In a Centennial, the historical element is the most conspicuous. It must be so. Our Centennial is a recognition and celebration of the pioneers. The correct mood is that of reminiscence. For the time being, the backward view over the way we have come, is the only view for us, who for a moment rest on the ridge between the centuries.

      All this is eminently proper; but it can hardly be the attitude for a discussion of young people's work. The past belongs to the old, but the young own the future. The older men are our historians, but the young men are our prophets. Every movement stands midway

HUGH McLELLAN.

between its history and its prophecy. So, while we stand on this curve of time watching a century westering into twilight, we have only to turn our eyes to see a mighty army of the young coming up with the sun over the morning slope, and with them the day. We look to the east. Thither the wise men have ever turned their faces to catch the vision of a star. Our star is a morning star. It shines over a coming Child.

      The glory of the young people's work is that each child represents a growing asset. An asset of shame adding to the destructive forces in the community, or an asset of righteousness increasing the glory of the kingdom. It is a far cry from Judas to John; but, as they lay in their mothers' laps, one in Kerioth of Judea, and one in Galilee, they were like in their potential excellence.

      It is therefore a divine mission for the Christian Woman's Board of Missions to turn the attention of young people to the Christlike service of helping humanity. No saner or safer way of salvation could be brought to them than that of working out their own salvation by a service of salvation for others.

      That the young people are doing this is seen from their record. The world is their field. Their work is in the United States, Mexico, Jamaica, Porto Rico and India. Their generosity has built in the island of Jamaica thirteen buildings--churches and missionary homes. In India they have built churches, schools, hospitals, dispensaries and orphanages. Their monument in Porto Rico is a home for orphan boys, and soon they will complete an orphanage for girls. During the twenty-five years of this organization, over $300,000 have been raised and expended in Christian benevolence.

      All this is good work; but we fail to get its meaning unless we see, back of the mere catalogue, the love and devoted sacrifice of our young people, and hear the gratitude of the destitute and orphan. It is in this way that statistics fail. They are the skeleton without the flesh and breath and life. Still, statistics are valuable in two ways. They tell us what has been done, and what has not been done. They tell us how much money was raised and, by inference, how much was not raised. They tell how many young people are engaged in this work and how many are not in the work. But the point at which all statistics fail is, that they can not measure the potency. They give limits, but they fail to give possibility.

      The lack of greater success is due to our inadequate methods of reaching the young people. It is evident that only [54] the smallest number of our young people are at work in this missionary enterprise. This is really the problem which confronts all our missionary boards. All our brethren do not contribute to Foreign Missions. All our people do not contribute to Church Extension. All our people do not contribute to anything. It is the same old story at all points. But the problem is most critical in the young people's work, because if we can solve it there, we have solved it ultimately for all departments. The missionary problem is to be solved by the boy and girl, and in the boy and girl. The problem is not solved when we get a million dollars for Foreign Missions or a million for Home Missions, but it is solved when all our boys and girls are committed to the study and practice of missions. The problem, while more critical at this point, is more easily solved here. There is not the prejudice in the youth to overcome, as there is in some of the older ones. You do not have to convert them to an idea. They already believe in missions and are ready for work. The fault is ours in not using adequate methods for reaching them. We are not enlisting them.

      Look at the facts. We are trying to interest all our young people in this work, and we are working this through the two channels of the Christian Endeavor society and the mission bands. But the sad fact remains that the young people are not in the Christian Endeavor and the mission band. Only a small percentage of them are in these organizations. We can not possibly hope for the largest things through these avenues. We are committing our interests to the few, while the many are untouched. We are limited by the limits of these two organizations. Success in this depends on success in Endeavor work and in ephemeral bands. The rallying-place of the young is not either of these societies. We are failing to reach all the young people because we are not going where all the young people are. We are working with the minority.

      In view of this, I would submit a plan of work. This, not as something immediate, but as an ideal; yes, as something to which we must finally come. In fact, I think we are rapidly approaching it. The suggestion is this: Let us commit this work to a grade or two grades in the Sunday-school. The Sunday-school is the rallying-place of the young people. All the Endeavourers are there; and so are all the children of the mission bands. Over and above them are a great many others who do not belong to either of these two societies. Why, then, leave this large group already highly organized, to form smaller and feebler groups? In committing this work to grades in the Sunday-school we destroy nothing. They are the same young people, only more of them. Suppose the primary grade should undertake the care of the orphans, and the next grade look to the erection of the buildings, would there not be a positive gain? For instance, in my own work the primary children number about one hundred, but the mission band numbers only thirty. Now, there is no reason why we should give this work to thirty instead of the hundred.

      In the matter of the collections, I think all collections in the Sunday-school should be offerings to missions. The local church should support its Sunday-school, and the school should give its offerings to missions. The result would be that each grade in all our schools would be responsible for some missionary enterprise and would send its weekly offerings to that work. The spiritual incentives in this would be great. The children would rise to their responsibilities and would have nobler motives for giving. As I have indicated, there is nothing to lose. Everything is gain. It means more children in the work, more money, more interest, higher motives, better organization. The superintendent of the Young People's Department would then become the national superintendent of the primary and first grades in all our schools. This would give her a vast constituency to train and lead. There would be no organizing, for the work is already organized. There would be no trouble about a local leader, for the teacher is the leader. There would be no disbanding of societies, for the Sunday-school will not disband. I am trying to show that the Sunday-school is the natural and efficient machine for the training [55] of our young people in missionary activity.

      The signs of the times point this way. The church is returning to her original functions of preaching and teaching. The pulpit is the place for the exercise of the preaching function and the Sunday-school is the place for the exercise of the teaching function. The watchword to-day is, "Every member of the church and as many more in the Sunday-school." When that state is approximated, then the church will be ready for its mission of preaching and teaching. What an organization the Sunday-school then will be for the great missionary enterprises! Every class in the school will become the basis of some work. The men's class will be the field to exploit for the Brotherhood of the Disciples. Why form social clubs, etc., when the men's class can develop the social idea right in its own circle? Why form a debating society when the men's class can develop that exercise among its members? We would then need no Endