. The Story-teller gives the daily lessons in story form and in drama. Not only does she use every art in telling her stories, but she is constantly looking for boys and girls and other people who have gifts for story-telling or in dramatization. Thus she develops each year new story- tellers. The Craft Director has full charge of all the expres- sional activities and the craft work. She decides the things that shall be made in the school, and locates the tables where each article is to be made. She secures the necessary supplies. She arranges to have a craft helper over each group of ten boys or girls. Intermediate boys and girls may often be used as these helpers. These craft helpers must know the one thing they are to teach, must prepare before the school begins a model of that article, and supervise the children in this work. The craft direc- tor makes arrangements for the closing exhibit. In a small school this can be done by the principal, but it is far better to develop some one to do this one thing. The Kinder gartner is either a trained kindergartner or else a woman who loves, understands, and has had some experience with little children. It is important that the kindergartner catch the Christian spirit of the Church Vacation School. She should have such helpers as she needs. Older girls or mothers who bring their little chil- dren to the school make excellent helpers. How to Promote a Church Vacation School 29 Primary Leader. Many of the best and largest schools have a separate department for the Primary boys and girls, ages six to nine. Where this is done it is neces- sary to have a Primary leader and separate rooms. This department can meet by itself from the beginning and carry through its own program, or it can meet with the whole school for the devotional music and drill periods and then retire to its own room for its own Bible stories, dramas, and hand-work. The Primary leader will need several helpers especially for the expressional work. Craft Helpers should be secured so that every group of about ten boys or girls should have an older person to direct and supervise their work. These craft helpers are almost always volunteer workers and are the easiest of all the workers to be secured. The older boys and girls, mothers, and college students love this kind of work. Any intelligent person can soon learn how to make a good sample of one craft article. He can then supervise the children in their work, seeing that neat and accurate work is done, and that a Christian spirit obtains in the class. The most difficult and most important craft help- ers to be secured are those for the older boys. How Secure the Necessary Teachers and Helpers? In securing the necessary workers for a Church Vaca- tion School three things are highly important: (1) Be- lieve that the workers can and will be found; (2) believe that all the workers needed are either in your own con- stituency and your own community, or can be secured through some one in your own community; (3) under- stand that it is the business of a local church or com- munity to discover its own workers. A few well-trained principals and kindergartners can 30 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School be secured, where necessary, through national, State, or city directors of religious education. In looking for workers in a Church Vacation School do not go simply to the few faithful overburdened work- ers in your church. Develop new material. Older boys and girls in the seventh and eighth grades — students in high school and college — public-school teachers — people home on vacation — women at home — men on their vaca- tions — all these are excellent sources of supply. An in- creasing number of the larger churches are securing well- trained young men who will conduct the school and at the same time be the vacation pastor of the church. In every church and community there are many undiscov- ered young people and talented men and women whom the Qiurch Vacation School discovers and develops each year for the kingdom. ^ Jesus has himself given the best method for securing the necessary workers: But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compas- sion for them, because they were distressed and scattered, as sheep not having a shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest indeed is plen- teous, but the laborers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth laborers into his harvest (Matt. 9 : 36-38). If in any church or community some one gets a vision of the boys and girls and is truly concerned for them and if that need is presented lovingly and forcefully before the church or community, and God's people begin to pray for the workers, they will surely get them. For instance, here is a pastor that believes in his boys and girls and sees that their religious and moral life has been neglected especially during the summer-time. For several weeks How to Promote a Church Vacation School 31 he presents their claims to his church at the morning and evening service, in the women's meeting and in the men's club, then without begging or scolding he asks his people to unite with him in prayer for the workers. Whenever this has been tried it has succeeded. How Train the Workers? There are three ways in which workers are being trained : 1. In special courses for leaders in colleges, seminaries, training-schools, summer assemblies, and training con- ferences for Christian workers. These train especially for the work of supervision. 2. In training conferences for Church Vacation School workers in metropolitan centers. For several days just preceding the opening of the schools and for one after- noon a week during the period of the school all the work- ers in the school in the city meet for conference and in- struction. These conferences seek to give the practical and immediate instruction that the workers need as they begin their work. The conference also take up concrete problems that rise in the process of the schools. 3. In the local church or community. This group is the faculty of the local school. Definite duties are as- signed to each person. Instruction is given where needed to the individual worker. The whole program is coor- dinated and harmonized. The success of the local school depends much upon frequent meetings of the local workers. Hov/ Finance? What is the cost of a Church Vacation School ? One dollar per enrolled scholar is a safe average for 32 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School the general expense of a Church Vacation School. Many schools are conducted for a much smaller amount, while others cost more. The cost of a school includes paid work- ers, equipment and material, picnics, outings, advertising, and extra janitor service. Paid Workers. The principal and kindergartner are the two workers who are the more often paid. In some schools the pianist, the craft leader, or a boys' helper is paid. It is not good policy to employ over four work- ers, even though there is plenty of money. The best results come when there are a few well-trained leaders and many volunteers. In many churches the pastor, or church missionary, acts as principal, and all the other workers are volunteers. The amount paid varies greatly. The principal received from $75 to $100, and the other workers $40 to $75. This whole work is put on a service basis and the amount paid is to cover the expenses of the worker. A pastor could not do a bigger piece of kingdom work than to be the head of his own Vacation School. His pastoral duties are light at this time because people do not care for pastoral calls in July. He has an oppor- tunity to become acquainted with the boys and girls of his community and through them with their parents. But best of all, he has an opportunity of becoming a leader in his community in practical week-day religious educa- tion. Cost of Equipment and Materials The first year of any school costs more than the fol- lowing years because there are certain articles, such as flags, saws, hammers, scissors, etc., which are used year after year. Twenty-five dollars will provide for a school How to Promote a Church Vacation School 33 of fifty; fifty, for a school of one hundred; and seventy- five dollars, for a school of one hundred fifty to two hun- dred. It is to be noted that a higher grade of craft wrork is necessary in some communities than in others. Much craft material can be collected in any community without any expense. Cost of Advertising, Picnics, and Extra Janitor Service These items should be cared for through the regular channels of the local church. It is easy to secure from interested friends or from departments of the church extras like an automobile ride, a baseball game, or an ice- cream treat. The Sunday school picnic can include with great profit the Vacation School. How Secure the Necessary Money? The financing of a Church Vacation School is easy. The following methods are used : 1. Include the Vacation School in the church budget. 2. The Sunday school, young people's society, women's organization, or men's club, finance the school either in their own church or in some mission. 3. Collect the money from interested friends in the church and community. 4. The boys and girls pay. People always appreciate anything more if it costs them something. Some schools charge one dollar per scholar for the term ; others, twenty- five cents per week. In most schools the children are asked to pay the actual cost of the materials used in a finished article which they take home as their own. The school is free, and any child can work on an article in the school without cost. But if any article is finished and taken home, the child pays for the cost of the materials c 34 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School used. In the missions and among the foreign-speaking people, as well as in the larger churches, this method works to good advantage. 5. A free-will offering on exhibit night. On the clos- ing exhibit night a free-will offering is taken for the ex- pense of the school. Enough money will usually be re- ceived from this offering and from the sale of articles to pay for the equipment and all materials, for advertising, and in some cases for one or more workers. 6. Sale of articles. In some schools the unclaimed articles are sold. All unfinished articles are completed and put on sale. In other schools each scholar is asked to make two articles, one for himself and one to be sold for the benefit of the school. 7. In a community school, the expenses not provided through the boys and girls and through special gifts, are apportioned to the cooperating churches. 8. Some of the leading denominations have a limited missionary fund to aid in training leaders and to help start the work in certain strategic centers and to help maintain the schools in missions and smaller churches. How Advertise? It pays to advertise a Church Vacation School. Where a successful school has been held for several years, all that is necessary is to put out a sign and send a letter to each scholar enrolled the previous year. The children expect the school and wait eagerly for the time for it to begin. But a new school or a school that has not built up a summer constituency, needs wide publicity. This can be done in many ways. 1. Through the Church. The church bulletin and monthly paper can be used, giving interesting sketches of How to Promote a Church Vacation School 35 the work. Some interesting speakers can present the school before the various Sunday schools of the com- munity, showing models of some of the things that will be made. A stereopticon lecture often with an exhibit can be secured for the Sunday school, the young people's meeting, or the evening service. 2. Signs, Posters, and Circulars. On the church where the school is to be held, should be placed one or more large signs. These can be secured from a local sign- painter or from the denominational headquarters or from the interdenominational headquarters in the large cities. For Boys and Girls from Four to Fodrteen DAILY VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL AT THE Marquette Road Baptist Church corner of SIXTY-SEVENTH AND LAFLIN STREETS EVERY MORNING — FROM MONDAY TO FRIDAY — ^FROM 9 TO 11.15 Beginning Monday, Jin,Y 7 Ending Friday, August 8 FREE For all boys and girls who like to sing good songs, to hear good stories, and to make things, such as Picture-books, Checker-boards, Kites, Dolls, Baskets, and Hammocks Kindergarten Department for the Little Folks TELL YOUR CHUMS ABOUT IT AND BRING SOME OF THEM Parents and Friends are Invited to Visit the School Posters are easily made. The public schools give in- struction in poster-making. In nearly every community one or more persons can be found who will volunteer to make some posters. The magazines furnish an abundance of wonderful pictures. These posters can be put up in the 36 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School church and in conspicuous places throughout the com- munity. A circular like this can be printed locally with little cost. Boys can be secured to deliver them to every home in the community. 3. Local Papers. A Church Vacation School makes good news. Almost any newspaper will print a full account of a local school. In many cases they will print cuts of the school or of the teachers. 4. Exhibits of Craft Work. A local merchant or drug- gist will gladly loan the use of a front window for a dis- play of finished craft articles. If the name of the boy or girl who made the article is attached, so much the better. One enterprising principal arranged for two of his best hammock-makers to sit in a store window and make hammocks for an hour each day. 5. Parade. Some schools feature a parade of the school through the neighborhood with banners, songs, yells, and exhibits of hand-work. 6. The Children Themselves. A Church Vacation School succeeds because it meets the real needs of the boys and girls. They love to come; they tell others of the good times they are having; they bring them to the school. This plan has been used with great success in many schools. The principal announces that on the morrow they are going to play a game. Each boy and girl is to be an engine. It is the business of an engine to draw cars. Each new scholar secured will be a car on the engine's train. Some time during the next morning every engine that has cars on his train can run his train across the platform. The engine that has the longest train will have a picture taken. The next morning always produces lots How to Promote a Church Vacation School 37 of fun and many new scholars. All the trains are run on the platform, beginning with the longest. Several " booster songs " are sung and the new scholars given a welcome. It is not at all uncommon for a child to bring four new scholars, sometimes six or eight. One boy brought sixteen new scholars in one summer. If in the opening days of the school the boys and girls are permitted to take home with them a few simple articles which they have made, these articles will attract the attention of other children, arouse their curiosity, and bring them into the school. Articles which can be made and used in this way are pin-wheels, bird and butterfly sticks, cut-out animals mounted on pasteboard or wood, and kites. Equipment and Craft Materials The following equipment should be in every school several days before the school begins : 1. Large sign for outside of the building. 2. Registration cards. 3. Daily report blanks. 4. Weekly report blanks. 5. Final report blanks. 6. Bible stories. 7. Habit stories. 8. Kindergarten manual. 9. Christian conquest flag. 10. United States flag. 11. Closet or box (with lock) for storing materials. 12. Piano or organ. 13. Blackboard and crayon. 14. Manual of songs and marches. 15. Craft materials. 38 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School Craft Materials The craft leader of each school should decide upon the various craft articles that will be made in the school. Models should be made of each article. Sufficient craft materials should be bought to last at least a week; bet- ter still, buy enough for the entire season. Nothing will demoralize a school quicker than to run short of craft materials. In most large cities there is a central supply house. Supplies can be bought in connection with the preliminary training conferences. Rural, village, and small city schools can secure some things locally, but many things must be secured from a distance. In each case the local school should correspond with the State or national director of its own denomination. For a graded list of things for boys and girls to make with directions for making them, see chapters on Hand-work. Conservation of Results The registration cards with correct addresses should be kept for conservation purposes. Every child not in Sun- day school should be enlisted, if possible, in a Sunday school. Every home represented by a boy or girl in a Vacation School should be visited. The registration cards furnish a mailing-list for any special occasion in the church for continuation schools, for- Vacation School rallies, and for the school next summer. Pictures should be secured of the school, of the vari- ous departments, and of the dififerent kinds of activities. As far as possible these pictures should represent the boys and girls at work rather than posed for a picture. Some of the best and most typical of these pictures can be framed and hung in the Sunday school room of the How to Promote a Church Vacation School 39 church. Where the church has a weekly bulletin or a monthly paper cuts can be made to illustrate a good news story of the school. Stereopticon slides can be made of the pictures for educational and publicity purposes. At the close of the school a complete report should be made to the local church, or cooperating churches, and to the denominational representative. All bills should be paid, and the missionary money sent to the organization designated by the local school. All unused material and tools should be listed and carefully packed away for next year. Wherever possible, some form of continuance work should be organized. A fuller discussion of this will be given in the last chapter of this book on " The Larger Outlook of the Church Vacation School." IV HOW TO CONDUCT A VACATION SCHOOL Organizing There should be a meeting of all the workers in a local school for the purpose of organizing the local work several days before the opening of the school. Definite responsibility should be delegated to the various work- ers. Each one should be familiar with the aims and methods of the school as a whole, with the details of the daily program, with the special work he or she has to do, and with the arrangement and equipment of rooms for the various departments. This meeting will be in charge of the principal of the school. Where possible, the Church Vacation School committee should be present in order to relate the work of the committee with that of the faculty of the school. In this organization meeting the principal should see that all necessary arrangements of rooms have been made, that the craft materials are in stock, that models of the articles which will be made by the boys and girls are ready, and that the daily program is adapted to the local community and the available teaching force. Much con- fusion and irreverence will be avoided if these details are carefully looked after before the opening of the school. In the conduct of the school there are several definite things to be remembered: 1. This is a school and is run on certain school rules, namely, it begins on time and closes on time. 40 THIRTY-TWO POUNDS OF MONEY The Missionary Offering of One School How to Conduct a Vacation School 41 2. Discipline must be maintained. Boys and girls do not like a teacher or a school which does not require good order. 3. The instructor teaches in part by what he says, more by what he does, and most by what he is. 4. The spirit of the school is determined by the atti- tude and the words of the teachers. 5. Let nothing touch the senses of the boys and girls which you do not want to become a permanent part of their experience. 6. To fulfil the purposes of the school there must be a carefully prepared daily program. The Daily Program The daily program must be adapted to the local school, to the number and experience of the teachers, and to the length of the morning period. There are five parts to every well-conducted Vacation School program, (1) the Preparatory (before opening hour), (2) the Devotional, (3) Miscellaneous (including memory, music, patriotic, habit talks, calisthenics, or games, etc.), (4) Lessons, and (5) Expressional. The time devoted to the parts and the arrangement in the daily program varies widely. Each school should study its own needs and build its own pro- gram. Several programs are given below by way of suggestion only. Program Suggested by Department of Church Vacation Schools of the American Baptist Publication Society 8.30 Faculty meeting for plans and prayer (older boys and girls as helpers, included). 8.55 Children " fall in " outside assembly-room. 42 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School 9.00 I. Processional preceded by Christian flag and Stars and Stripes, march and countermarch, three minutes. Call to worship or motto, one-half minute. Hymn, three minutes. Scripture, two minutes. Lord's Prayer and prayer, three minutes. Salutation of flags, with one verse of patriotic song and hymn, five minutes. Offering (if one is to be taken), two minutes. 9.20 II. Beginners' Department march out. (See Be- ginners' program.) Hymn, two minutes. Scripture, two minutes. Habit talk in story form, four minutes. Habit talk conversation, four minutes. 9.32 III. Calisthenics, eight minutes. Or add to 9.55 period. 9.40 IV. Scripture memory work, fifteen minutes. 9.55 Educational games, fifteen or twenty-three minutes. 10.10 Music period, thirty minutes. 10.40 V. Bible story period, thirty minutes. 1. Separate into departments or grades. 2. Bible story for each group. 3. Explanation of expressional work to follow. 11.10 VI. Expressional period, two plans: 1. School continuing in groups : (1) Story of each group retold by pupil, fol- lowed by hand-work. (2) Story of each group retold by pupil, fol- lowed by story played. (3) Missionary story told in each group by teacher, followed by hand-work or story played. How to Conduct a Vacation School 43 or 2. School reassembles (except Beginners) : (1) Bible story of one group retold by pupil of group to assembly, followed by hand-work or story played. (2) A new story, Bible, missionary, or life, told by a teacher, followed by hand- work or story played. 11.50 VII. Closing assembly, ten minutes: Remembrance announcements, four minutes. Patriotic, two minutes. Hymn, two minutes. Benediction, two minutes. Recessional, each child saluting both flags as he passes out. Program for Beginners' Department 9.00 Devotional period, with assembly. 9.20 March to Beginners' room. Circle greetings. Opening prayer. 9.30 Singing period. 9.40 Playing favorite Bible story. 9.50 Supervised play, 10.20 Circle talk. 10.40 Story period. 10.55 Suggested play or hand-work. 11.25 Closing period. 11.30 Dismissal. Note. This program provides for a three-hour school and emphasizes the hand-work as expressional to the Bible stories. 44 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School Suggested Program of the International Associa- tion OF Daily Vacation Bible Schools 8.30 Preparation and visitation by staff. 9.15 Doors open. Children march in to music. (Greeting by the principal, "Good morning, chil- dren.") 9.30 Opening worship. (All stand to rising chords.) Hymn. Scripture read or recited. Prayer. School joins in singing the Lord's Prayer. Two chords for being seated. (Kindergarten marches to its own room.) Short health, habit, or patriotic talk. Thank-offering for extension. " Remember the words of our Lord, how he said, ' It is more blessed to give than to receive ' " (Acts 20 : 35), or " God loveth a cheerful giver " (2 Cor. 9 : 7). 9.40 Musical period. (Practise appropriate chords for rising and being seated.) Vocal and breathing exercises. Singing lesson. Learn new hymn or song. Calisthenics with music. 10.05 Bible lesson or story. (In grades if practicable.) Drills on memory texts and selected passages. Reviews, Bible games, maps, etc. 10.30 Hand-work in groups. Registration and attendance marked. 11.25 Warning bell. How to Conduct a Vacation School 45 11.30 Closing exercises. Principal or secretary reads reports of attendance, of the offering, gives notices. (Rising chords.) Talks on Americanism. Salute national flag. National anthem. Scripture. Principal : What doth the Lord require of thee ? School : " To do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God " (Micah 6:8). " Now abideth faith, hope, love, these three ; but the greatest of these is love " ( I Cor. 13 : 13). Children's benediction. " Suffer little children." (Sung.) March out to music following flag-bearer. Suggested Program for Presbyterian Daily Vaca- tion Bible Schools The Daily Vacation Bible School must have a well- defined program that is balanced, progressive, and cumu- lative in its effect. Years of experience in the conduct of the schools by various organizations have worked out a very simple order of daily exercises along five lines — Worship, Music, Bible Instruction, Hand Craft, and Patriotism. These activities are followed according to the schedule given herewith : (a) 8.30-9.00 Teachers present to receive children. 8.55-9.00 Children march into room with music. 9.00-9.25 Devotional service: 46 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School 9.00 Opening hymn. 9.03 Prayer, closing with Lord's Prayer. 9.05 Kindergarten march out to music. 9.10 Bible memory work. 9.20 Habit talk. 9.25- 9.45 Music period. 9.25 Singing. 9.40 Calisthenics. 9.45-10.05 Bible period. 10.05-11.05 Industrial period. 11.05 Bell to put away work. 11.10 Second bell to march to seats from classes with music. 11.10-11.30 Closing exercises: Announcements. Flag salute. Singing of " America." Dismissal. (b) 9.00- 9.30 Devotional: Scripture, prayer. Scripture, memory work. Habit talk. 9.30- 9.45 Instruction in singing : Hymns of the church. Breathing exercises. 9.45-10.15 Platform Bible instruction. 10.15-10.30 Expressional work as related to Bible in- struction where possible. 10.30-11.45 Craft work. 11.45-12.00 Closing exercise and flag salute. Devotional and patriotic. How to Conduct a Vacation School 47 Suggested Program of the Chicago Federation of Daily Vacation Bible Schools 8.45 The teachers present. Everything ready. Prayer of workers. 8.55 Doors opened. Children march in to music. 9.00- 9.10 Devotional period. a. Leader : " Good morning, boys and girls." Re- ply : " Good morning." Leader : " What is the motto of our Daily Vaca- tion Bible Schools?" Boys and girls : " And they helped every one his neighbor, and every one said unto his brother, ' Be of good cheer.' " b. Devotional hymn. c. Memory Scripture. d. Prayer, followed by the Lord's Prayer, repeated or sung. e. Daily missionary ofifering. ( Kindergarten retires. ) 9.10- 9.15 Song. (Booster songs, school yell, or intro- duction of new members. ) 9.15- 9.25 Bible memory drill work. 9.25- 9.30 Habit story. 9.30- 9.45 Music period. 9.45- 9.50 Calisthenics. 9.50-10.05 Bible story. 10.05-11.05 Hand-work. 1 1.05 Closing period : a. Reassemble quickly and quietly. b. Two children advance to platform, one with an American flag, the other with the Chris- tian Conquest flag. As they start up the 48 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School aisle from the rear, the pianist begins to play " The Star Spangled Banner." c. Salute to " Our Flag " : " I pledge allegiance to my flag and to the Republic for which it stands; one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." Sing one verse of " America." d. Salute to the Christian flag: " I pledge allegiance to my flag, and to the Saviour for whose kingdom it stands; one brotherhood, uniting all mankind in service and love." Sing one verse of " Stand Up for Jesus." e. Benediction: Leader : " What doth the Lord require of thee?" School : " To do justly, to love mercy, and to walk huihbly before thy God." Mizpah benediction : " The Lord watch between me and thee, while we are absent one from "he other." The school marches out, led by the children with the flags. Olivet Institute (Presbyterian, Chicago) 9.00 School opens promptly. The piano strikes one chord — absolute quiet. Two chords — the school stands and sings rever- ently " Holy, Holy, Holy." Prayer followed by Lord's Prayer. Two chords, and the school is seated. No one is allowed to enter during this worship period. How to Conduct a Vacation School 49 9.10- 9.50 Songs. Memory verses. Bible lesson. Announcements. Not a minute is lost or wasted. 9.50-10.55 School divides. Junior girls to sewing. Junior boys to graded craft work. Seniors to craft work. 10.55-11.00 Entire school changes hand-work. Note. This school has three distinct periods : one be- ing Biblical and two being craft work. Each teacher has two entirely dififerent groups for each subject, and the boys and girls have each morning two dififerent teachers with an entire change of work. The Graded School There is an increasing emphasis upon grading the Vacation School. It is well to remember that man does not grade boys and girls. God has done that. Any group of children will separate by ages if left to themselves. All we can do is to recognize the natural divisions which God has made and adapt our program. Most schools have made a start in this direction by introducing the kindergarten for those under six. It is now becoming apparent that the best work cannot be done with boys and girls all the way from six to fourteen in one mass group receiving the same instructions. The next logical step is a separate department for the Primary. This is surely better for the story period, the memory drills, and the craft work. If this is done, it is far easier to adapt the expressional work to the lesson of the day. The Juniors and Intermediates can be handled together, al- D 50 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School though the time is not far distant when there will be courses of studies and expressional work adapted both for Juniors and also for the older boys and girls. A graded school requires more teachers and better equip- ment, but is certainly an ideal worth striving for. The Daily Program Explained Discipline. It is absolutely necessary that good dis- cipline be maintained. A child does not care for the in- stitution or the person who does not expect and require obedience. This discipline can be secured if the school starts right, and every child knows from the very begin- ning that disorder will not be tolerated. No child is al- lowed inside the church until the school opens promptly at nine or nine-thirty. The boys and girls line up as in public school. They march in to music. All the signals to stand or to be seated are given by the piano. A definite program is carried out for the entire time of the school session, leaving no time or opportunity for mis- chief-rnaking. A system of demerits will care for the ordinary thoughtless child. A truly vicious child should be kindly but firmly dismissed. Have a definite program all arranged before the school opens. Keep every one busy and happy all the time. Opening the School. When the school has marched in and has been seated the principal steps forward and waits until there is perfect quiet then he says with a smile, " Good morning, boys and girls." " Good morning," they reply. " What is the motto of our Church Vacation School? " he asks. They reply, " They helped every one his neighbor, and every one said to his brother, ' Be of good cheer.' " How to Conduct a Vacation School 51 As they say " Be of good cheer " they smile and make the message ring with good cheer. The value of this motto emphasizing helpfulness and good cheer is well illustrated by this incident which hap- pened in one of the Chicago schools : John Bok Smith was one of the first pupils enrolled in the Oakland Community Daily Vacation School, and he excited the sympathy of the teachers and scholars alike because he was almost blind, but very intelligent and very well informed for a boy of ten years. The first morning, the children learned the motto, " And they helped every one his neighbor," and were invited to put it into practical use by bringing boxes for the use of the smaller boys and girls. John caught the spirit of the motto and brought more boxes than any one else and was helpful in many other ways. One afternoon, as he was walking near his home, he saw a large radiator outside a store (where it had no business to be) and two little boys were directly in front of it. As John was passing the radiator began to totter. Had it fallen, it would have crushed them both. John realized this and sprang in front of the radiator and with all his strength, tried to hold it up, at the same time telling the little fellows to run. They did so and were safe, but the weight was too much for John and, unable to get away, he slid to a sitting posture and the hundreds of pounds of iron fell on his leg, breaking it in two places. After he had returned from the hospital and as he lay in bed, suffering intensely, one of the Vacation School teachers called to see him. John remarked that " Those little guys did not know the radiator was heavy like I did " ; he asked to be excused for groaning while the teacher was present, but he said, " It does hurt awful " : then, smiling, he said, " But I helped my neighbor anjrway." This act of John's and his consequent disability was the means of suggesting helpfulness throughout the school, for the pupils delighted to make things for John and carry them to him. The Devotional Period. Every Vacation School should open with a period of worship. The boys and girls come into the building filled with the spirit of the street. They 52 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School are in no attitude of mind for religious instruction. A brief period of real worship will change their spirit and fit them for a happy and helpful morning. The songs which are selected, like " Holy, Holy, Holy " or " When Morning Gilds the Sky," are devotional hymns. This is no time or place for martial music. No drill work is ever done at this time nor work criticized, and no one should be allowed to enter the building during this worship period. The attitude of the principal and of all the teach- ers should be reverent. Where a missionary offering is taken, it is best to have it at the close of this period as the outward expression of the spirit of worship. Prayer is an essential part of this part of the program. Sometimes the principal offers the prayer followed by the Lord's Prayer repeated in concert or chanted and some prayer hymn like " How Strong and Sweet my Father's Care " or " Saviour, Like a Shepherd Lead Us." In his prayer the principal should always have in mind the boys and girls before him. H any one is sick or going on a vacation, or if there is anything of special interest to any or all of them, he should make special mention in his prayer. Sometimes the principal repeats his prayer line by line, and the school repeats the words after him. Other lead- ers have been very successful in teaching the boys and girls to pray. This can be done very easily by teaching the verse, " Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father." The principal asks them to mention and remember some good gifts, such as the Bible, traffic officers, schools, homes, parents, food, clothing, firemen, health officers, Jesus, churches, etc. Then he asks each to say, " Thank you " to the heavenly Father for the one thing mentioned, using a form something like this, " Dear heavenly Father, we How to Contiuct a Vacation School 53 thank thee for our homes, for Jesus" sake. Amen." It is snrprisitig how quickly a group of bo_\s and girls wU leani to pray in this simple and beautiful manner. A."rlld.Tca»•^•H. In many schools the kindergarten chil- dren join in the devotion;d period and then go to their own room. In other cases they are by themselves throughout tlie entire morning. This work needs to be under one who has had some kinderg-.irten training or who. having a love and understanding of little children, lakes some special training for this work. Those who are public-school kindergartners need to understand that in our Vacation Schoi-^ls there is a distuict Giristian back- gTound to all the work and play. See Chapter \" on the Kindergarten for a fuller outline of this work. The Missionary OrTcrsn.^. This offering is entirely vol- mitan,- and is distinctly a inissionar\- offering. It goes to help other Kiys and girls have a happ> time in a \aca- tion Sch«.xil. Each day the children are given an oppor- tunity to think of others and to do sonietliing for them. A glass jar is placed on the rable in front of the school. The purivse of the offering is explained. Sometimes the children are askevl to g\?t a pmt or a quart of coins. A giving verse is repeated. The children march around the rvvitn. past the table, and back to their places. Sonierimes an appropriate giving song is sung. Some schools take ti'.is oftering once a week instead of daily, but the best results for the children themselves cv^nie from the daily giving. This offering is usually sent to the deno;r,ina- tional representati\-e or to the niissionan.- fund of the In- ternational Association. Any school may designate its offering for any special fund or purpose. This offering should in no case be used for the expenses of the local schcK^I. 54 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School School Yell. It is well for each school to have its own yell and cheer leader. Directly after the missionary offer- ing is a good time to introduce the school yell, sing booster songs, welcome new scholars, and make the daily an- nouncements. A bit of good fun will mean much to the success of the school. College songs are popular. One suburban school had no end of fun by using " Solomon Levi " for the boys and " My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean" for the girls. Then they would sing them to- gether, the boys taking their song and the girls theirs. The boys and girls love to make up their own yells and school songs. Here is a popular chorus, especially for the younger children: Jesus loves the little boosters, All the boosters of the world ; Red and yellow, black and white ; All are precious in his sight. Jesus loves the little boosters of the world. Booster, booster, be a booster. Booster, booster, be a booster. Booster, booster, be a booster. Join our Sunshine Booster Band. (Tune — Chorus of " Battle Hymn of the Republic") Miemory Work. The boys and girls in the Vacation Schools are in the period of their lives when mechanical and accurate memory is easy. Each day the boys and girls memorize a verse for the day and some portion of Scripture. In this memory drill emphasis should be laid upon doing the things they learn. " Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only." The following Scriptures were recommended in one city and illustrate the kind of Scripture to be selected for this work : How to Conduct a Vacation School 55 First Week: Matthew 7 : 24-27. Second Week : Psalm 24. Use this with the questions and answers and chorus effect: School. 1. The earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof ; the world, and they that dwell therein. 2. For he hath founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the floods. Boys. 3. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord ? or who shall stand in his holy place? Girls. 4. He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart, who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. 5. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6. This is the generation of them that seek him, .that seek thy face, O Jacob. School. 7. Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors : And the King of glory shall come in. Boys. 8a. Who is this King of glory ? Girls. 8b. The Lord, strong and mighty. The Lord mighty in battle. School. 9. Lift up your heads, O ye gates : Even lift them up, ye everlasting doors ; And the King of glory shall come in. Boys. 10a. Who is this King of glory? Girls. 10b. The Lord of hosts He is the King of glory. Third Week: The Beatitudes (Matthew 5 : 1-11). 56 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School Fourth Week: The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20 : 1-17) and The New Commandment. Fifth Week: The Love Chapter (1 Corinthians 13). Other appropriate Scriptures for memory work are Psalms 8, 19, 23, 91, 100, 121; Luke 10 : 30-35; 15 : 1- 32; John 14 :l-6. In the memory drill some use the blackboard, some a big chart, some the stereopticon, some pictures illustrative of each verse, and some use the drill method. It is best to vary the method and put much thought, interest, and enthusiasm into this part of the day's program. The Habit Story. In every school certain problems of discipline and conduct are quite sure to rise. These problems can be solved best through a well-selected story. In every group of boys and girls the teachers will soon discover bad habits that need to be corrected and good habits that need to be strengthened. The best way to correct bad habits and strengthen good ones is by means of a good story or short drama. For a fuller discussion of this topic with a few typical stories see Chapter VI on " Story-Telling." Music. Good music is one of the factors in school. To secure this each school needs a good pianist and a good leader. Usually the children have neither song-book nor leaflet. Both music and words are memorized. The chil- dren are taught the spirit of each song. A devotional song is sung reverently, a prayer song prayerfully, a militant song with vigor and power, etc. Tone and cor- rect interpretation are considered of greater value than noise or volume. During the summer a school will learn about fifteen songs ; some of these are religious, some patriotic, some nature, and some folk-lore songs. How to Conduct a Vacation School 57 Calisthenics. Five minutes of calisthenics to music will prepare the boys and girls for the Bible story of the morning. A high-school boy or girl will often be the very best leader that can be found for this part of the program. In a few of the schools rest games are intro- duced. This can be done if the school is divided into de- partments, or if there is a playground or gymnasium. If games are introduced, care should be taken that the leader does not lose control of the school. Bible Story. Story-telling is the oldest and best form of teaching for children. Class groups for discussion or for lessons as in Sunday schools are not to be en- couraged. The lecture method or preaching has little place in a \'^acation School. Tell Bible stories. Study the art of story-telling. 'Slake the story your own and tell it with all the art and power which can be given to it; let the boys and girls make their own application. It is often wise to let some of the stories be retold by the children or dramatized. For fuller discussion of story-telling and dramatiza- tion see Chapter VI on " Story-Telling and Dramatiza- tion." Craft Hour. The craft hour is always the most difficult to conduct and the most interesting to the boys and girls. It is not mere " bait " for the other parts of the school. It is not merely to amuse or to fill in time. Every boy or girl is a producer. They just naturally love to make things. The craft period has distinct educational and religious possibilities. See Chapter VIII on " Hand- work." Citizenship. Each day there is a drill in Christian citizenship. In some schools this comes early in the program while in others it is in the closing period. In 58 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School this way the boys and girls are taught to love and re- spect their country and to live in home, in school, at work, or at play as worthy citizens of the United States. A well-tested form of this citizenship drill is as follows : Two children advance to platform, one with an American flag, the other with the Christian Conquest flag. As they start up the aisle from the rear, the pianist be- gins to play " The Star Spangled Banner." Salute to " Our Flag " : " I pledge allegiance to my flag and to the Republic for which it stands ; one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." Sing one verse of " America." Salute to the Christian flag: " I pledge allegiance to my flag, and to the Saviour for whose kingdom it stands; one brotherhood, uniting all mankind in service and love." Sing one verse of " Stand Up for Jesus." Closing the School. A good Vacation School opens promptly and orderly ; it closes on time and with interest. It is absolutely important that the boys and girls go home happy. This can be done through an attractive closing period. Upon a given signal all craft work ceases, each scholar's work is marked and put away, and when the pianist begins to play the whole school reassembles quickly and orderly, marching from their departments and classes. For local reasons a few schools do not re- assemble. This, however, should be the exception rather than the rule. How to Conduct a Vacation School 59 The closing assembly offers an opportunity to secure the eager interest of the children and of the teachers in the growth and progress of the school. Put the at- tendance by departments on a blackboard. Compare with the previous day. A standard of attendance can be adopted. Massed interest in a school often wins and holds even an indifferent pupil. Interesting features can be introduced. A finished article of unusual merit can be exhibited by the boy or girl who makes it. A word of public commendation will help the morale of the whole school. A pleasant surprise or treat from time to time will maintain interest to the very end. The closing should be varied, interesting, orderly, and dignified. It is the closing impression which the child takes home. Seek through this period to produce just those results which you want the boys and girls to carry home and tell their parents. V THE KINDERGARTEN AND THE TEACHER By Florence M. Towne, Kindergartner, Erie Chapel, Chicago In writing this chapter I have tried to keep in mind the group of teachers who, probably, will be in charge of the kindergartens in the Vacation Schools this sum- mer ; the trained kindergartner with several years experi- ence, but to whom the Church Vacation School type of kindergarten is new ; the young kindergartner of limited experience; and the teacher with no kindergarten train- ing, chosen perhaps because of her love and understand- ing of little children or her experience with them as a teacher in the Beginners or Primary department where she has shown especial fitness and devotion. The teacher without kindergarten training and experi- ence will feel the need of help with the daily program of the kindergarten. She will want lists of plays, games, and songs and definite instructions in hand-work. The trained kindergartner must remember that even as the kindergarten is a place where little children grow physically, socially, mentally, and spiritually, the Vacation School kindergarten places especial emphasis on the spir- itual growth — using the Bible stories as the basis for the morning programs. The kindergartner often accepts her position without realization of the high trust that is placed in her. She substitutes " The Three Bears " and " The Three Little 60 The Kindergarten and the Teacher 61 Pigs " for the Bible stories because " the children just love these stories so " and conducts her kindergarten much the same as she conducted her public school or so- cial settlement kindergarten during the school year. She may wish to tell many of these much-loved folk tales too, but she will tell them in addition to the Bible story rather than in place of it. In every kindergarten there should be a definite " Bible period " or story time as a part of the program of each morning. In this period, a new Bible story may be told, or one previously told, reviewed or dramatized by the children. Pictures or little toys illus- trating or enriching the story are shown, the morning hymn is sung, and at the close of the story the children talk to the heavenly Father just as the little children in the stories loved to talk with him when they could see his face and touch his hand. The aim of the " Bible period " is to make Jesus so real to the children that prayer (talking to him) will become a very natural and joyous experience. No life can go far astray that has formed the habit of daily communion with the heavenly Father. The prayer may be a little verse memorized or repeated softly after the kindergartner, or it may be a verse of a song sung reverently with hands folded and eyes closed; but best of all, help the children to talk in their own way to the heavenly Father. As the stories of Jesus are told day by day, he should become more real to each little child and more dearly loved, and the little sentences spoken softly to him should come easily and gladly: " Father, I thank you for my baby," " Father, thank you for all the nice flowers," are the sort of prayers whis- pered each morning by my own little children to him "whom having not seen, yet we love" (1 Peter 1:8). 62 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School It is interesting to note that the prayers are all " thank- you " prayers. Much depends of course upon the spirit of the kinder- gartner in conducting the Bible period. The kindergart- ner creates the atmosphere of the kindergarten through her personality. The stories told, the pictures shown, may fail to reach the heart of the little child because of lack of earnestness or devotion or love in the heart of the teacher. The kindergartner who is seeking to make Jesus real to her little children must strive daily to make her own life more beautiful that she may not be in any way a stumbling-block to the little lives in her care. The kindergarten age is the habit-forming period. As the little white rootlets of the narcissus bulb reach out in all directions to find food for the plant, so the rootlets of the little child's soul are reaching out hungrily, loving much, imitating all he loves, and slowly forming habits of thought and action. It is the first impression that is remembered all through life. Upon these first impres- sions so often is built the foundation of all the child's future Qiristian living and understanding. Much de- pends upon the faithfulness and devotion of the kinder- gartner and her realization of the greatness of her task, for to her is entrusted this foundation work in each little life. The Morning Program The kindergartner of experience will find no difficulty in planning out the morning program. The Bible period simply takes the place of the " morning circle " or rather is the morning circle. In some kindergartens the morn- ing circle is conducted with the children sitting in their chairs around the ring. It is much easier to hold the The Kindergarten and the Teacher 63 interest and attention of the group, especially if it is large in number, if the children come closer together around the teacher's chair, as they would gather for a story hour. The following program or time schedule is suggested for those who may not be so familiar with the kindergarten plan: 9.00- 9.10 Children gather in main room with older boys and girls for a 5 or 10 minute devotional period. 9.10- 9.30 Children march out to kindergarten room, forming a circle. The " good-morning song " courtesy or greeting, games, and rhythms may fill this period. 9.30-10.00 Morning circle or Bible period. 10.00-10.10 Recess. 10.10-10.30 Cracker lunch. 10.30-10.55 Games. 10.55-11.25 Hand-work period. 11.30 Dismissal. The kindergartner will notice that a period of rest follows a period of activity, and that no period is longer than 25 or 30 minutes. The hand-work period may fol- low the lunch period if the combination does not mean sitting too long at the table at one time. The children are mentally more alert at 10.30, and it is a better time for hand-work. After eleven, they begin to grow tired, and it is a good time to gather them for games. The kindergartner will find it easier, especially when the kindergarten is large, to have a definite time each morning to go with the children in a group to the toilet — taking boys and girls in separate groups. For this pur- 64 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School pose we have suggested the recess period. Besides help- ing the little children to form regular habits, it gives the teacher the opportunity to be with each child at this time. It also prevents constant interruptions during the morning program. There is opportunity too at this recess-time for each child to have a drink of water — and a few moments of free play before the bell or triangle calls the children into line to march quietly back into the kindergarten. The cracker lunch is suggested because of the recog- nized need of every child of kindergarten age for some very simple lunch in the middle of the morning. Espe- cially is this true of children in schools conducted in the poorer districts. A cup of milk with the crackers would be of great benefit but, when this is financially impossible, the lunch may consist of one graham cracker. At the lunch-time so many little habits of good housekeeping and courtesy may be formed in passing plates and crackers, removing plates, and caring for the crumbs. If there are no little plates available, the children may make some by cutting eight-inch circles from brown paper or from flowered wall-paper secured from sample-books. The lunch period gives splendid opportunity for the learning of " Thank you," " You are welcome," and " Excuse me." It also gives the kindergartner opportunity to introduce the prayer of " thank you " to the heavenly Father, before eating. I have found, in visiting, many homes where the custom of having grace was instituted because the kinder- garten child had asked for it at home, just as in kinder- garten. It is a good plan to choose one child from each table as the leader of that group for the morning. His espe- cial work is to pass plates and crackers, remove plates, and care for the crumbs, give out the hand-work and The Kindergarten and the Teacher 65 collect it at the close of the period, and lead his group in marching to the circle. Sometimes, when there is much to do, he may choose another child to help him. Each child at the table should be given a turn to lead, no matter how lacking a child may seem to be in qualities of leadership. Perhaps this is just the experience he needs. In the Vacation School kindergarten, it is absolutely essential that the attendance be carefully kept each day. This often means a long, tiresome wait on the part of the children, while the teacher goes over her package of cards calling from thirty to sixty names. The kinder- gartner will find it much easier to keep the roll of each table separately, adding the results together at noon. The cards for each group may be kept in a separate envelope marked with the name of the teacher in charge. While the children are eating their crackers the teacher may run quickly over the twelve or fifteen cards in her en- velope and note those that are absent. In this way the roll takes only a moment. If the teacher has no one to place at each table, but is alone without assistance, she may pass from group to group during the lunch period, still keeping the attendance of each table in a separate envelope. If the kindergarten has no lunch period, the roll can be taken just before the hand- work is given out. In the majority of schools the kindergarten children are dismissed from their own room, but in some schools it is desired that the little children reassemble with the main school for the five- or ten-minute closing period. Where they do not reassemble with the others, the kindergarten may have a very simple flag salute of its own. In the larger kindergartens where the children must be divided into several dififerent groups or tables for the E 66 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School hand-work period, the securing of assistant teachers to put in charge of each group is often a problem. Often volunteers from outside churches can be se- cured — ^young women without kindergarten training, but with a love for little children and a desire to be of ser- vice. If it is not possible to secure volunteer service in this way, the kindergarten may find among the older girls in the main school three or four who will be eager to come into the kindergarten each morning as " teachers." It is not expected, of course, that our little adolescent girl can take the place of a teacher of training and experi- ence, but she can often be a very great help in being re- sponsible for one table or group, getting the material ready and carrying out from day to day the plan of hand-work which the kindergartner has explained to her at the noonday conference. The little girl helper has often crude ideas of discipline, and has a tendency to do the children's work for them because she can make it " look so much nicer," but under the loving guidance of the kindergartner she will learn how to help best in a quiet, loving way, leaving to the mother kindergartner the problem of discipline to which she is not equal. Much depends upon the selection of the little girl teachers and upon the kindergartner's ability to guide and train them. Train the children to do all they can to help them- selves and each other, remembering that a child grows best through doing, not by letting others do for him. Show them how to help, keeping the room clean and orderly, and leaving tables and floor beneath them just as beautifully clean at the end of the hand-work period as at the beginning. Help a child to be quick to see an opportunity for helpfulness, bringing a chair for a visitor, shutting a cupboard door, or running to the assistance of The Kindergarten and the Teacher 67 a younger child. Some of the children may help before nine o'clock in getting out the materials and song-books, tidying the room, and arranging the little vases of flowers on each table. The spirit and program of the entire morning should be in keeping with that of the Bible period — or the Bible period will not be of great value. I am reminded of a kindergarten once visited where a young teacher, an earnest Christian girl, was in charge of fifty little active Italian children. They proudly recited twelve or fifteen memory verses about " loving one an- other " and " being kind," yet at dismissal, a few minutes later, they left the floor and table covered with paste and paper scraps; chairs were left pushed out from the table in all directions; Tony took little Rose's penny and ran home with it, and some of the big kindergarten boys pushed roughly past the others in an effort to be first at the door, knocking down little Jennie, who happened to be in the way. Strive to keep the spirit of the kindergarten very quiet and very joyous, working each morning for definite growth. The kindergartner should ask herself quietly at the close of the six weeks as to what she has really accom- plished in laying the foundation work in the lives of these youngest children, whether or not there has been real growth and where. Plays and Games The games should be chosen to meet the special needs of your group. There are many different kinds of games, but for use in the Vacation School kindergarten I would suggest four different types, each meeting a distinct need : First, games for development of the larger muscles — jumping, running, skipping games where all the children 68 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School may be active at once; " the jumping game," stoop tag, walking tag, and fox and chickens are all examples of this type. Secondly, games for the development of the senses, especially games of sight and hearing — developing memory, the power of attention, quick action, and quick thinking ; " the mystery man," " dog and bone," " hunting for pussy," and the " brownie game " are excellent games of this type. A paper-covered book of singing games entitled " Peter Piper and Other Sense Games," contain- ing a large selection of excellent sense games, can be ordered from the American Baptist Publication Society, 1701 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa. Thirdly, ball games ; every kindergarten should have at least one large rubber ball for circle games such as " roll over come back," " hot ball," " rolling, rolling over it goes," " hiding the ball," etc. Fourthly, the dramatic game, which will consist largely of playing out the Bible stories or drama- tizing some trip to park or woods where the children have spent a happy morning. The most valuable games are those of the child's own making, for self-expression is the basis of real growth. Fifthly, the numerous finger- plays and little games which can be played at the table during waiting times. It is impossible to describe in this chapter the method of playing each of these games, but the kindergartner may find all these and many others care- fully explained in two kindergarten manuals written espe- cially for the Daily Vacation Bible School kindergarten to which reference will be made at the close of the chapter. Songs The songs should be few in number, very simple, and close to the children's every-day experience. The kinder- gartner must watch that the children sing sweetly and The Kindergarten and the Teacher 69 that the hymns are sung very reverently. Be sure that every word in the song is simple enough to be under- stood by the smallest child. Many kindergartners have asked for some one song-book, especially prepared for the Vacation School kindergarten, where they might find a collection of best songs and hymns and also rhythms. As yet no such music-book has been published, but I would recommend the following two or three books as especially good, from which the kindergartner may select material : " Songs for Little People," by Frances Wild Danielson and Grace Wilber Covant, published by the Westminster Press ; " Songs and Games for Little Ones," by Walker and Jenks, published by Oliver EHtson Co.; " Carols," a little, inexpensive, paper-covered booklet by Mrs. Leyda, published by Leyda Publishing Co. In " Songs for Little People " the following songs are suggested for use in the kindergarten : " I Have a Small Family Here." " Jesus Bids Us Shine." " Be Ye Kind One to Another." " Saviour, Teach Me Day by Day " (a prayer-song). " Jesus, Friend of Little Children " (used as a prayer). In " Songs and Games for Little Ones " the following are especially good : " There was Once a Little Birdie." " Little Lambs so White and Fair:" " Who Is It Brings the Flowers." (Chorus of " The Alder by the River.") " Carols " is suggested especially for one song found there, though there are many others which the kinder- gartner may wish to use. 70 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School " Our Father in Heaven Whose Love is so True " is very sweet and simple and much loved by the children. A book similar to " Carols " is " Melodies." It con- tains many lovely little songs, among them one which our children have made into a little good-morning game. One child walks around the ring as we sing together softly : May each new morning seem to say There's something happy in the way And God sends love to you. Three times the last line is sung, and each time the child stops and bows to one child in the circle as we sing " to you." The last child chosen steps into the ring, and we sing the song over again as he marches around the circle singing the message of " God's love " to three other children. Another book excellent for its number of short simple songs and a variety of rhythmic games, such as " see- saw," " swinging," and " playing tops " is " Childland in Songs and Rhythm," Barbour & Jones, published by Arthur P. Schmidt, 8 West Fortieth St., New York. This and all the other books named may be had from the American Baptist Publication Society, 1701 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa. The kindergartner will want a simple good-morning song, and also a good-by song. One which our children love is very simple — " Good Morning, Good Morning, a Happy Day to You." We sing the same song at dismis- sal, simply changing it to sing " Good-by, Good-by, a Happy Day to You." I do not know where the music is to be found, almost any melody could be used. For a " thank-you " song, I would suggest chorus to " Can a Little Child Like Me " found in " Songs and Games for The Kindergarten and the Teacher 71 Little Ones." The grace is simply " Father, we thank thee, Father, we thank Thee, Father in heaven, we thank Thee." Hand-work Equipment and Materials Needed Many Vacation Schools are held in churches where there is no equipment for a kindergarten other than per- haps some little chairs used in the Primary Department on Sunday. Kindergarten tables can be made by securing some large planks from a lumber company. Four or five boards placed side by side and held together with a piece of wood nailed across them on the under side, about a foot from each end, will make a good table-top. This can be laid across two small horses or, if these are not avail- able, it can be held up by a large chair placed under each end. The number of tables needed will depend upon the number of children in the kindergarten. No more than twelve children can sit comfortably around the ordinary kindergarten table. In the Sunday school where hand-work has been intro- duced as a part of the program, there may be scissors, or crayons which can be used, as the kindergarten must often be run with the minimum of expense. Where there is absolutely no material on hand, I would suggest pur- chase of the following list. A great deal depends, of course, on the number of children in the kindergarten and into how many groups or tables they are divided. For a kindergarten of from thirty-five to fifty children with no more than twelve children at a table the minimum need would be: 1 doz. blunt scissors, 5 doz. crayolas (1 doz. each red, yellow, green, blue, • brown). 72 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School 1 quart jar of paste, 1 package paste sticks, 1 ream of manila drawing-paper, 1 package size 18 x 24 brown construction paper, 6 packages of construction paper, size 9 x 12 (colors, green and brown), 1 large rubber ball. It would be desirable to add to the list if possible, 1 doz. paint-brushes, 5 tubes of water-color paint (color, green, blue, yellow, brown), 10 lbs. of moist clay for clay modeling. These materials may all be purchased from the Milton Bradley Co., or from Thomas Charles & Co., Western agents, 2249 Calumet Ave., Chicago. Roughly estimated, the expense of the material as listed for the term of six weeks, should not exceed eight or nine dollars. An ap- propriation of ten dollars would also purchase one of the kindergarten song-books. Empty spools (from which lovely furniture for a doll-house may be made, milk- bottle tops (used for wagon- wheels), scraps of colored paper and sample wall-paper books — all these may be often secured without expense and utilized in many lovely ways. Empty shoe- or blouse-boxes for doll-houses may be secured from the nearest men's clothing store. Boxes in good condition and of uniform size can be purchased in large quantities for a small price. The material listed gives opportunity for a variety of hand-work — cutting, drawing, water-color work (includ- ing shadow pictures and making of posters), clay model- ing, paper folding, and paper construction. The Kindergarten and the Teacher 73 It is not possible to give in this chapter a complete outline taking up any special line of hand-work and show- ing the progression from day to day but, just as the kin- dergartner has a carefully worked-out plan for the stories and games, so she must have worked out a definite pro- gram of hand-work, by which the little child may grow from day to day in skill and self-expression. Too often the kindergartner has been satisfied simply to fill the time with anything to keep the children occupied, drawing pic- tures and making paper-chains day after day with no special thought of growth, either in ability to handle material or in self-expression. When possible, the hand- work should relate the play idea of the day. Where the play idea or subject is based on the Bible stories it may be more difficult to relate the hand-work; and yet it can be done. As the stories are told of Jesus as he touched the home life of little children (the story of Jairus' daughter and Peter's wife's mother for ex- ample) the doll-house may be constructed from shoe- boxes, construction paper, and empty spools ; as the stories are told of Jesus as he walked down the streets of Jeru- salem, the children may construct their own street of houses and stores, constructing perhaps at last even the little mission church itself. There is no space to give here full directions for making all the furniture for the doll-house or the buildings for the street, but it is all really very simple. Every piece of furniture, every part of the street is made from the same pattern, simply a square of paper folded into sixteen smaller squares. Definite directions for the making of the sixteen-square fold, and a great variety of the objects constructed from it as a foundation, may be found in two manuals written especially for the Daily Vacation Bible School kinder- 74 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School garten that may be had from the American Baptist Publi- cation Society, Philadelphia. Series I is entitled " Listen- ing to Our Heavenly Father," and Series II, " Talking to Our Heavenly Father." Several pages in each manual are devoted to description of plays and games of the five different types suggested in this chapter. The manual may also be of help to the kindergartner desiring a pre- arranged program of Bible stories for the six weeks, writ- ten out as they may be told to the children with memory verse, pictures, and other helps suggested with each story. From the general theme of its story program, each manual takes its name. This correlation of lesson material and expressional work is also presented with each lesson in the manuals of the Beginners' Department, prepared by the Church Vacation School Division of the American Baptist Pub- lication Society. These two texts will be found to supply abundant material. They are prepared for use with four- and five-year-old children, and are known as " Get- ting Acquainted with the Heavenly Father," first and second years. For the teacher who may wish to work out a story program of her own, I would suggest the two books writ- ten by Laura Cragin — " Kindergarten Stories for the Sun- day School and Home " and " Old Testament Stories," published by the George H. Doran Co., New York. Also, " Tell Me a True Story," by Mary Stewart, published by Fleming H. Revell Co. As I look ahead to the summer months of our Church Vacation School with the many problems arising each day, I think of the story of Cara who was called by the village women one morning in the early summer-time to work with them each day in the King's new garden. Cara The Kindergarten and the Teacher 75 started for the field, but was stopped by a little child lying helpless and sick across her path. She carried the child back to her home and cared for him. She could not go to work in the garden that day, or the next. There were little clothes to wash and mend and the child must be taught many things. She taught him how to weave little baskets from grasses and make beautiful picture-books of birds and animals. And often she sat beside him and told him beautiful stories of love and service. And so the days slipped by filled with the trivial details of work for the little child. Then one day the King came to look at his garden and reward the workers, and also to ask why some of the people had not worked in his garden at all. " Why did you not come to the garden ? " he asked, at Cara's door. Then Cara pointed to the little child sit- ting beside the window in the sunshine, making a little vase from a lump of clay. He hummed a happy little song as he worked. " I could not leave the little child," she said. But as the King looked, he gave a cry of joy, and caught the child in his arms, for it was his own child who had wandered away from home, and had been lost for many months. When the child had been lost, he had been sickly and cross and stupid, but in the sunshine of Cara's love he had grown strong and happy and bright. As Cara looked into the King's eyes, she forgot the weariness of both body and spirit which she had often felt during the long procession of commonplace every-days. She forgot the many little personal sacrifices of the days that were past. She was glad, because she had planted her little garden in the heart of one of the King's children. So during the warm summer days of the Church Vaca- tion School, may we come each new morning to our little 76 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School children in the kindergarten, with a great joy, that to us has been given the privilege of tending gardens in the hearts of the King's own children. May we each one, in the task that is given us, show devotion and courage and faithfulness. VI STORY-TELLING AND DRAMATIZATION STORY-TELLING AND DRAMATIZATION FOR YOUNGER CHILDREN MARY A. HARGREAVES, CHILDREN'S DIVISION SUPERINTEN- DENT, CHICAGO SUNDAY SCHOOL ASSOCIATION; PRESI- DENT OF NATIONAL STORY-TELLERS' LEAGUE Probably ever since there was a spoken language and things began to happen there have been story-tellers. In the old days before there was a written word he was the historian, and to him we are indebted for very early Bible history. Even after there was a written language the story-teller still functioned, because for many centuries the people did not read and the story-teller was their library, and his was the task of inspiring each generation with the stories of the great deeds of the past. And well he played his part. The story-teller of today has a task no less important, for to him or her is given not only the privilege of his- torian but that of molding the ideals of the young. Let no story-teller underestimate the value of his art, and let no teacher feel that he is really a teacher until he can tell stories. As long as twenty-four years ago, G. Stanley Hall said, " Of all the things that a teacher should know how to do, the most important without exception is to be able to tell a story." It is not so difficult, and because it is so important every teacher will try to become a story- teller. 77 73 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School For every one, from the tiny child up to old men and women, the story has its value, but the teachers in the Church Vacation Schools are especially interested be- cause of its peculiar value for children. The stories you tell a child he remembers always, and they become not only a part of his mental furniture but, because they shape his ideals, part of the structure of his character. Often the teacher, telling stories that make virtue attractive and interesting and living, accomplishes with his audience what the preacher has been helpless to do with his. In our work we tell stories to amuse the children, and by no means unimportant is this use of our tool. Happy children are good children, and a large contribution to their character is the joy they get from the story. The story is used to make virtue attractive or inter- esting. Abstract truth is difficult for a child to grasp, but a story of another child who has done the finer deed, told in an interesting way, makes the deed attractive because the hero was. The story is told to develop imagination. For many years the imagination of the child is his chief means of training, and this is therefore his greatest need. The story does this (especially with young children) as noth- ing else can. The story is used to stimulate the emotional life of the child. Not until the individual experiences in his emo- tions, does he know or grow. The story is especially de- signed to feed the feelings and emotions. The story broadens the vision. When one considers how limited is the life of every one, how very few of us ever get very far from the place where we are born, how few people we meet, and the fact that these people are nearly all of one class, one can see that the service the Story-Telling and Dramatization 19 story renders, when it takes the child into other lands with entirely different people, is invaluable. Because it does this, it broadens his sympathies and his interest. He is better able to live in the other child's experiences and to put himself in the other's place. It gives him a desire to know more about these people and places. Many times it inspires him to travel. The story helps the child to make decisions, because it pictures the results of decisions. The story makes real when the discussion of the abstract does not. We use the story to create an interest in books. Many times a teacher should say, " If you have liked this story, more like it can be found in a certain book, or more stories about this character can be found in such a tale or such a book." It goes without saying that the story should be of such fine literary merit that it will help mold the taste of the child. Finally, we tell stories to stimulate action. In the story is action worthy of emulation, and it creates a desire to act along the same lines. This is St. John's definition of a story and there is none better : " A story is a narrative of true or imaginary events which form a vitally related whole, so presented as to make its appeal chiefly to the emotions rather than the intellect." Religious education is the education of the emotions and feelings. In planning all story material, it should be remembered that that which makes only an in- tellectual appeal is useless for our purpose. Although history is not story, a great deal of history can be and is story. The next test is the form. A story has a beginning, a succession of events, a climax, and an end- It has a plot 80 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School which unravels and has a solution, then the climax. It has a hero, and it has action. The beginning is the first act which introduces the characters. This should be brief. " There were five of the McCorrigle children, and they lived with their mother in a tenement. Danny was office-boy in a law office. Ellen was a cash-girl, and even Peter carried papers after school. Mother McCorrigle went every day to work in other people's houses." This is enough. Anything else you need to say can be said as you go along. The succession of events are the orderly steps of the story, leading up to the climax. Each one of these events is related to the rest and has a bearing on the point of the story. The climax is the high place and is the solution of the plot. In the story of the Prodigal Son, it is where the son says, " I will arise and go to my Father." In your climax should be the point of your -story, and if the point has been well made, no other " moral " is needed. If one finds that the succession of events and the climax have not made the point, go back and reconstruct your story, but never attempt to tack on a moral. Remember what Henry Van Dyke said, " I pray I may never tag a moral on to a tale or tell a story without a meaning." The conclusion is often in the climax and can finish the story, but sometimes it is necessary to dispose in a few sentences of the characters and the situation. In choosing stories to tell, remember always the chil- dren to whom they are to be told. Think of their inter- est and experience, knowing that in all teaching one has to begin where people are if he would take them any- where. Children from three to six live in a world of realism, and they like stories of animals and other chil- dren. Also take into consideration the child's environ- Story-Telling and Dramatization 81 ment. One who has spent his life on the city streets will not readily be interested in stories of country life, though stories of animal life as he knows them will appeal to him. These children love rhymes, and stories which have much repetition are especially attractive to them. Children from six to nine like the wonder story, so the fairy tale — the miraculous — is what they want. And the miraculous element in these stories is not so miraculous to them. To them all of these things are quite possible and probable. The child likes to have his villain definitely bad and definitely punished, and his hero immaculately perfect, receiving every reward. Because of his limita- tions, the severity of the punishments does not distress him. The story should be concrete. Children from nine to twelve have entered still an- other phase of experience. They recognize law, and stories that disregard law have little charm for them. The story has to sound true, and they often want to know if it really happened. They want stories of action and physical heroism, and that form appeals to them more than moral heroism. Tell them stories of good people, who have performed deeds of bravery. The boys and girls in the next group, (the older boys and girls) who are not so numerous in our Vacation Schools, are entering what we call the romantic period. Give them stories of moral courage and fine love stories in addition to tales of action. After the story-teller has chosen stories graded to suit the needs and interests of his group he is still reduced to the necessity of choosing stories that he loves, for he never will give to his hearers anything with his story if it does not appeal strongly to him. Some one has said: " When you make a story your own and tell it, the listener F 82 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School gets the story plus your appreciation; it comes to him filtered through your enjoyment, the filter of your per- sonality." " You give some of yourself with the story." Having found the story, prepare it for telling. Many stories, especially Bible stories, have elements which are of interest to several groups, and the teacher will decide which truth he wishes to ernphasize. The story is then built around that. In preparing the material, care should be taken to leave no confusion between right and wrong ; if irreverence, cruelty, or smartness appear, they should be properly punished; mawkish virtue should be elim- inated (the characters should be wholesome and natural). Unfamiliar expressions and words and terms which might have two interpretations should be avoided. Some chil- dren in a city Sunday school thought the " kid " in the Joseph story was another child. Learning the story does not mean memorizing it. The teacher who memorizes becomes a reader, and the reader never has the opportunity with the story that the story- teller has. The order of events should be learned, and only such parts as the repetition for little children or speeches, which must be exact in order to keep to the point, or the case of the speech of Jesus, which must al- ways be reported accurately, should be memorized. Whatever liberties one takes with the Bible story-^and many are permissible — none should be taken with Jesus. The story should be kept flexible so that what the story- teller does is to describe in his own language a series of pictures he is seeing. " Know this so well that it is a part of your personal experience, so that you do not have to think of it, but will tell it as though it were some experience you were remembering." The story should be told dramatically. This does not Story-Telling and Dramatization 83 mean with many gestures; too much gesture would de- tract from the story, unless one is in his ordinary conver- sation is given to that. It does mean telling it as though he were seeing and feeling, and if he is, he will tell it that way. This means that he will tell it naturally and with the same facial expression used in every-day conversation when he was telling some incident which greatly inter- ested him. That is unless he has some nervous tricks which would affect his hearers. A recent story-teller really made even the children in her audience nervous by the incessant moving of her hands and feet. The story-teller will remember to keep close to his audience and try to avoid having furniture or pillars be- tween them. He will take off any jingling or dangling things. These help to detract. If some child should get restless, the story-teller will not stop to reprove, but sim- ply address one sentence to him : " And so, Johnny, what do you think, that little girl went to sleep in the middle- sized bear's bed." If an important part of the story is forgotten, and the story-teller afterward remembers it, instead of saying, " Oh, I forgot," he will watch for a place in the story where he can bring it in easily. One of the interesting developments of story-telling which is attracting teachers in these days is dramatiza- tion, and this is an excellent opportunity for the teacher to get from the child an expression of what the story has meant to him. It is also an opportunity for the child to receive a deepening of the impression that he has had. It further enables the child to overcome self-conscious- ness. It gives an opportunity to develop team-work and cooperation. This work should be done very simply, with the smallest amount of costumes and properties, and with very little learning of formal lines. As a matter of 84 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School fact it really is nothing more than playing out the story. After the story has been well told so that the children surely have it, and after they have talked it over a num- ber of times, the teacher should with the help of the chil- dren assign parts, and then let the children, themselves, as far as possible work out the dramatization. However, after they have gotten the spirit of the story and know the detail, it ought not to be necessary for the leader to do much more than a very simple directing. Every step that the child takes in the development, which is entirely of his own initiative, is one more item of his self-develop- ment. The teacher's desire is not so much a finished product as an exp^essional activity. Many times he could by imposing his own phraseology, properties, or form, offer a piece of work that is artistic, but the thing that he desires is that these children shall in their own way act out the story as they have received it. DRAMATIZATION FOR OLDER BOYS AND GIRLS AN OVERLOOKED OPPORTUNITY BY CHARLES ARTHUR BOYD, DIRECTOR OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION FOR WISCONSIN BAPTISTS Among the many opportunities of the Church Vaca- tion School there is one which is all too commonly over- looked. It is an opportunity which, rightly handled, is likely to secure a much larger degree of interest in the Vacation School on the part of the older boys and girls, impart a fuller knowledge of the Bible, and at the same time develop an intimate association between the instruc- tional periods and the expressional activities. This won- derful Aladdin's lamp which may accomplish all these things at once is the opportunity of Story-Telling and Dramatization 85 Biblical Dramatization While every worker with older boys and girls and young people is perfectly familiar with the desire on the part of these young people to " give a play," while our leaders in missionary education long ago recognized the value of the pageant and the drama as a means of teaching missions, relatively little has yet been done in Sunday school, young people's societies, or in Church Vacation Schools toward the utilization of this perfectly natural instinct. Among the claims frequently made is that it is possible to impart a greater amount of Biblical information during the five or six weeks of Vacation School than is given in all the rest of the year in the Sunday-school sessions. But even the Church Vacation School has until now quite largely overlooked one of its finest opportunities for the fixing in the minds of the older boys and girls some of the great messages of the Bible — ^their presentation in dramatic form. Some Reasons Why Some of the reasons which may be cited for the leaders of the Church Vacation School undertaking this new line of effort are the following: 1. Many of the Bible stories, especially those of the Old Testament, have messages of peculiar helpfulness and application to older boys and girls. Because of this, these messages should be emphasized by Vacation School leaders. 2. Interesting though these messages are, and applica- ble though they are to youth, they are frequently missed by youth because of the uninteresting form ir which they 86 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School are presented. A hurried reading or a fragmentary study does not bring out to the minds of young people the beauty and significance of such messages as the book of Ruth. 3. Bible scenes and customs are so far removed from those in which our young people live that it is difficult for them to visualize the story and realize the message. Hence some sort of treatment of these great stories is needed which will make them increasingly real to youth. 4. Young people as a rule love the dramatic. The dramatic instinct is native to youth. It is partly because of this that the " movies " have so universal an appeal to young people. It is surely high time that the church utilized this native instinct of young life instead of merely condemning it and allowing commercialized amusements to provide chiefly the cheapest and tawdriest of " stuff " to satisfy this demand. 5. Much of the Biblical material, particularly in the Old Testament, lends itself admirably to presentation in dra- matic form. Many of the messages especially needed by youth, like that of real courage in the story of Esther, are not only interesting, but even thrilling, when arranged in drama form and presented by a group of young people who have caught a vision of the significance of the mes- sage. 6. A desirable combination and correlation of the craft work with the instructional periods of the Vacation School is possible through the Biblical dramatization. In the instructional period, a group of older boys and girls may study some great Bible story, under the guidance of a sympathetic instructor, and then in the craft-work periods which follow may work out, through consultation of books on Bible scenes and customs, the scenic settings Story-Telling and Dramatization 87 needed, and the girls may devote themselves to the mak- ing of the costumes required for the presentation. Ways and Means In order that this article may be thoroughly practical and not merely theoretical, some definite suggestions as to how to go about this sort of work are given in the hope that they may prove of practical value to many Vacation School workers. 1. Planning. In the planning of the program before the school opens, include in it a definite place for Biblical dramatization. The amount of it which may be done will depend, of course, upon the length of the school term and also upon the number of older boys and girls in the mem- bership of the school. It should, perhaps, be stated defi- nitely that these suggestions do not apply at all to the smaller children of the school, nor to such simple dramatic reproductions of Bible stories as are frequently given in an impromptu manner by the children of Primary and Junior grades under the name of " playing the story." This is not because the present writer does not believe in those simple, impromptu dramatizations, but because, his space being limited, he is compelled to confine himself to the more neglected field. This planning should include the selection of the story or stories which are to be studied for dramatization. If the school has a six-weeks' session, it should be entirely practicable to plan for the study and presentation of two dramas, the first to be one of the shorter stories, like that of Micaiah the Truthful, which may be given before the school itself as a part of the morning program about mid- way of the term. This should be done with the simplest possible scenic effects. 88 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School The chief emphasis in the planning and work will, however, be placed on one of the longer stories, such as Esther the Daring, to be presented, with complete scenic effects, by the older boys and girls of the school to their parents and friends on the closing exhibition evening of the school. This would be the contribution of these classes to this evening's program and also would be their presentation of their craft work, that of the boys being shown in the making and arranging of the scenery, and that of the girls in the making of the costumes. 2. Study. While it is possible, and in some instances may be necessary, to purchase copies of the Biblical drama already arranged for presentation, the more desirable thing is to have this group of older boys and girls (united under one instructor for this period) study the Bible story or stories and themselves, under the direct guidance of the instructor, prepare the drama. This, because it then becomes their " very own," is sure to have a greater in- terest for the group than any printed drama, and they are therefore apt to present it in a more genuinely interested manner. 3. Rehearsal. If the study plan suggested above is fol- lowed, approximately half (and possibly two-thirds) of the periods available should be given to the study and preparation of the material. Then, perhaps two weeks before the exhibition evening the study period will be given each day to rehearsal. It will be important to utilize the entire group in the drama, as many of them as can posssibly be used serving as participants. It will prob- ably be necessary to have two rehearsals in the room in which the drama is to be given, with full scenic effects and in complete costume. This will be necessary to over- come any tendency toward self-consciousness in the un- Story-Telling and Dramatization 89 accustomed Oriental costumes, as well as to accustom the speakers to the use of their voices in the larger room. 4. Scenery. While some scenic effects are desirable, it should be kept in mind that many of the Old Testament stories had most of their scenes out-of-doors, and that simplicity in scenery is much to be desired. The work of the boys' group in the preparation of the scenery will be greatly helped by the careful study of Palestinian photographs, particularly the Underwood stereographs and such paintings illustrative of Bible scenes as those of W. L. Taylor. 5. Material. Among the many Bible stories which lend themselves admirably to this type of presentation, the fol- lowing may be mentioned as having peculiar appropriate- ness to this Vacation School work: Old Testament: Joseph and His Brethren (particularly the scenes in the field of Dothan and in the palace of Joseph,^ the Prime Minister of Egypt) ; Deborah (for a group of girls) ; Ruth the Loving; Jonathan and His Armor-bearer (1 Sam. 14 : 1-23); Elijah; Micaiah the Truthful (2 Chron. 18) ; Nehemiah the Enthusiast ; Esther the Daring. New Testament: Scenes from the parables of Jesus; Peter and Cornelius (Acts 10) ; Scenes from the Life of Paul, particularly his defense before Agrippa (Acts 26) ; Onesimus and Philemon. Material Already in Drama Form. A partial list of the material already available in drama form for those who do not find it possible to prepare their own dramas includes the following: "Joseph and His Brethren," by F. H. Swift; W. B. Harrison, 47 Broad St., N. Y. 90 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School "Biblical Dramas," by W. N. Hall; Pilgrim Press, Boston. (This set of twelve pamphlets is intended pri- marily for reading, but might be used for real dramatic presentations. ) " The Drama of Esther," given by Y. W. C. A. Train- ing School ; Woman's Press. " A Pageant of the Church," E. B. Forman and M. E. Stone; Woman's Press. (This contains two scenes from the Life of Paul.) " The Sunday School Pageant," by A. B. Ferris ; Pil- grim Press. (This contains the scene of Paul before Agrippa.) " Saul of Tarsus " ; The Standard Pub. Co. " Ruth the Loving," by C. A. Boyd ; The Pilgrim Press. In addition to the above, the present writer has pre- pared five other Biblical dramas which are available (at present) only in manuscript form. The titles are as fol- lows: Deborah the Fearless, Micaiah the Truthful, Nehemiah the Enthusiast, Isaiah the Statesman, Esther the Daring. Biblical dramatization ofifers to the Vacation School worker a new field of real opportunity to make the heroes and herbines of the Bible live again and to implant their messages deep in the hearts of older boys and girls. It should be undertaken in an increasing number of schools each year. TYPICAL HABIT STORIES 1. DAMON AND PYTHIAS A young man whose name was Pythias had done some- thing which displeased the tyrant Dionysius. For this offense he was dragged to prison, and a day was set when Story-Telling and Dramatization 91 he should be put to death. His home was far away, and he wanted very much to see his father and mother and friends before he died. " Only give me leave to go home and say good-by to my father and mother and friends," he said to the king, " and then I will come back and give up my life." The tyrant laughed at him. " How can I know that you will keep your promise? " he said. " You only want to cheat me, and save your- self. You would never return." Then a young man whose name was Damon spoke and said : " O King ! Put me in prison in place of my friend Pythias, and let him go to his own country to bid his loved ones and friends farewell. I know that he will come back as he promised, for he is a man who has never broken his word. But if he is not here on the day which you have set, then I will die in his stead." The king was surprised that anybody should make such an offer. He at last agreed to let Pythias go, and gave orders that the young man Damon should be shut up in prison. Many days passed. The day drew near which had been set for Pythias to die; and he had not come back. The tyrant ordered the jailer to keep close watch upon Damon, and not let him escape. But Damon did not try to escape. He still had faith in the truth and honor of his friend. He said : " If Pythias does not come back in time, it will not be his fault. It will be because he is hindered against his will. I am ready to die for him." At last the day came, and then the very hour. Damon was ready to die. His trust in his friend was as firm as ever; and he said that he did not grieve at having to suffer for one whom he loved so much. 92 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School Then the jailer came to lead him to his death. Far away on the distant road a man was seen running. It was Pythias. He had been delayed by storms and ship- wreck, and he had feared that he was too late. He greeted Damon kindly and then gave himself into the hands of the jailer. He was happy because he thought he had come in time. " Stop ! Stop ! " cried the king. " Men who love and trust each other, as do Damon and Pythias, ought not to suffer unjustly. Pythias shall go free." Then he said, " I would give all to have one such friend." 2. THE PERSIAN AND HIS THREE SONS There was once a Persian ruler who had three sons. The father owned a beautiful pearl, which he wished to give to the son who had shown himself the noblest. Ac- cordingly, he called them all together, and asked each of them what had been the noblest dee'd he had performed during the last three months. The eldest son spoke first. He said : " On my journey last week I was intrusted with a number of valuable jewels. The merchant who sent them took no account of them. One or two would never have been missed, and I might easily have made myself rich. But I did no such thing. I carried the parcel as safely as if it had been my own." " My son," said the father, " you were honest, and you have done well." Then the second son spoke. He said : " As I was walk- ing in the country the other day, I saw a child playing by the lake, and while I watched him, he fell in. I swam in after him and saved him." Story-Telling and Dramatization 93 " You also have done your duty," said the old man ; " but you could hardly have left the child to drown." It was now the third son's turn. He said : " As I crossed the mountains the other day, I saw near the edge of a dangerous precipice a man who has hated me and has done me harm. He had sat down to rest, and he had fallen asleep. I would have passed on my way without a word, but something within me called to me to go back and wake him. This I did, knowing all the time that he would not understand, and that he would be angry with me, as indeed he was." " My son," cried the father, " your deed was the noblest. The pearl is yours ! To do good to an enemy without hope of favor or reward is the noblest act of all." 3. BRUCE AND THE SPIDER There was once a King of Scotland whose name was Robert Bruce. He had need to be both brave and wise, for the times in which he lived were wild and rude. The King of England was at war with him, and had led a great army into Scotland to drive him out of the land. Battle after battle had been fought. Six times had Bruce led his brave little army against his foes; and six times had his men been beaten, and driven into flight. At last his army was scattered, and he was forced to hide himself in the woods and in lonely places among the mountains. One rainy day Bruce lay on the ground under a rude shed, listening to the patter of the drops on the roof above him. He was tired and sick at heart, and ready to give up all hope. It seemed to him that there was no use for him to try to do anything more. As he lay thinking, he saw a spider over his head. 94s How to Conduct a Church Vacation School making ready to weave her web. He watched her as she toiled slowly and with great care. Six times she tried to throw her frail thread from one beam to another, and six times it fell short. " Poor thing ! " said Bruce ; " you, too, will give up." But no, the spider did not lose hope with the sixth fail- ure. With still more care, she made ready to try for the seventh time. Bruce almost forgot his own troubles as he watched her swing herself out upon the slender line. Would she fail again? No! the thread was car- ried safely to the beam and fastened there. " I, too, will try again ! " cried Bruce. He arose and called his men together. He told them of his plans, and sent them out with messages of cheer to his disheartened people. Soon there was an army of brave Scotchmen around him. Another battle was fought. This time Bruce and his brave men won the victory. 4. THE SMALL LOAF OF BREAD Once there was a terrible famine in a certain country. The children were very, very hungry. There was an old man who had a little food and who loved boys and girls. One day he baked twenty loaves of bread. He found twenty hungry children and said to them, " Here is a loaf of bread for each one of you." They were very hungry and crowded around the basket and began to fight for the biggest loaves. Then they ran home without even thanking the kind man. All except one girl named Gretchen. She waited until all the others had gone, then took the last loaf, which was the very smallest, thanked the man, and went home. The next day the man baked twenty loaves and called together the same twenty children. Again they pushed Story-Telling and Dramatization 95 and shoved and quarreled. Gretchen waited until the last and received a small loaf, even smaller than the one she had yesterday. When she came home and began to cut the loaf, out dropped six bright pieces of money. " Oh, Gretchen ! " exclaimed her mother, " this must be a mistake. Go quickly and take the money back to the old man." So Gretchen hurried as fast as she could, and gave the money to the man, and told him how she had found it in the loaf and how her mother thought there must be some mistake. " Oh no, it was no mistake," said the man. " I put the money in that loaf when it was baked as a reward to you for waiting and taking the smallest loaf. Remember that the person who is content to have a small loaf rather than quarrel for the larger one will find blessings that are better than money baked in a loaf." 5. WANTED A BOY A business man needed a boy in his office. He hung this sign in his store window : " Wanted a boy." A great many boys applied. He interviewed them all. Some had written recommendations from friends and teachers. Finally he hired a bright-faced boy who had no written recommendations. He was telling a friend about his ex- perience in securing a boy for his store. His friend said, " Why did you hire a boy who had no recommendations ?" " But the boy did have recommendations which were better than written ones," the man replied. " When he came in he wiped his feet and closed the door, show- ing that he was well trained in his own home. He gave his seat instantly to a lame man, showing that he was 96 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School kindly. He took off his cap when he came in and an- swered my questions promptly, showing that he was polite. He picked up the book which I purposely laid on the floor while all the others stumbled over it, showing that he was orderly. He waited quietly for his turn. His clothes were tidy, his hair brushed, and his finger- nails clean. These were the recommendations that ap- pealed to me." 6. BAD HABITS A Suggested Object Talk. Use thread. Wind it around a boy. When only a few strands are about him he can break it easily. Then wind more, and he breaks away with difficulty. When a great many strands have been wound around him, he cannot break them. Suggested Books for Additional Stories Bailey, Carolyn S., "For the Story-Teller"; "Tell Me Another Story." Baldwin, " Fifty Famous Stories Retold " ; "Fairy Stories and Fables." Cabot, E. L., "Ethics for Children"; "A Course in Citizenship." Lindsay, Maud, " Mother Stories." Sly, W. J., " World Stories Retold." A splendid collec- tion of stories that can be used both for habit and for Biblical stories. VII MUSIC, CLOSING EXHIBIT, AND GAMES Music is an essential part of a Church Vacation School. There are four things that are needed to make the music most effective: (1) a musical instrument, (2) a good pianist, (3) a leader, (4) a list of songs, signals, and marches adapted to the Vacation School idea. Musical Instruments Each separate department needs a musical instrument. The organ or piano should be in tune and placed in front of the boys and girls in such a manner that the pianist can see the leader and catch his signals. If the church auditorium is used, the pipe-organ can well be utilized for a special recital or for certain of the marches and songs. The use of the pipe-organ will aid in the devotional period. Some schools develop an orchestra. The Pianist Every school needs a good pianist who is always on time, who can play well, who can interpret the different songs, and who will follow quickly and accurately the signals of the principal and the directions of the music leader. As all signals for the school are given by chords on the piano, it is important that the pianist know how to strike these chords. Two chords are used for the signals. The first chord calls the school to attention. The second chord, given after a short rest, is either a higher or lower chord. The G 97 98 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School higher chord is the signal to stand; the lower chord the signal to be seated. There is little trouble with discipline in the school where these signals are rightly used. The Music Leader Boys and girls love to sing. Their voices are good and their memory active. The music leader has the op- portunity of teaching the love of good music and of cor- rect singing. The songs should be selected with great care. The school should be studied so as to know just what songs are best to be used on any given day or at any part of the program. The entire attitude of mind of the boys and girls can be changed by the right selection of songs. In the devotional period no attempt is ever made to learn a new song or even to correct a mistake in a song. In the music period some attention can be given to correct breathing, to tone, and to interpretation. The songs are memorized, both words and music. In this way the children know the meaning of the words of the song and will express this meaning through their singing. Of course the leader will memorize the songs and never use a book. Singing children are happy children. Happy children are good children. The music leader has a won- derful opportunity to develop Christian character in the lives of the boys and girls. Songs In the average Vacation School the boys and girls will memorize twelve to fifteen different songs. Some of the songs are religious, some patriotic, while others are nature or folk-songs. Some schools introduce a few funny songs and college songs, while others use a few HUNGARIAN SCHOOL, WEST PULLMAN GARFIELD PARK, CHICAGO, VACATION SCHOOL Music, Closing Exhibit, and Games 99 of the best popular songs. One school found great de- light in singing several choruses of well-known gospel songs. An increasing number of schools are adopting a school song of their own. The following songs have been used successfully in Vacation Schools: The Primary Department " Can a Little Child Like Me." " Angry Words, O Let Them Never." " Open the Door to the Children." " How Strong and Sweet my Father's Care." The Lord's Prayer. " Daisies." " The Woodpecker." " Jesus Loves the Little Children." " I Think When I Read." " Saviour, Like a Shepherd." Flag Song. Whole School DEVOTIONAL " Holy, Holy, Holy." " When Morning Gilds the Sky." " Saviour, Like a Shepherd Lead Us." " Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee." " I Need Thee Every Hour." The Lord's Prayer. SACRED SONGS " How Firm a Foundation." " There is Sunshine in My Soul." 100 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School " I Love to Tell the Story." " The Son of God." " Faith of Oiir Fathers." " Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus." " The Lord is My Shepherd." " Jesus, Saviour, Pilot Me." " What a Friend We Have in Jesus." " God is Everywhere." " Help Somebody Today." " We've a Story to Tell." " Yield Not to Temptation." PATRIOTIC " America the Beautiful." " God of Our Fathers." Flag Song. State or City Song. " America." " Star Spangled Banner." NATURE " Forget-me-not." " Daisies." " The Woodpecker." FOLK-LORE " The Jolly Miller." " Sailing." " The Midshipmate." " Old Folks at Home." "Dixie." "Old Kentucky Home." Music, Closing Exhibit, and Games 101 FUN SONGS " My Bonnie." " Solomon Levi." " Jingle Bells." CHORUSES " Help Somebody Today." " Count Your Blessings." " I Love Jesus." There is no one song-book that will contain all these songs. Almost any person can find a sufficient number of these in the various song-books in the home or in the church for the average school. As the children do not have song-books or song leaflets, it will be necessary therefore to provide only one copy of each song for the pianist and one for the leader. " Manual with Songs and Marches," published by the International Association of Daily Vacation Bible Schools, 90 Bible House, New York City, is the best single book. " Songs of American Youth," by H. Augustine Smith, contains many appropriate songs. The Closing Exhibit The closing demonstration and exhibit of hand-work can be made one of the most important features of the summer work. In some cities there is a great united com- mencement of all the schools. For years the Baptists of New York City have had such a service in the Wana- maker Auditorium. Each school sends a delegation and has a part in the program and sends articles for the common exhibit. Even where this is done, it is wise to have a closing demonstration and exhibit in the local 102 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School church and community. At this time all the parents and friends of the children can be invited, as well as the mem- bers of the local church or churches. In this way the en- tire community can get an idea of the work which is being accomplished in the Vacation School. The time of this closing exhibit varies with the local school. Some schools use the last morning of the school, others Tuesday or Friday evening of the closing week, while in a few cases the Sunday morning or Sunday eve- ning service is used. Only churches which conduct their own school can use the last-named method. There are two main features to the closing exercises : (1) a demonstration of the regular daily program, (2) an exhibit of craft work. Let us suppose the closing night is the last Thursday Evening of the school. The boys and girls meet at the church at 7.30. They line up, march in, and go through a regular typical morning program, with this exception that, instead of any new drill work, the boys and girls give a review of the things actually learned during the sum- mer. The memory verses and Scripture are repeated, the various songs are sung, typical Bible and habit stories are told, and sometimes a Biblical or missionary drama is given. Usually there are two interesting features, first the recognition of those who have attended every day of the school, and secondly, the giving out of the prizes to the prize-winners in craft work. These two most interesting features were carried out in one school as follows : On the Saturday before the opening of the school there was a preregistration. The school had been well ad- vertised, and a goodly number came to the church Satur- day afternoon to register. To each of these was given Music, Closing Exhibit, and Games 103 a round colored pasteboard tag upon which each child could write his own name and the name " Church Vaca- tion School." On the reverse side there was room to paste a star each day. A different colored star was used for each week. In case of misdemeanor a black star was put on. This black star could be covered only by a large gold star, which was given for special merit. Similar tags were given out on opening day and to each new scholar. They were greatly prized by the boys and girls. On the closing night all whose tags showed twenty-five attendance stars without any demerit stars were called to the platform and each one was presented with a picture of the school. Then the superintendent asked for those who had missed but one day. These came to the platform and were given a simple recognition. Then all who had at- tended every day from the time they had entered the school. It was surprising to note the number who re- ceived recognition for regular attendance. All the finished craft work had been placed on ex- hibition during the afternoon. The boys and girls had known about this exhibit from the first day. With the exception of a few simple articles they had not been allowed to take their finished work home. It had all been kept for the exhibit. This not only helps to make a larger and better exhibit, but it often keeps a child from drop- ping out of the school. Any child who drops out ex- cept for sickness or absence from town loses his craft work. The exhibit had been arranged in the Sunday school rooms of the church by departments and by classes. Judges had been appointed to select the first, second, and third best of each of the different kinds of work for each department. The first prize was a blue ribbon, the 104 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School second prize a red ribbon, and the third prize a white ribbon. These were fastened to the prize- winning articles. A list of the prize-winners was given to the principal. After the recognition of those who had attended regu- larly, the principal announced the prize-winners in craft work. As each child's name was read, he or she came forward and received a blue, red, or white ribbon. The prize-winners pinned these ribbons on their dresses or coats and wore them during the rest of the evening. After the formal closing of the program, the parents and friends were invited to examine the craft work. At each section of the exhibit there was the teacher of that special work and a boy or girl to explain the work to any one who might be interested and to guard the articles so that none of them should disappear. The parents and friends were perfectly astonished at the amount and the variety of work which had been ac- complished, as well as the things that had been learned. All were delighted with the school. The kind words of appreciation of parents and friends were the greatest rewards which could be given to teachers who had given five weeks of midsummer to help the boys and girls. Older girls in dainty cooking-caps and aprons which they themselves had made, passed plates of delicious fudge which they learned how to make in their cooking-class and which they had made that afternoon. All the articles in the exhibit were left in the church. The next morning (Friday) the school met for a brief devotional period and a closing message from the prin- cipal. The school was dismissed by departments, each group marching to the room where their craft articles were on exhibit. Each teacher gave to his or her own boys and girls their finished hand-work to take home. Music, Closing Exhibit, and Games 105 With their hands and their arms full of articles which they had made, the boys and girls went home, sorry that the Vacation School was over. Games for Vacation Schools Play is natural to childhood. Those who are interested in the education of children are giving more attention to the play life. Vacation School workers have always given some attention to this side of their work. They have provided for frequent picnics, outings, and camps. Now that the Church Vacation School idea is spreading rapidly and includes suburban, village, and rural communities as well as the thickly congested sections of cities, more atten- tion is being given to supervised play. If there is value in craft work, teaching boys and girls to work together as Christians, there is also real value in learning to play together as Christians. Some churches have gymnasiums and playgrounds which can and ought to be utilized by the Vacation School for supervised games. Every school arranges for some outings and picnics. Below is a list of certain group games which can be played in gymnasiums, playgrounds, or out on picnics, either by the boys and girls or by the workers. GROUP GAMES FOR CHURCH VACATION SCHOOLS PREPARED BY OTTO F. LAEGLER, DIRECTOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION, NEW JERSEY BAPTIST CONVENTION Miscellaneous Games Poison. Form circles of from fifteen to twenty-five in number, either mixed groups or boys and girls separate. 106 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School Draw a circle about three feet in diameter in the center of the circle made by the players clasping each other's hands. The circle that has been drawn is supposed to be poison, and any one coming into contact with it dies (falls out of the game). Every player in the circle tries to make some other member touch the poison. They must not let go of hands except to let out the one who has been poisoned. Puss in the Corner. This game always affords a lot of fun and can be played in a room, or where there are a number of objects. A good place is in a grove of trees, for then one can slip away by getting behind his object. All the players take a corner or object except' one. That one is Puss who wants a corner. The fun of the game comes in by the players who do have corners making frequent changes, thus keeping poor Pussy very anxious. If Puss secures a corner, the one who has no corner be- comes Puss. If Puss has been unable to get a corner, he may call out at any time, " All change," and in the general scramble he doubtless will secure one. Pon Pon Pullaway. Draw two lines, one at each end of a thirty-foot space. All of the players will be on one side of the line, it matters not which side of the line it is. One player is It. He calls out any boy or girl he chooses by name, thus : " John Jones, Pon Pon Pullaway. Come away or I fetch you away ! " The player thus called im- mediately starts out across the open space to the safety- line on the other side. The one who is It endeavors to catch him before he reaches the safety-line. The players who are caught join in helping catch the others. The one who is known as It is the only one who has a right to call the names of the players. When all the players have crossed, the game proceeds by trying to get back Music, Closing Exhibit, and Games 107 to your first goal. After all players have been caught the one last caught is It for the next game. Tug of War. Choose teams. Have one team on one end of the rope and another on the other end. Tie a handkerchief at the center of the rope; draw a line just beneath this. At a given signal both teams, equally divided as to numbers, pull. You may judge the events by minutes or distance. The team gaining the most ground in three minutes, say, or the team which pulls two or three feet first — this is up to the referee. Caution: Have it definitely understood that when the whistle blows everybody stops where they are. Failure to comply means dismissal from team. This will be a safeguard from accidents. Rooster Fight. Choose equal number of players for each team. Draw a circle about four feet in diameter be- tween the two teams. Player number one from each team enters the circle, raises his left leg behind the right leg, ^grasping the left ankle with the right hand. The left arm is placed behind the back and clasps the right arm at the elbow. The player is thus balanced on the right leg. The two opponents hop forward, each trying to bunt the other with the chest or shoulders, with the express pur- pose of pushing him out of the circle. If he is pushed out, the defeated rooster's place is taken by another mem- ber of his own team. The game continues until all of the members of one team have been pushed out. The real sport comes by the members engaged in combat try- ing to secure a throw by evading' the opponent. Dodge Ball. Form two teams from twenty to forty players on each. One team will be in the circle and the other will form the circle. A basket-ball or volley-ball is given to a member of the team forming the circle, who 108 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School in turn throws it at any one inside the circle with the express purpose of tagging him with the ball. When he is tagged or hit with the ball, he immediately drops out. Any player in the circle may take the ball and throw it at those within. However, players must not break the circle by running across to get the ball. The game continues for a set period of time, say five minutes. Count the number of players that remain in. You then change sides; those within form the circle, and those which formed the circle go inside of the circle. The ball is thrown as before to a member in the circle, who in turn tries to tag some one inside the circle. The team having the greatest number within the circle at the end of a five-minute period wins the game. Three Deep. The game is played by twenty to thirty children, who form two circles so that every member of the back circle has a member of the first circle in front of him. They are then what we call two deep. Two players are left free — one who is It, and the other to be chased. The person runs around the circle and then jumps in front of any pair of the two deep, thus making one pair three deep, one behind the other. The one who thus becomes number three is the subject of the chase and is safe only when he jumps in front of one of the two deep. No runner can run more than three times around the circle. He must then jump in front of one of the two groups or become automatically It and chase the other person. Cat and Mouse. This game is played with twenty-five to seventy-five players. You may have two cats and two mice. The players form a large circle by clasping hands. The cat may be on the inside and the mouse on the out- side, or the other way about. The aim is for the cat to Music, Closing Exhibit, and Games 109 catch the mouse. All the members of the circle aid the mouse in every way they can by keeping out the cat, who tries to break through or go under the arms of those making the circle. When both are outside, they lift their arms to let the mouse in and keep the cat out. When the cat catches the mouse, he chooses two more players and the game proceeds. Filling the Gap. Players ten to one hundred. One player who is It walks around the circle that has been made by the other players. He slaps one on the back, and both start out to run around the circle, one in one direction and the other in the opposite, the object being to see which one can get around first and fill the gap. Tag Games Tag, in various varieties, is the most popular game chil- dren engage in. They love to chase and be chased. Cross Tag. One boy is It. He chases a boy whom he thinks he can tag. A third player crosses immediately be- tween him and the one being chased. It then starts out for the fellow who crossed him. This continues until It tags some person who in turn seeks to tag others. Fake attempts to cross between It and the fellow being chased affords a great deal of excitement. Squat Tag. One player is It. The other players are chased. When a player fears he is going to be tagged, he can squat, thus being safe. He must not use this safety device more than three times. After that he will have to run until he is tagged. Oriental Tag. One player is It. The other players are chased. The only position of safety is to be on your knees with the head bowed down on the folded arms, which is the position of worship assumed by Orientals. 110 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School Ostrich Tag. One player is It. The others are chased and tagged at any time except when standing on one leg with right arm under right thigh and holding the nose. The players will find it quite difficult to stop running and assume this position and hold it for any length of time. The awkward position causes frequent moving about of the players. Turtle Tag. One player is It and seeks to tag the others. A player cannot be tagged if he lies upon his back with his feet and hands in the air. The fun comes in trying to get this position quickly before you are tagged. Whip Tag or Beetle-goes-round. This game is played with twenty to fifty players. One player is It, and he carries a towel wrapped like a whip. The other players stand in a circle with their heads bowed and their hands extended in back of them waiting to have the whip put into their hands. If a player puts kis head up to look around to see where the whip is he may be hit by the person who has the whip. When the whip is put into the hands of a player, he hits the fellow to the right of him and continues to do this until he runs around the circle once. The one who had the whip takes the place of the one in whose hand he placed the whip. This is a good game in which to make the fresh chap toe the mark. Races Hop Race. Have all the players who wish to enter line up across the field or room. They stand on one foot with the other foot in the hand. If they stand on their left footJhey will put the right foot in the left hand. You may have the foot across either in front or in back, the back better as it insures better progress in the race. At Music, Closing Exhibit, and Games 111 a given signal all the hoppers hop to the goal. When the player touches both feet to the ground, it is a foul, and he drops out of the race. The player who reaches the goal first without touching his second foot to the ground, wins the race. Three-legged Race. Every boy must have a partner. It is better to choose one of your own height. You then tie your left leg to his right leg in two places, at the ankle and just above the knee. At a given signal all rush to the goal-line. The pair that arrives first wins the race. Wheelbarrow Race. One boy puts both hands on the ground and gives his two legs to his partner, who holds them as he would the handles of a wheelbarrow. At a given signal all leave the starting-line for the goal. The one arriving first wins. This game for boys only. Pony Race. Have players line up by pairs. Here the larger boys and girls choose the smaller ones to ride pickaback fashion from the starting-line to the goal. Have the boys and girls race thus separately. Ride the Donkey Race. Have the boys and girls choose a partner. This race should be run on a smooth floor or lawn. One of the team gets down on all four, that is, on hands and knees, the other straddles him. In the hurry to reach the goal the actions are those of a balky mule. The rider's feet must not touch the ground. ♦ Backward Race. All contestants toe a line, but in place of running forward they run backward to a goal-line. The one arriving first being the winner. Obstacle Race. Any number of contestants. The aim is to impede them in their approach to a given goal by blocking progress all along the line by all kinds of ob- stacles, the obstacles being determined by the site on which the race is to take place. A few of the obstacles 112 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School which may be erected are: to have them crawl through a barrel that has the bottom knocked out, having several barrels according to number in race; to have them jump over a box three times; to have them make two somer- saults ; to roll over three times. If there is a wading pond have them splash through it. Other obstacles will suggest themselves to you. Sack Race. Each competitor is given a good strong sack extending up to the neck. There is more fun if the sack can be tied so the hands are fastened in. At the command " Go " they start for the goal. The first to cross the line wins. Chariot Race. Four players comprise a chariot. There can be as many chariots as there are groups of four. Each of the four players link arms at the command " Go," they dash to the final goal about fifty yards away. The chariot which arrives first wins. If the group breaks apart they are broken down and are thus out of the race. Relay Races The following games will afiford some real fun. The number of teams entering the races will depend upon the size of the group. Every team ought to be composed of from ten to twenty-five players, with one as captain or leader for each team. All teams must have an equal num- ber of players. All-over Relay. Have the teams line up in single file in back of a starting-line. When the command " One, two, three, go " is given, the first player of the team runs forward to a distance of thirty feet where there are two circles, about three feet in diameter, side by side, for each team. In one of the circles in front of each team there are five stones. The player is to remove the five stones Music, Closing Exhibit, and Games 113 from one of the circles to the other (one at a time with his right hand, the left being folded behind his back). When he has removed all of the stones from one circle to the other he races back to rear of the team. As soon as he crosses the starting-line, player number two starts out and removes all of the stones to the empty circle, then races back to the starting-line when player three starts forth to do the same. This continues until all of the players have removed the stones from one circle to the other. The team that accomplishes the task first wins. If the ground is soft you may have the players use sticks. Every stick must be stuck in the ground within the circle. If stones are used, all stones must be within the circle before the player can release his team- mate for the same feat. Arch Relay. Teams line up in single file with equal number of players. The leaders or captains toe a starting- line. Basket-ball, volley-ball, or bean-bag may be used. But if these are not available, use a handerchief. At a given signal the handkerchief is passed backward over the head to the player just behind, who in turn passes it on to the next until all of the players have done so. When the last player of the team gets it, he rushes for- ward and passes it back over his head. The game pro- ceeds until every member of the team has had an op- portunity of carrying the handkerchief forward or until the captain gets back into his place again at the head of the line. Every player must touch the kandherchief every time it goes over his head. Baseball Throw. Have a large indoor baseball. Each boy or girl competing is given but one throw. The one throwing the ball the greatest distance wins. Running Bases for Time. You can make a diamond 114 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School anywhere on the field, with four points marked so they can be readily seen. At the command " Go " the runner sprints around the four bases. The one who makes the best time wins. The girls as well as the boys delight to participate in this kind of a contest. Athletic Events Standing broad jump. Twenty-five-yard dash. Hop, step, and jump, 40 yards. Standing back jump. Running broad jump. Have a kite-flying contest. Have a pet show in connection with the picnic or Vaca- tion School demonstration. VIII HAND-WORK Hand-work in the Church Vacation School is popular. Every child loves to make things. In the school great care is taken to give a boy or girl the kind of work that is adapted to his age and at the same time pleasing to him. Hand-work is not introduced as a bait to secure attendance. It is not merely to amuse. Its purpose is distinctly character formation. A boy was making a hammock. His instructor dis- covered some bad knots. The rules required him to undo the knots as far as the poor work. This would require at least one whole morning. He refused. His in- structor was firm and said, " You cannot go on until you have corrected your mistakes." Whereupon the boy left the school. One day toward the end of the term he ap- plied to the principal to come back, saying that he was willing to correct his mistakes in hammock-making. He was allowed to return. He took out the last bad knot and then with great care began over. This time he made no mistakes. He worked hard in the class period and secured permission to work two afternoons so as to finish. As a result of his careful work his hammock took first prize at the exhibit. In the hand-work the pupil learns by doing. Suppose the story of the morning has referred to some cities in Palestine. Now if in a relief-map which a boy is making of Palestine, these and other places are located, he will never forget. Bible characters live again as he traces 115 116 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School their journeys or makes models of their tents, their houses, or their temples. Or suppose the older girls are working out the drama of Ruth. They need some costumes illustrative of the life of that day. Each girl makes her own costume and helps with the smaller children. In this way her interest is secured, and the Biblical story becomes vividly real to her. There are at least seven good reasons why hand-work should have a large place in the program of the Vacation School. 1. The boys and girls love to make things. 2. Many things can be made to illustrate the general theme. For instance, there may be a series of stories centering around the home life of long ago. A model of a typical home of that time could be made and used in the stories. Or there may be a series of Temple stories. In that case the older boys could make a model of the Temple, and use this big model to show where the vari- ous incidents in the stories happened. In the same way a map of Palestine can be used. If there is a boy who is especially electrically inclined, he could wire the map so that various places mentioned in the day's story could be shown by colored lights. 3. Many special stories can be illustrated by hand- work, such as clay models, posters, cut-outs, drawings, colored work, paper models, etc. This kind of work is especially adaptable to the Primary age. The boys and girls love this kind of work, and when they are properly taught, surprising results can be obtained. 4. The spirit of altruism can be taught. Many things are made for others: scrap-books for the children in the orphanage, clothes for destitute children, a pretty picture Hand-work 117 for some poor girl, or something for father or mother or brother or sister. 5. Hand-work is of value m itself, even though it does not illustrate a lesson or is not for some one else. The child learns to make things with others, and under super- vision. He learns to do simple things well before he at- tempts the more difficult. The work must be clean and accurate just as Jesus would have it to be. Thus he learns to live and work with others in simple every-day Christian living. 6. All hand-work is under the direction of Qiristian leaders. Character is caught, not taught. All teachers and helpers in the Vacation School are Christians, and are expected to live the Christian life before the boys and girls. Thus the pupils see the Christlike way of living and doing. Often consciously, often unconsciously, they catch the Christian spirit of their teachers. Who can esti- mate the real influence of a Christian man or woman over the boys and girls during the busy days of a summer school ? 7. The craft articles, after they have been finished and after the exhibit day, are taken home. It is no uncommon sight to find a piece of hand-work which John or Jane has made in a very conspicuous place in the home. The parents are proud of the good work of their children. They show it to their friends and neighbors, and thus the work and influence of the school are made known to other people. After a successful Vacation School a church visitor can call throughout the neighborhood and find in a house-to-house canvass that practically every parent knows about the school and has a good word for the church and for the people who are interested in the chil- dren. 118 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School In one neighborhood the leader of the school worked out a beautiful Christian poster for the home. This was very popular, and practically every child made one and took it home to hang up in his or her room. Later, when the pastor called upon the homes of the children of his school, the parents frequently showed him the poster and thanked him for taking so much interest in the boys and girls. General Rules for Hand-work 1. Decide upon the articles which are to be made in the various departments of the school, before the opening day. 2. Mtike an attractive model of each article. 3. Have sufficient craft materials on hand for the whole school for every day. 4. Do not attempt too many different things. A few articles well made are much better than many articles poorly made. 5. Do not have the same thing for the school every year. Introduce new features each year. 6. Grade the hand-work so that it will fit the age and experience of the boy or girl. Begin with something simple and easy. After this has been completed neatly and accurately, then advance to something more difficult. Save the very best thing for the closing days of school. Many schools have failed at this point. The most popular and attractive work has been offered the first day, with the result that when it was completed, the teacher has nothing else as attractive, and the child drops out or becomes indifferent. An article that the big boys have made can be given later to the group next younger. But never give the big boys something that the smaller lads have been doing. For instance, every boy loves to make Hand-work 119 kites. Let the big boys do this first. The next week the Junior boys can make kites, and the next week the Primary boys can make very simple kites. In this way older boys can be used as instructors. 7. Have a closet or box that can be locked for a stock-room. This room to be in charge of the craft leader. 8. Appoint one person in each class to be responsible for all craft materials. It is surprising how much mate- rial can be wasted or lost if there is not close supervision. 9. Mark plainly the work of each boy or girl. A box or a bag for each scholar is the best plan. 10. Never pass poor work. Hold a high standard for craft work, and the boys and girls will respond. Insist upon neat and accurate work. 11. Never allow a scholar to leave his or her own work and wander around the room. If the period is too long for steady application upon one piece of work, try the plan of having two entirely different types of work. 12. Be open to new ideas and suggestions from the boys and girls themselves. Some of the cleverest and most popular features of the craft work will be discovered in each school in this way. 13. Have a teacher or instructor for each of the dif- ferent kinds of hand-work. If a school cannot secure teachers for every different kind of hand-work, then have fewer things and larger classes. At Aiken Institute one woman handled a hundred Primary girls in doll-making. She could do this because every girl was doing the same thing. She divided her class in units of ten and trained one girl in each class to be her helper. 14. Keep the closing exhibit before the whole school. Encourage each scholar to do the very best possible work, 120 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School so that he or she will be proud to have father and mother and other people see the work in the exhibit. 15. Do not do the work for any boy or girl. A teacher is often tempted to finish an article or to correct a mis- take. This should not be done. Show the children how to do the work, but let them do the task entirely them- selves. Suggested Articles for Craft Work The following list of craft work is by no means com- plete. One of the advantages of this work is the large number of interesting and inexpensive articles that can be made. In every school, by every teacher, and in every community new ideas are developed each year. The list given here includes typical articles which can be made by the various departments. * Boys, Primary Age, 6-8 Pinwheels. Pinwheels can be made out of wall-paper, or any stiff paper. Best results can be obtained by using the paper double. Cut the paper square. Draw a straight line from each corner through the center. Cut along line from corner to within a short distance from the center. Fold over every other corner to the center. Insert a pin through each point and the center. Mount on a stick. Bird and Butterfly Sticks. Secure from Dennison's a roll each of bird and butterfly crepe paper. Cut out one of the birds and mount on light pasteboard or heavy construction paper. Trim carefully. A little waste paper placed between the bird and the mounting will give a more lifelike appearance. Take a small stick and wind with a plain colored crepe paper. Tack or paste the bird on the stick. The older boys can cut out a bird with A CLASS IN KITE MAKING W. Irving Park, Chicago MODEL DOLL HOUSE. A CLASS PROJECT La Grange, 111. Hand-work 121 their scroll-saw and paint it themselves, or they can paste one of the cut-out birds on a piece of wood and cut it out with their saw. A little paint for the raw edges and a little shellac for the bird will finish the article. This can be tacked to a stick or mounted on a base. Butterfly sticks are made the same way. Decorated Tins and Flower-pots. Get cocoa and bak- ing-powder cans. Take off the paper. Paint and varnish. Make a hole in the top. This is for mother's ball of wrapping-cord. An ordinary flower-pot can be painted and decorated with a pretty cut-out design or a painted design and then varnished. Scrap-books. The best results can be obtained by us- ing construction paper for the inserts and then some heavy colored paper or cardboard for the covers. A sam- ple book of wall-paper will furnish material for both cover and inside pages. A scrap-book will be of greater value if some idea can be worked out in it. For in- stance, make a book illustrative of home life, with a page for each room, one for the garage, garden, etc. Or work out the idea of the life of a child in pictures, one page for his home, another for his school, another for his church, another for his games, etc. Or use the seasons as the idea with pictures. Poster-making. Simple decoration posters can be made. See rules for poster-making under Older Boys' craft work. Circus — Noah's Ark. Secure from Dennison's circus crepe paper. Pictures of various animals can be secured from magazines. A pattern for the various animals can be made by the teacher. Each child can trace or cut a pattern for himself. These cut-out animals can be pasted on cardboard and then trimmed. A cardboard slip can 122 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School be fastened to the back so that each animal will stand. For the older Primaries these animals can be mounted on thin board and cut out with the scroll-saw. A shoe- box can be fixed up with strings to resemble a cage. In pasting crepe paper apply the paste to the cardboard, press lightly the crepe paper onto the pasted part so as not to stretch it. Put under a weight to dry. Scroll-saw Puzzles. A picture or a map can be pasted on thin board and cut into irregular pieces. This is a good way to teach the geography of Palestine. Kites. Every boy loves to make and to fly kites. A very simple kite can be made by the primary boys. Some of the older ones will make the bow-kite. Caution: Do not make kites in the Primary Department until after the big boys have finished kite-making. Waste-paper Baskets. A hamper can be secured from a grocery store. This can be painted on the inside and the outside covered with either paper or cloth. Good baskets can also be made from heavy cardboard or wall- board covered with wall-paper. These baskets are made of four sides and a bottom tied together with colored cords. Wagons. A very simple toy wagon can be made by the eight-year-old lads. The various parts can be cut out, sandpapered, put together, and painted. A simple wheel- barrow can be made in the same way. Boats. Boat-making is always popular and will keep a large number of boys very busy for a long time. Clay Modeling. Clay can be used in many ways to teach the Bible lessons. Objects spoken of in the story can be made in clay. Paper-cutting and Folding. Much use can be made of paper-cutting and folding to illustrate the daily stories. Hand-work 123 Primary Girls Doll-making. One of the most interesting and instruc- tive kinds of work for the younger girls is to make and dress a doll. In one school the teachers bought from a department store the dolls stamped out on cloth. These were cut out by the girls, sewed together, and stuffed. Then each girl made a complete outfit of clothes for her doll. In the same school another group of girls made a doll-bed out of a shoe-box, painting it with white enamel. Each bed was then equipped with a mattress, quilts, sheets, pillows, etc. Doll furniture can be made from pasteboard or paper. A doll trunk can also be made. In another school each girl furnished her own doll head and then made a body and all the clothing. Bird and Butterfly Sticks, Scrap-books, Clay Modeling, and Paper Folding, See description of these under Pri- mary boys. Iron-holders. Simple and fancy iron-holders can be made for mother. One teacher worked out a pattern for an iron-holder in the form of a bird. Indian Dress. Each girl is asked to bring a piece of brown cloth twice as long as her dress plus two inches. This extra strip is cut off and forms a head-band into which feathers can be placed. The neck is cut out at the top. Along each side the cloth is fringed by cutting into narrow strips. These strips can be tied together at the top for the arm and in several places along the side. Geometric figures are drawn across the front and colored either with crayolas or with oil-paint. A girl can add 124 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School any further embroidery or decorations which she may desire. Reed- and Raffia-work. Many very simple and ef- fective things can be made by means of reed and raffia. Each school should have a copy of the Priscilla Book on Basketry that may be had from the Priscilla Co., Boston, Mass. Paper Beads. These can be made from wall-paper or the bright covers of magazines. Cut in long triangular strips. Paste back. Roll over a hatpin, beginning with the wide part. Dry. Shellac. Junior Boys, Ages 9, 10, 11 Scroll-saw. A great variety of articles can be made with a scroll- or coping-saw. It should be used with the teeth pointing down. The saw blade should be held at exactly right angles to the surface of the wood. Do not work too fast; turn comers slowly. The best wood is thin basswood. Cigar-boxes can be used, but the wood splits too easily. Wall-board (also called compo board, beaver board) can be obtained from any lumber-yard. It can be sawed or whittled. Bird-houses. Any teacher can work out a model of a bird-house. The boys will have their own ideas and work them out. Auto-trucks, Aeroplanes, Windmills, Wagons, Ships. To do this successfully, it is necessary that the teacher have a finished model and patterns for each part. In any toy store one can find these toys which will serve as models. Jointed Animals. These can be made by the scroll-saw and fastened together so that the legs and head will move. Hand-work 125 Patterns of jointed animals and blue prints of automo- biles, aeroplanes, etc., can be secured from the " Uma- kim," W. R. Price, Inc., 127 Fifth Ave., New York City. Basketry. Reed and raffia. Get a basketry book from the Priscilla Co., Boston, Mass. Many most interesting and useful articles can be made from reed and raffia. Whittling. Every boy likes to whittle. A good knife, some soft wood, and a few patterns will keep a boy busy for a long time. An aeroplane and many other things can be made by a boy with his knife. Kites. See direction for kite-making under Older Boys. Poster-making. See directions later. Junior Girls, Ages 9, 10, 11 Wax Beads. These are made from sealing-wax of various colors blended together. A hatpin, an alcohol lamp, and several colors of sealing-wax are the materials and tools needed. Waxwork. Beautiful decoration work can be done with colored sealing-wax. Basketry. Always popular with Junior girls. See Pris- cilla Book. Luncheon Sets. See Older Girls' Craft. Knitting, Crocheting, and Embroidery. Any woman can work out simple and practical work along these lines adapted to the girls of her class. Poster-making. See rules for Poster-making given under Older Boys. Sewing and Cooking. The following schedule for sew- ing and cooking has been furnished by Inez Tallmadge, teacher in Domestic Science and Art in the public schools of Lansing, Michigan : 126 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School 8B Sewing 8A and 8B age average 12, 13, 14 Article Work Done and Stitches Used I. Bag for sewing. Navy mercerized cotton, 12 in. X 27 in. White cable cord. II. Apron. 1. Basting. 2. Machine-stitching. 3. Overcasting. 4. Hemming. 5. Embroidering in white. (Design optional.) New stitches suggested. 1. Gathering. 2. Putting on band. 3. Tucking. 4. Setting in insertion. 5. Sewing on lace. 6. Embroidering. 7. Using bias binding. 8. Using buttonhole binding. 1. Trimming. 2. Crocheting yoke. 3. Embroidering. 4. Lace and insertion. 5. Feather-stitching. 8 A. Complete work of SB. IV. Smock, or middy, or simple dress. May be em- broidered. III. Nightgown or Chemise, Hand-work 127 Contents of sewing-boxes furnished by the girls : Needle-book. Needles. Thimble. Scissors. Pins. Pincushion. Emery-bag. Tape measure. Embroidery needles. Embroidery hoops. White thread. Sewing-apron. The problem of setting in sleeves is not taken up until high school, as it is a rather difficult one. We make kimono sleeves in our smocks and dresses. Sewing, 5A and SB AGE AVERAGE 9, 10 5B Article Made Stitches Used I. Holder. 1. Basting stitch (even). 5 in. X 21 in. 2. Overhanding. 3. Running stitch. 4. Sewing on tape. II. Towel. 1. Basting (even). 19 in. 2. Hemming, French and fine. 3. Sewing on tape. 128 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School III. Bag. 34 in. X }i width of material. 1. Basting (uneven). 2. Machine stitch and overcast- ing. 3. Basting hem. 4. Hemming top. 5. Running stitch for tape. 6. Embroidering initial made in drawing class (if time per- mits). 7. Running in tape. It may be necessary to finish bag in 5A. Article Made Apron. White cambric, bungalow style. Stitches Used and Work to be Done 1. Cutting. 2. Basting. 3. French seam, underarm seams at home on sewing- machine. 4. Sewing bias binding around circle at neck by hand. 5. Turn and baste hem at bot- tom of sleeves and apron. 6. Sewing on buttons or tape. 7. Making buttonholes. 8. Pocket. 9. Belt. 10. Sew button on belt on which to button tape of towel and holder. Aprons may be trimmed. 11. Stitch hem in bottom. Hand-work 129 Pupils bring pincushion, emery-ball, pins, and thimble. The following are furnished: thread, needles, scissors, rulers. Material for holders, bags, and towels is furnished. The girls buy their own material for aprons. The " making over '' problem is simply this. Each girl rips up and cleans and presses some used garment, brings it to school with a commercial pattern, and with the in- structor's help, cuts and makes a smaller garment from the material. She may combine the old with the new and make an adult's dress or blouse or wrap. Many girls make clothing for the smaller children in their families. Cooking, Sixth Grade ages average 11 and 12 years Lesson I. Teaching of care of kitchen : Table. Drawers. Cupboards. Sink. Stove. Floor. Dish-towels. Dish-cloths. Appearance of girls at work: Cotton blouse or dress. Apron. Towel. Holder. Cleanliness of Hands. Dress. Nails. 130 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School Lesson II. Lesson III. Lesson IV. Lesson V. Lesson VI. Lesson VII. Lesson VIII. Lesson IX. Lesson X. Lesson XI. Lesson XII. Lesson XIII. Lesson XIV. Lesson XV. Lesson XVI. Lesson XVII. Lesson XVIII. Lesson XIX. Lesson XX. Lesson XXI. Lesson XXII. Lesson XXIII. Lesson XXIV. Lesson XXV. Lesson XXVI. Lesson XXVII Lesson XXVIII Accuracy and exactness in work. Note-books in ink. Pictures may be pasted in to illustrate what has been cooked. Washing dishes. Baked apple. Baked potato. White sauce No. I — creamed potatoes. White sauce No. II — creamed onions. Scalloped tomatoes. Cream of potato soup. Cream of tomato soup. Pea puree with croutons. Corn-starch mold. Corn-meal mush. Steamed rice with raisins. Christmas Lesson " Fudge." Oatmeal with dates. Turkish pilaf. Tapioca pudding. Macaroni and cheese. Peanuts and mashed potatoes. Sour-milk griddle cakes. Graham muffins. Twin Mountain muffins. Drop biscuit. Baking-powder biscuit. Fruit rolls. Plain white cake. Uncooked frosting. Custard, or any crust pie. Boiled custard. Lettuce salad with French dressing. Hand-work 131 Lesson XXIX. Lesson XXX. Lesson XXXL Potato salad with boiled dressing. Sandwiches. Table service Setting the table. Lesson I. Lesson II. Lesson III. Lesson IV. Lesson V. Lesson VI. Lesson VII. Lesson VIII. Lesson IX. Lesson X. Lesson XI. Lesson XII. Lesson XIII. Lesson XIV. Lesson XV. Lesson XVI. Lesson XVII. Lesson XVIII Lesson XIX. Lesson XX. Lesson XXI. Lesson XXII. Lesson XXIII Lesson XXIV. Cooking, Seventh Grade ages 12 and 13, average Same as Sixth year. Review. Apple-sauce. Stewed prunes. Corn a la Southern. Scalloped Tomatoes. Cocoa. Rennet custard. Welsh rarebit. Lemon pie. Mince pie. White cake with caramel frosting. Dark cake with White Mountain cream. Christmas Lesson " Fondant." Swiss steak. Lamb stew with dumplings. Meat substitute lesson. Salmon loaf. Creamed codfish. Baked beans. Noodle soup. Graham bread. Gingerbread. Chocolate bread pudding. Cottage pudding. 132 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School Lesson XXV. Cookies (dark) Lesson XXVL Cookies (light). Lesson XXVIL Boston cookies. Lesson XXVIIL Custard souffle. Lesson XXIX. Cheese fondue. Lesson XXX. Perfection salad. Lesson XXXI. Fruit salad. Lesson XXXII. Table service. Cleaning-up lesson. Older Boys, Age 12, 13, 14 A man with some experience in manual training is needed for the best work with the older boys. Work on the following articles has proved of interest to boys of this age: Advanced Basketry. See " Basketry Book," Priscilla Co., Boston, Mass. Poster-making. The mat can be secured from almost any art store or from the local printer. The pictures can be secured from magazines. The following rules for margin and for lettering were furnished by Hazel Suepp Brown, of the Art Department of the Indianapolis Public Schools : In lettering : Use a simple style of letter. In a word or line use either of the following plans: (1) all capitals of the same height; (2) large initials with smaller capitals. (Be sure that pupils do not confuse lower-case letters with capitals.) Letters in a word should be close enough together to make the word appear as a unit, not as separate letters. Words should be separated so as to be read easily. The less important parts of printed matter on a book cover should be subordinate in size to the title. Hand-work 133 The title should, in general, be placed above the center of the covered space. Subordinate parts should be placed close to the main part of the title, or in a separate group. The size and placing of the design unit on a cover should be carefully considered. The margins of the poster should be (1) smallest at sides, (2) next larger at top, (3) largest at bottom. All illustration and lettering should be kept between or written within these limits. Blue Prints. Hazel Suepp Brown has furnished the following directions for the making of blue-prints of nature material: 1. Arrange on drawing-paper the study to be printed, and decide on the size of the background needed for the print. 2. Cut sheet of drawing-paper and sheet of blue-print paper the size selected. 3. Place blue-print paper in a book to keep from light. 4. Lay the piece of drawing-paper upon desk and place glass over it. 5. Arrange plant study upon glass, using drawing- paper under glass as a background. 6. Place blue-print paper face down upon plant study exactly over background paper, and place a stiff book over that. 7. Lift all but drawing-paper from desk and turn glass from light until ready to print. 8. Expose to direct rays of sun. Just before making the blue-prints the teacher should 134 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School make one herself to test the time necessary to make a clear and not too dark print. The time needed varies accord- ing to the intensity of the light. Average time needed, 30-90 seconds. Warning: (1) Keep blue-print paper from light until ready to print. (2) Do not let study or paper slip. (3) Press study tight to glass with book. (4) Wash thor- oughly, keeping prints in motion or under running water until white parts appear clear. S.C NO. 1 STICK FLAT KITE - FLAT VIEW N0.2 STICK ON EDIJE AO" KITE- LOOKING AT EDGC Kites. The bow-kite is much simpler, and in every way very desirable. It requires accuracy of workmanship, and is capable of many embellishments that add to its attrac- tiveness. Directions as follows : take two pieces of good kite material, 40 inches long, J^ inch wide, and 3-16 inch thick and as nearly equal weight as possible and as uni- form as possible. With scroll-saw or knife slightly groove the ends of the sticks in the long directions. By balancing on a knife-edge find the exact middle of one of these, and mark with your pencil. With a light, strong cord fastened from end to end bow this stick until it is six inches from Hand-work 135 the cord to the stick at the center. With light, strong cord, or heavy thread, fasten securely the first stick to the second at right angles six inches from the top exactly over the middle (do not use nails unless very light or the sticks will break). Fasten a light, strong cord from end to end of the sticks. Cut fairly heavy kite paper so that it will extend beyond the strings on each side about one inch, lap the paper over the strings, and paste se- curely. From tip to tip of the upright piece, fasten a cord on the convex side of the kite. This string must be long enough so that it will reach to the end of the cross- piece. Your lead string should be fastened to this directly out from the crosspiece. When the kite is tested in actual flight, it may be necessary to move this a little one way or the other to secure proper balance. The kite may be em- bellished by pasting on the convex side stars and stripes, or pictures of great American leaders, or other colored arrangements that may appeal to the individual. No tail is required if the kite has been properly made. Hammock-making. Hammock-making appeals to the older boys, especially if they are looking forward to a summer camp. Detailed description cannot be given. Use No. 32 seine cord. In the three-inch iron ring knit fourteen loops fourteen inches long. Next double the loops to twenty-eight, going twice around the block for each loop. Then knit until the hammock is of desired size. Narrow to fourteen loops. Put on end ring. Models. A group of boys could work out a model suburban home, a city flat, a modern church, etc. Furniture Needed for the Church. A church may need tables for the various departments or a closet for the Vacation School supplies, or some of the chairs may need repairing and rubber tips may be put on all the chairs. A 136 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School group of older boys will be just the ones to undertake this work. Only they need a good teacher. Hand-work for Older Girls prepared by hazel boyd, children's worker, iowa baptist state convention The type of craft work for older girls must necessarily be of a different type from that of the younger ones. We will find it a little harder to link up the hand-work with a course of Bible study. With girls in the last year, Junior or past the Junior age, we will constantly think of doing for others and making things for others. Of course, what the girls do for others they can also do for themselves. To link up especially some of these sug- gested pieces of craft work with the Bible, the teacher and pupils will find a very interesting study, in looking up in a Bible dictionary or in other books, that can be secured from the public library or elsewhere, the use made of these different types of work in the Bible times. The girls might enjoy keeping a note-book of these different things, or we might give special credit, or reward, to the one who would write the best essay on a given subject, and illustrate it with the craft work. An example of this is given in the following article: Bible Basketry. The Bible basket, or vessel, was made of plaited reeds, twigs, palm-leaves, or other material. The common was probably a bag-shaped basket, made of flexible interwoven twigs, probably similar in shape to the basket in which a carpenter carries his tools. Three such baskets the chief baker of Pharaoh dreamt he car- ried on his head. (Gen. 40 : 16-18.) These were baskets of white bread, not white baskets. Similar baskets were Hand-work 137 used to carry the unleavened bread and the oiled cakes and wafers for the offering of consecration of the priests (Exod. 29 : 3-23; also Lev. 8 : 2-26), hence it is called the basket of consecration. Such baskets were used also for the Nazarite's offering. (Num. 6 : 15-19.) Gideon carried the flesh of the kid and the unleavened cakes of his provision for the Angel in a basket of this sort. (Judges 6 : 19.) Large baskets made of reed and twisted vines were used to carry the grapes in from the vineyard. A round basket tapering downward was used for carrying the first- fruits, and for agricultural and household use. National prosperity, consequent on well-doing, was typified by the blessings of the basket and the store. (Deut. 28 : 5.) The opposite condition was attended with a curse in the basket. (Deut. 28 : 17.) Baskets were used largely in ancient sculpture, for in- stance, the basket-bearing priest and basket-bearing girls. Baskets are represented in Egyptian paintings as carried on the back, on the head, over one shoulder, or else they were borne between two on a pole, or two were carried by a yoke resting on the shoulders. The deliverance of the Israelites is well expressed by the removal from their shoulders of the burden. In baskets of this kind the heads of Ahab's sons were sent to Jehu at Jezreel. (2 Kings 10 : 7.) A basket, oval in shape, made of papyrus reeds, smeared with pitch, was the sort in which the baby Moses was exposed. Egyptian baskets were : mesen, a fruit basket of palm-leaves and rushes for carrying dates; hatep, a basket for carrying meat or flowers ; senab, a basket for catching fish. A long tapering basket was used by the Romans for wool, by the Greeks for fruit. In such a 138 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School basket were contained the figs of Jeremiah's vision. (Jer. 24 : 1, 2.) Large baskets of this kind were used for carrying clay to the brick kilns. (Ps. 81 : 6.) The baskets used in the feeding of the five thousand were probably large provision baskets with which the surplus was gathered, possibly made of rope work such as were also used for fishing along the lakes. These sizes varied, but probably held about two gallons. The Jews carried this style of baskets made of wicker for their food in Gentile countries to prevent defilement. A large basket of the rope material was probably the kind used to let down Paul over the wall of Damascus. (Acts 9 : 25.) Judas' bag was probably made of leather. A wooden platter was, no doubt, used to carry John the Baptist's head to Salome. In the early churches wicker baskets were used for carrying eulogia or consecrated bread and wine to those not present at the eucharist. The word "basket" is of Celtic origin, from a root which signifies to twist around. White Cross Work. In schools conducted in churches where the girls' organizations are not already doing " White Cross Work," the girls can do this to good ad- vantage. Full directions for this may be secured through our Woman's Missionary Board. Sewing. " Make study of clothing used in Bible times." Much more should be made of sewing in the future. For home use, pillow-cases, sheets, towels, etc., may be made. They may be hemstitched, embroidered, put together with insertion, or have tatting or crochet edges. Pretty ones are also made with a scalloped hem turned back on the right side and finished off with rick-rack. Linen towels can be finished as suggested above, bath-towels finished with a scalloped edge and monogram, or with crochet Hand-work 139 edge of darning cotton, or heavy mercerized floss. Plain kitchen-towels finished with hem or feather stitch. Tea- towels the same, or with little outline design of a dish in corner. Cases for table-cloths, napkins, knives and forks, and spoons, also doilies, are made of cretonne, outing flannel. BurtON HOLES ^LENSTH AOOORDINQ TO > W(Cn-H OF KNNE9 FORKS OR SPOONS FIQ. m.iv.v FIG VI STRINOS OF T/VPE TO TIE AROUND ROLL linen, or other material, and can be stenciled, outlined, cross-stitched, bound with bias tape, or as we desire. Table-cloth-case illustrated, Fig. 1. Napkin-case, Fig. 2. Knife-, fork-, and spoon-cases should have linings of flannel or outing flannel, Fig. 3, 4, 5. These are also pretty if made of flowered ticking. E>oily rolls are made over a mailing-tube or roll of newspaper. Make case to fit roll tight, turn ends in, or hem and tie up close with bow ; Fig. 6. The best plan for knives, forks, and spoons is to measure them, as they vary so much, and make the pockets to fit. Asbestos pads for placing under hot dishes have little covers of linen or other cloth to fit the " boughten " pads, 140 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School finished with crochet or buttonhole edge, little stencil or embroidery design on top. Easy ones are made of just a circle with a draw-string. Same can be crochet, a solid pattern. Tea sets made of linen, unbleached muslin, blue bird, or Japanese cloth. These are edged with lace, cross-stitch, embroidery, or any desired way. Should include center- piece, 18 in., plate doilies, 16 in., bread-and-butter plate doilies, 7 in., tumbler doilies, 5 in., and any other odd pieces you may want. Luncheon sets of cloth, either square or round, with napkins to match. The tray-cloth may also match. These may be finished as tea set. Corset covers, night-dresses, and other underwear may be made and finished with embroidery, or with crochet edges or yokes. Morning caps are made of almost any material and trimmed any desired way. Crochet bands are pretty with lace tops. A new one is almost three-cornered with a lace edge, the points buttoning together at back of neck. Simple waists and blouses may be made and embroidered with single stitches. Underskirts made of white sateen or flowered cre- tonne, with plain scalloped edges, or with narrow ribbon ruffle around scallop. Combing jackets are made of any soft material, or of a bath-towel cut open on end, and neck cut out, corners turned back and bound with ribbon. Kimonos, bedroom slippers, and sleeping boots make pretty gifts. Sleeping boots are made of outing flannel in shape of a stocking foot. Aprons: Small serving aprons to be embroidered with crochet or tatting edge. Fig. 7. Children's aprons of all CO > 2: >-i O CO O > CO CO O O M CO O o < Hand-work 141 kinds. Work aprons made of gingham, sateen, etc. Use any pattern girls may have at hand. For a simple one, see Fig. 8, which takes just one yard of 36 in. material. Straight fudge apron, Fig. 9, made of muslin or crash toweling; then stenciled, outHned, cross-stitch pattern, or applique design sewed on of plain colored gingham. These can also be made of sanitas cloth and stenciled. Fie vm o no K Embroidery. " Look up about embroidery and designs used in Bible times." Towels, aprons, linens, doilies, (linen embroidered in colors or white), bed sets, dresser scarf, luncheon sets, corset covers, luncheon cloths, nap- kins, collar-boxes of tan linen, embroidered and made on pasteboard frames, tie racks, corset bags, laundry bags, fancy work bags, shipping bags, etc. Patterns and suggestions for all these, as well as articles suggested to be sewed, may be secured from catalog of Frederick Herrschner, 6457 South Marsh- field Ave., Chicago, 111., or from department stores. Crochet. Edges and insertions for pillow covers, towels, underwear, dresses, aprons, handkerchiefs, yokes, caps, luncheon sets, corner squares for napkins, etc., doily sets, centerpiece, piano scarf, library table scarf ends, sofa 142 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School pillow, dresser sets, coat collars, covers for talcum powder cans, hot baking dishes in tins for the table, luncheon sets, etc. Crochet chains to hold back lace curtains at win- dows. These may be bands of insertion fastened to a ring at each end, or a series of ivory rings fastened to- gether with a plain buttonhole crochet. (See Priscilla Crochet Book. Secure at any store.) Stenciling. Stenciling is one of the most interesting types of craft work for girls. For stenciling on sanitas cloth, linen, etc., get the primary colors, or following shades of tube oil-colors: Prussian blue, emerald green, chrome green, chrome yellow (light), madder lake (red), burnt sienna (brown), black, white. For lighter shades, mix with white, or darker, with a darker color. Dilute with " Parchment Painting Medium," Thayer & Chandler, Chicago, or " Diluting Medium for Parchment Painting," A. H. Abbott Co., Chicago. Mix to consistency of thin cream, and apply to outlined design with soft camel's hair brush. Use bristle brush on cloth. Of the sanitas cloth there may be made luncheon sets, water sets, porch sets, also fudge aprons and children's bibs. For the sets, first make design of blue birds, cher- ries, or conventional patterns of heavy paper. Place pat- tern and draw around edge. Then apply paint, always be- ginning in the center and work toward the edge. You can buy many stencil patterns, but try to encourage your girls to make original designs and patterns. For special parchment painting and materials, secure catalog No. 98 of white china and parchment painting from Thayer & Chandler, 913 Van Buren St., Chicago, 111. The same directions as given above apply also to stenciling on linen or muslin, when making doilies, sofa pillows, fudge aprons, window curtains, bedroom sets. Hand-work 143 etc. The stenciling on cloth is very pretty when outlined with embroidery floss a shade darker than the stencil. Enameled cookie cans, spice cans, etc. Secure tin boxes, such as crackers, candy, or tobacco come in. First, enamel them with common white enamel, then transfer design, and paint with paint prepared for stenciling, or with a bit of the enamel tinted the desired shade with oil- colors. If shade is not deep enough, apply a second coat a little darker. Then cans may be used for cookies, cake, sugar, etc. Save small cans, such as small baking-powder cans, and make a set of six spice cans. Empty cold-creams jars can be stenciled with simple design, the cover painted in same shade of design. A square box is pretty with a little Dutch scene in deep blue. Any size or shaped can or box can be enameled and stenciled to serve as button boxes, bon-bon boxes, etc. Flower-pots and window flower-boxes can be made and stenciled as directed above. Also long narrow sticks to stick in plant jars to brace heavy branches of plants. Some sticks may have birds attached to put in plant window or in flower beds. Suggest designs to start with. Then help pupils to work out new and original ones. Blue bird patterns can be secured on the Dennison crepe paper for shelves. Cut these designs out of cardboard, then draw around them in transferring them to the material. Wild rose to be done in any shade of pink or yellow writh green leaves. 144 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School ^0 '^^ Simple little conventional designs for solid work. Free-hand design of cherries. Use these on doilies, fudge aprons, or smaller sets. Make in red, green, or brown with a green or brown border. (See page 12, Nov., 1920, " Modern Priscilla." Buy stencil sheet No. 14 of The Priscilla Pub. Co., Boston, Mass.) Little clips for a pair of rubbers are useful. Get clothespins that snap on with a spring. Enamel them white or color; then on the back stencil a little design — conventional, Dutch boy, or flower, such as a pansy, standing up straight. For lamp shades and special parchment painting, see Catalog No. 98 from Thayer & Chandler, Chicago. Enameling on Ivory. Buy real ivory, or the cheap pieces you can get in the ten-cent store. These will decorate just as well. The puff-boxes, hair receivers, trays, candlesticks, etc., decorate beautifully with simple conventional or flower patterns. For this use common Hand-work 145 enamel tinted to desired shade with oil paints. Secure " The .Prang Bulletin " of the Prang Company, 1922 Calumet Avenue, Chicago, for special suggestions; also November, 1920, number of " Modern Priscilla," page 23. New button-mold draperies, cards for pulling electric lights, window shades, tassels for baskets, bags, cushion covers, etc. The common wooden button-molds are enameled, decorated with simple design, and strung on heavy cord. Full directions with designs may be secured from " Priscilla Publishing Co." Illustrated in Nov., 1920, issue. Water-colors. " Study the painting of Bible pictures." Any set of school water-color paints may be used to tint place-cards, invitations, photos, calendars, wall mottoes, engagement booklets, prayer lists, landscape pictures, many of which can be bought in the ten-cent stores. The best sets of paints can be bought from Milton Bradley Co., Philadelphia, Pa. Posters. Poster-making should be given a special place. To illustrate and announce the activities of organ- ized classes, Sunday school, W. W. G., B. Y. P. U., Cradle Roll, Craft School, we make posters that can be hung in the church. For the room or home, beautiful posters with Bible pictures and verses, or other pictures and verses are very beautiful and suggestive. Many good suggestions may be secured by saving magazine pictures. See " Prang Bulletin " for special poster-making and lettering." Pottery. See " Prang Bulletin." The new modeling clay " Permodello " is very fine and needs no baking. If ordinary modeling clay is used, put into a heavy bag and soak in water until moist. Then put out onto board and knead until of right consistency. If too soft, add some K 146 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School dry clay. Either the Permodello or clay can be molded in the same manner. M^ke into vases, bowls, plates, baskets, jars of any size or shape. Dry or bake. Then decorate with common oil paints or with the same prep- aration used for the stenciling. Send to " Southwest Arts & Crafts Co., Sante Fe, New Mexico, Julius Gans, Mgr., for a copy of his catalog or " The Indian as an Artist," and you will have the very best suggestions for shapes of molding and designs for painting the pottery. Any other stencil designs or patterns may be used. Flowers. Learn about the flowers of the Bible lands, and what place flowers have to take in Bible teaching. Those who took flower-making can best learn the par- ticular kinds in the department stores. They will teach you free of charge, if you buy your ribbon or other mate- rial. The more expensive ones are made of ribbon, usu- ally rosebuds, and attached to some leaves. Beautiful bunches of flowers may be made of odds and ends of ribbon. Take a little piece about three inches long and fold in a bow-^knot. Then wrap wire around center with one or two twigs of green, leaving about two inches for stems. About fifteen of these make a nice bunch. Yarn flowers are easy to make and are popular. The simple ones are crochet, about three rows of double crochet around a circle, then gradually bring nearly together. Five or six of these in different colors with a leaf or tassel make a pretty bunch. A yarn flower made on pasteboard is beautiful. Cut a three-inch circle, make nine notches around edge and hole in center. Use four yards of yarn threaded on a bodkin. Put end of thread through hole from top, and hold with fingers, bring to edge over notch, pass over back of card to next notch, bring over and down to center. Hand-work 147 reach through hole with bodkin from under side and bring yarn down in loop through hole, and hold with fingers, take yarn up through same notch as brought down from, pass across back of card to next notch, then down again. Do this until all notches are completed. Then start any- where with a back stitch around each spoke of yarn and weave around until you reach the edge of the cardboard. Next, take a stitch in under each thread across back of card. In so doing, push stitch off the card. When all are off, pull stem out of hole, draw up string around edge, fasten around stem and attach to stems and leaves to finish. Little " boughten " c e nt e r s may be put in, or a few loops of yarn of a different color may be looped up in the center. Flat crochet roses and leaves may be made and used in a wreath for hat trim- mings. Centers, stems, and leaves for the flowers can now be bought in the ten-cent stores. Flowers of little rolls of organdie are also inexpensive and pretty. Beads. Wall-paper beads are made of a triangular piece of wall-paper, the desired width and length; paste along side and roll around a knitting-needle, fasten all edges down, and let dry. Then varnish with plain white varnish (some just dip beads into varnish). Then string on cord with knots, or with glass beads. These can be used for neck chains, as door portieres, or other uses. Wax beads are made of common letter wax. Break off piece, warm by candle flame, mold in desired shape around knitting-needle, turn needle over flame until wax is soft 148 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School and smooth. Let cool, then daub on melted wax of dif- ferent colors and turn over flame again until these have run into the foundation color. Let bead get perfectly cold, then heat point of needle so bead will slip off. For end beads draw cord with knot into bead and fill up end with wax. These are strung on cord. Clay beads can also be molded and decorated. (See Prang Bulletin for complete directions.) Button mold beads are described under head of Enamel- ing. They are enameled, glued together, and strung on cord. See complete directions in November, 1920, " Modern Priscilla." Beads of all varieties can be bought at the ten-cent stores. Pretty strings can be made with about sixteen inches of grosgrain ribbon for back, then two strings of beads of different sizes, large ones with small beads be- tween, attached to each end of ribbon. The bead parts should be about twelve or fourteen inches. Beads woven in daisy chains and on looms will be found valuable. For full directions and materials, secure the following : " Priscilla Bead Book," catalog from " Im- perial Bead Co.," 558-560 West 164th Street, New York City ; catalog from " N. E. Johns & Co., 430 Race Street, Cincinnati, Ohio. Bags and Purses. Bags can be made of linen, em- broidered, and have draw-strings in top, made of ribbon and put, on a metal frame top. Make a straight, oblong bag of leather. Cut out design and line with bright- colored ribbon ; the handles are straight and attached to each side. Small coin purses can be made in the same way. These bags can be of any size. Bead-purses and bags are beautiful and easy to make, but expensive. A new bag is made about six by eight CO o W O f w > o > tn a o 2; w O w o < I— I f Hand-work 149 inches, of a chain-stitch and post-crochet in squares, of brown or cream heavy cord. A straight handle of plain crochet is fastened to each side. Flat flowers and leaves are crocheted of colored yam and sewed to each side of the bag. Lining is of a corresponding color. Raffia and Bashetry. (See essay on Bible Basketry.) Baskets, boxes, sewing-baskets, vase baskets, bird's-nests, etc., may be made of rafiSa or of reed. There are a multi- tude of things to be made of these materials. " The Priscilla Basketry Book " will furnish splendid directions. " The Prang Bulletin " gives similar directions for mak- ing baskets with " Pine Needles." " The Indian as an Artist," by Southwest Arts & Crafts Co., Sante Fe, New- Mexico, gives interesting designs for basket weaving. Waste-papier Baskets. These baskets may be made of cretonne, on a wooden frame, or wire basket lined with cretonne, or of cardboard and covered with wall-paper to match the paper of the room. Miscellaneous Articles. Show-boxes made of wooden packing-boxes and covered with cretonne or wall-paper. A row of pockets made across each side furnishes a place for the shoes. The center place will hold the stockings and a box with the polish and brushes. Shoe-pockets for closet door. Measure width of door, and make as long as desired. Each row of pockets should take about nine inches of space. First, make back foun- dation with hem at top and bottom, through which run curtain rods. Next, plait on the rows of shoe-pockets, and sew down with double stitching. Attach to door with hooks to fasten into curtain hangers. String-boxes can be made of any sized box, covered with paper or sanitas cloth, and stenciled. Make to hang on wall and have hole in top to pull string from. 150 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School Darning-cotton boxes are made of pasteboard, just large enough to fit a spool of darning-cotton. A hole is made in the top and covered with a piece of paper stuck down on one side. The other side is left loose to pull the cotton from in under. These may be decorated as string-boxes are. Puff-boxes made on embroidery hoops : Get very small hoops, 2J4 or 3 inches across. Fit a cardboard bottom into the smaller. Use flowered silk ribbon 12 inches long and 6 inches wide. Sew on over each edge of the hoops. Put powder-puff inside. To close, twist around about twice and press larger hoops down over smaller one. Jewel-cases made of any heavy material — linen, eider- down, or flannel. Take a piece 15 inches long and 6 inches wide. Turn edge under once, and face under side with piece of ribbon. Turn up each end within one inch of center and sew up sides to form a pocket. Fold together and hold with a band of ribbon made size to fit, with a bow on top. Needle-cases can be made with a back of cardboard covered with linen, or other material ; sew in the leaves or flannel for the needles and pins. Fasten together with band of ribbon or cord. Decorating Room. An unattractive room may be made into a beautiful guest-room by the handy girl. Then she can also perhaps decorate her own room. The color scheme may harmonize with the wall-paper, or if new paper is to be put on, a general color may be selected. The following are the articles that may be made ; Window drapes, dresser cover, pincushion, candle-shades, or shades for electric lights, covers for backs of chairs, shoe-box or stool, bedspread, pillow-shams, shoe-pockets, and other extra things for closet. Also runners for table or other Hand-work 151 pieces of furniture that the room may contain. These things may be made of cretonne with lace edge, of linen, or crash, and stenciled ; or of unbleached muslin and em- broidered in outline, cross-stitch, or with design sewed on in applique of shades of plain gingham to harmonize. One pretty set was of unbleached muslin cut in scalloped edge and bound with a color. If the furniture is also old, or if the bed is iron with the paint all off, a few coats of white or tinted enamel will make it look like new. IX THE LARGER OUTLOOK OF THE CHURCH VACATION SCHOOL The Church Vacation School is not an end in itself. It should be the entering wedge of a large program of Religious Education and service for boys and girls. Through the Vacation School churches have been led to improve their Sunday schools, to organize Junior and Intermediate societies, to undertake some form of definite week-day religious instruction, and to do Christian Amer- icanization work through boys and girls and young people. How the Vacation School Has Helped the Sunday School The Vacation School has helped superintendents ar- range a better program for the Sunday school hour. It is interesting to note the improvement in many Sunday schools following a succesful vacation school. There is more variety, better order, promptness in opening and closing, and more study given to the adaptation of the whole program to the needs of the pupils. The Vacation School has introduced a love of the better songs into the Sunday school. Boys and girls prefer good songs to the cheap jingly ones. They learn to understand and appreciate good music as it is played on the pipe-organ, in the orchestra, or on the piano. They learn to listen to the signals as given by the pianist and to respond quickly. Many of the songs have been 152 Larger Outlook of Church Vacation School 153 committed to memory, and the meaning of the words have been explained to them. Thus the songs, being familiar to them and understood by them, are sung with expression and with joy. The Vacation School has improved the spirit of rever- ence, for it has taught the boys and girls the worship ele- ment in religion. A common fault in the Sunday schools is the irreverence of the scholars. In a Vacation School this is not allowed. During the devotional period there is the spirit and atmosphere of worship — no noise or confusion — ^no drill work — no announcements — ^but a dig- nified and orderly program of prayer, praise, and Scrip- ture. When once the boys and girls have been taught the beauty of real worship, they respond very quickly. Of course many Sunday schools have introduced the spirit of worship, but in many of these the idea has been de- veloped first in the Vacation School and then adopted by the Sunday school. The Vacation School has improved the discipline in some Sunday schools. More boys and girls drop out of the Sunday school because of disorder and confusion than for any other cause, except perhaps constant absence of a teacher. Boys and girls do not have a good time when they are allowed to be disobedient or disorderly. It is easy to secure prompt and cheerful obedience when the scholars know that such conduct is not only required but also produces the happiest times. The most frequent causes for disorder in a Sunday school are: the move- ment of people in and around the room before and after the session has begun, whispering and talking after the program has started, absence of a carefully prepared and interesting program, and the attitude of the leaders and teachers. Generally the boys and girls will do just what 154 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School we expect and train them to do. The Vacation School insists upon order and in most cases secures it, thus showing the local church by way of example how dis- cipline can be maintained. The Vacation School has shown the value of memory and drill work. Instead of the old, old custom of reading the lesson, memory work or drill work has been sub- stituted. Some schools would not introduce the graded lessons because the lesson could no longer be read in concert. But graded work is being installed more and more. And now the uniform system is partially graded so that the Junior and Primary lessons are generally dif- ferent from those of the rest of the school. What can be done? The Vacation School gives a good answer: " Use that time formerly employed in reading the lesson in memorizing some worth-while passages of Scripture or hymns or in Bible drill work." The Vacation School has emphasized the value of story- telling and dramatization. Every child loves a story. Every child and all young people like to take part in a play. Story-telling and the Biblical and missionary drama have opened a whole new field of interest to the Sunday school worker. A good Vacation School always means greater emphasis upon the stories of the Bible and Biblical and missionary drama. The Vacation School increases interest in hand-work. We learn partly by the things we hear and see. We learn more by the things we do. In the Vacation School much time and thought is given to expressional work. In this way hand-work is given a larger recognition and a more important place in the life of the school. The Vacation School increases the attendance of the Sunday school. This is always true if the local church Larger Outlook of Church Vacation School 155 takes any real interest in the Vacation School, and if it follows up the new boys and girls. Such a school also discovers and develops new teachers and workers for the Sunday school. In every school some one or more of the helpers gets a real vision of the joy and worth-whileness of work for boys and girls. They begin to prepare them- selves for better work, and when there is an opening for a new teacher they volunteer. Some of these helpers get a larger vision and decide upon some form of life ser- vice in which they can render eflfective service to boys and girls and young people. Best of all, it discovers the boys and girls to the pastor of the church. One pastor, after conducting his school of three hundred, said : " This is the biggest thing in my life. It has revolutionized my ministry." Another said, " I am going to give less atten- tion to theology and more to boys and girls." The Vacation School helps the Sunday school by demonstrating the value of larger, better, and more ade- quate equipment. After a summer in a Vacation School it is often easy to start a separate Junior department, secure tables for departmental work, or introduce graded lessons with their supplemental hand-work. By proving how easily money can be raised for work among boys and girls, some Sunday-school workers have gained suf- ficient courage to demand better and more adequate equip- ment and better rooming facilities for the work of the Sunday school. The Vacation School Points the Way for More Effec- tive Work Among Juniors and Intermediates There is a new interest in boys and girls of the Junior and Intermediate ages. A separate department and a separate room in the Sunday school is becoming a neces- 156 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School sity in the modem school. The Vacation School has helped many schools see the advantage of systematic, graded work for boys and girls for the whole year. The ordinary Junior society, which was a copy of the young people's society, does not succeed in many places. And yet the Junior and Intermediate ages are the most important in our churches. The Vacation School, with its combination of worship, memory work, story-telling and dramatization, music, and hand-work, points to an effective way of running a new kind of Junior society. In the newer type of Junior society the age is limited to the age covered by the Junior department of the Sunday school. The drill work, music, and hand-work are correlated with the Sunday school work. In like manner an Intermediate society is limited to the age covered by the Intermediate department of the Sunday school with a varied program adapted to the in- terests and needs of the pupils of that age. Where there are but two young people's societies in a church, the Senior society takes all young people of high-school age and over, while the younger society takes those in the higher grades of the public school. Where this is done, it is best to call the younger society a " Junior-Intermediate Society." The Church Vacation School an Introduction to Week- day Religious Education Religious education has been neglected. It cannot be given in our public-school system. The only places where it can be given are the home and the church. There is a wide-spread interest in religious education which is grow- ing every day. Educators are seeing the necessity of re- ligious training in the youth of our land. Religious Larger Outlook of Church Vacation School 157 workers are realizing the necessity of educational methods and ideals in our religious work. Effort is being made to strengthen the work of our Sunday schools and young people's societies. All thoughtful workers realize that one hour a week for a Sunday school — one hour out of one hundred and sixty-eight hours — is not sufficient for the religious training of our boys and girls. Some form of week-day religious education is surely coming. The Church Vacation School is a most practical form of week-day religious instruction. In the average Vaca- tion School there are from forty to sixty hours of definite instruction and of practise in Christian living. A good Vacation School will practically double the amount of religious training in an average church. Many churches are introducing the Vacation School because it is a prac- tical form of week-day religious instruction. On the other hand, it is far easier to get a church or community to adopt some form of week-day religious instruction throughout the public-school year when there has been a successful Vacation School. And some of the most in- terested and active advocates of week-day religious in- struction are the pastor, the young people, and the men and women who have worked in Vacation Schools. There are over fifty cities where there are definite ex- periments being conducted in week-day religious instruc- tion, many of these using public-school time, some of which are the following: Gary and Hammond, Indiana; Toledo and Van Wert, Ohio; Batavia and Oak Park, Illinois. Many other cities and communities are moving in that direction. In addition there are scores of individual churches that are trying experiments in week-day religious education of varying types, conducted out of school hours. Many of 158 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School these have been formed as continuance classes of the Vacation School meeting on Saturday afternoon, some week day right after public school or some week-day eve- ning. As illustrative of this group, we give the program of five such experiments : 1. The Craft Club of Shenandoah, Iowa, conducted by Rev. C. A. Carman. The Crafts Club Program is simply the adaptation of the Daily Vacation Bible School methods and material to the problem of a ministry to boys and girls through the winter-time, in addition to the Sunday-school program. The age of children in this Club was limited to 7-14 years, but no restrictions of church affiliation or color or class were imposed. The result was that in a town of less than six thousand population, there was an average attendance at the Crafts Club of over two hundred, with the highest single attendance reaching the mark of two hundred and seventy-five. The Club met on Friday nights, because it involved the least friction with school work, and with the exception of the few weeks of coal shortage when restrained by law from using the building, the church was open to the boys and girls on this evening from the first of November to the middle of April. The Young People's Society of the church supported the Club both by contributions and, what is more impor- tant, by their personal presence and help in the leader- ship of class groups. Because of the fact that children from all churches made up the membership of the Sun- day school, no attempt was made toward close grading. But in an activity of similar character where the mem- bership is limited to the children of the local church organization, such lines of classification as have been Larger Outlook of Church Vacation School 159 already established in the Sunday session may well be followed out to the advantage of both sessions. It is interesting to note that out of this activity some direct evangelistic results were evident. From the chil- dren and older helpers of the local church there were some thirty-five baptisms during the year. This may not be entirely chargeable to the Crafts Qub, but without question the Club had a large and decided influence. Directly as a result of these Friday night meetings, thir- teen boys and girls of other churches were sent to their respective pastors seeking church-membership. It ought also to be said that the local pastor in charge of the Crafts Club had in mind as a future development of this activity, a much more closely coordinated and closely graded organization which should link up more definitely to supplement and amplify the religious instruc- tion of the Sunday-school hour. The use of motion pictures as a part of the program had no influence on the drawing power of the Club, for the simple fact that it was not intimated that there might be pictures, nor were there pictures until the middle of the term. The highest single attendance came before any suggestion of pictures was made. No attempt was made to use pictures for anything but entertainment and informational purposes. Cartoons, nature studies, and travel pictures were used exclusively. Average Schedule Program of Crafts Club, Shenandoah, Iowa 7.00 p. m. Call to order. Opening prayer song by whole Qub. Worship period. Repeating in unison the motto, " Do Your Level Best." 160 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School Scripture memory verses, such as John 6 : 35; 8 : 12; 10 : 9; 10 : 11; 11 : 25. Song, such as " O Little Town of Bethlehem," " Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus," " Help Some- body Today." Habit talk, 2 or 3 minutes, illustrated by blackboard, by object, or by story. 7.30 p. m. Music period. Often opening with the Qub Yell, or the Club Song, written by one of the teachers. Religious, patriotic, nature songs used in this period, with brief helpful instruction on the rudiments of effective singing and use of voice. 7.35 Calisthenics period. Organized. Both with and without music. Movements introduced by illustration and by appeal to the advantage of each particular development. (Marching was prohibited because of the phys- ical surroundings of the assembly-room.) De- velopment of self-control and good discipline. 7.45 Story review, or story of day before by member of the Club. Criticized by the children from the floor. 7.50 Bible story period. Told in variety of ways. Blackboard illustrated, pure story form, object-lesson form, dramatized very simply by children without preparation. The best story-tellers of the community were used for this. 8.05 March by music, to classrooms of church, for ex- pressional hand-work. This was carefully graded according to age and sex. The Club held an exhibit at the close of the season. Larger Outlook of Church Vacation School 161 8.50 Return to assembly-room. From time to time, one reel film of motion pictures, of educational nature or of purely entertainment character (never a drama) was shown. (15 minutes.) When no pictures were available, the closing exercises were held at once. Closing period, 7 minutes. Salute to American flag, pledge of allegiance. Salute to Christian flag, pledge of allegiance. Benediction repeated by all. March out in order. 2. The Sewing or Industrial Class of the Bethany Baptist Church, Chicago. This is a typical industrial class. Much is made of sewing and the attendance is limited to the girls. The class meets Saturday afternoon in the church and is under the direction of the church missionary. The attendance is large. No real effort is made to correlate the sewing and the craft work with the Bible lesson of the day. Many of the features of the summer Vacation School are introduced, such as Bible stories, memory work, and Bible drills, and music. There have been many such schools especially in the larger cities in the various mis- sions and in foreign-speaking churches. 3. Junior -Intermediate Society, La Grange, Illinois, Rev. E. B. Freeman, pastor. The La Grange Baptist Church conducts a very large and successful Vacation School in a strictly suburban community. The boys and girls kept asking for some form of an organization during the winter to carry out the spirit and aims of the Vacation School. The follow- L 162 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School ing program was adopted and carried out successfully with Mabel Gill as superintendent: Wednesday afternoon 3.30. 1. Meeting opened by the president of the Juniors. 2. Devotional period, song, prayer, etc. Conducted by the president. 3. Lesson of the day given by the leader of the day — one of the Juniors. 4. Drills and memory work conducted by the superin- tendent. 5. Music period, twenty minutes or half-hour. A real music period under a good leader. The Juniors thus were trained as the Junior choir for Sunday morning. On Sunday they marched in procession into the church to seats assigned to them. The pastor invited two of them into the pulpit with him. One announced a hymn and the other read Scripture. Each Sunday the Junior choir had a special song and the pastor gave them a story or object lesson. 6. Expressional period. Some days this was devoted to dramatization. Other times to craft work. Much was made of basketry. The result of this work was the regular attendance of the Juniors, not only on Wednesday but at public wor- ship on Sunday. They felt that the church service was for them as well as for the adults. Having learned by memory the various chants and church hymns ordinarily used on Sunday, they entered heartily into the service. 4. Continuance Classes in Presbyterian Churches. The plan of these classes is to carry over into the winter program of the local church the Vacation School idea. Larger Outlook of Church Vacation School 163 In general the program as outlined by the Presbyterian Board for their summer work is carried out one day a week throughout the year. 5. Week-Day Classes in Buffalo. Proposed Program for Week-day Schools Children march in to music. Leader : "What is the motto of our school ? " Children : Matthew 5:6:" Let your light so shine be- fore men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Song : " I Think When I Read that Sweet Story," or " Saviour, Like a Shepherd Lead Us," or " It Came Upon the Midnight Clear." (These songs are to be used in turn, as they are learned.) Scripture: Isaiah 53; Matthew 6 : 24-34; Luke 2 : 8-20; or Matthew 10 : 28-33; Matthew 11 : 28-30. Prayer : Lord's Prayer, followed by prayer. Bible Drill. It is suggested that the drill used by Miss Brockway be used. Calisthenics. Bible Story : Story to be selected from the life of Christ. Teacher to make own Selection. The following are suggested: Story of Jesus in the Temple; Story of Jesus' Temptation; Story of the Disciples' Call Story of the Lost Sheep; Story of the Lost Son Story of the Good Samaritan; Story of Jairus Daughter; Story of the Blessing of Children; Story of the Restoring of Sight ; Story of Casting out the Money Changers ; Story of the Alabaster Box ; Christmas Story. 164 How to Conduct a Church Vacation School Missionary Offering. Memory Drill. Song Drill : Christmas carols. " It Came Upon the Mid- night Clear " ; " Alleluia " ; " Holy Night " ; " Hark ! the Herald Angels Sing " ; " Oh Come, Let us Adore Him '' ; " Low in a Manger " ; " Away in a Manger " ; " No Room in the Inn." Hand-work. Closing Period : Flag salute. Two children carry flags, American and Christian, to the front of the room while " Star Spangled Banner " is played. Salute to the American Flag : " I pledge allegiance to my flag and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." Sing " America." Salute to the Christian flag : " I pledge allegiance to my flag, and to the Saviour for whose kingdom it stands, one brotherhood uniting all mankind in service and love." Sing " Stand Up for Jesus." Leader: " What things shall we seek?" Children : " Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added unto you." Bow heads and sing softly : " Suffer Little Children." No. 20, Boville Manual. March out. The Church Vacation School Points the Way to the Best Form of Christian Americanization It is unchristian and un-American to neglect boys and girls, to shut up church buildings in the summer, and to Larger Outlook of Church Vtication School 165 refuse to give instruction in our church buildings in vaca- tion-time to boys and girls in religious thinking and liv- ing. The Vacation School, even in foreign-speaking com- munities, is always in English. Boys and girls of the community, representing many nationalities, many creeds, rich and poor, learned and unlearned, are all brought into one building and taught to live together, work together, play together, and serve together as Christians and Americans. The Bible is loved and taught as the basis of individual and social living. Love of right doing and of country is given through songs, stories, flag drills, and hand-work. These lessons are taken home, told to the parents, and lived out there. The Church Vacation School is showing our churches that the quickest and most effective way to Christianize and to Americanize our country and our cities is through boys and girls and young people whose inner life and whose habits are as yet in the formative stages. A worker among boys and men in a Christian center said : " I have come to the conclusion that the most ef- fective form of Americanization can be done through boys and girls and young people. The older people are set in their ways and fixed in their habits, associations, and customs of years. But with the boys and young men there is a chance to give the ideals of our Christianity and of our country. Even the adults can be reached best and quickest through their children." The value of a Vacation School as a means of Christian Americanization can best be expressed in the words of a young Bohemian woman, a college graduate, and a teacher in the public schools. In addressing a group of four hundred Christian women in Chicago, she told the following story: 166 How to Conduct a Church Vacation Sqhool How THE D. V. B. S. Americanized Our Sunday School by martha kralicek During the summer of 1919, a successful Daily Vaca- tion Bible School was conducted in the Millard Avenue branch of the First Bohemian Baptist Church. Besides the many spiritual benefits the children derived, the school brought about something so unexpected that it surprised us all. It Americanized both our Sunday school and our Young People's Association. The change was soon evi- dent and here is an account of how it was brought about. The D. V. B. S. was conducted entirely in the English language. The children learned to sing the English hymns, and they liked them because they contained more life and vigor than the usual Bohemian Sunday-school songs. They memorized selections from the Bible, learned to repeat the Lord's Prayer, listened to the fas- cinating Bible stories, and then dramatized them; they also saluted and pledged allegiance to both the Christian and the American flags, often ending up with one or two patriotic hymns. Memory work was a stressed phase of the D. V. B. S. work. The children loved the school, for all they heard there soon became their own. They showed pride in their accomplishments. The Sunday school, on the other hand, was conducted in Bohemian so as to not create a break between the church and the younger people. Most of the Sunday- school children attended the D. V. B. S. and soon car- ried over what they learned there into the Sunday school. We now possess a vigorous, well-attended Sunday school which we conduct on the " 50-50 " plan. We not only sing Bohemian hymns but start the day Larger Outlook of Church Vacation School 167 with two hymns sung in English. Our superintendent sometimes speaks in English and sometimes in Bohemian. He always prays in Bohemian, but the entire Sunday school repeats the Lord's Prayer in English after his prayer. We read the Scriptures in English, using leaflets which are distributed to the children. The classes for the youngest and the oldest people are conducted in Bo- hemian because the former have not yet learned the En- glish language and the latter want to learn more so as to be able to understand the Bohemian Church services. The intermediate classes are conducted in English. Our Young People's Association has been reorganized according to the group plan and conducts its meetings in English. Occasionally a Bohemian speaker or our pastor addresses the meeting in Bohemian. On the whole, this " 50-50 " plan has brought a won- derful spirit of cooperation into our work. Both old and young feel satisfied. We are grateful for this to the Daily Vacation Bible School.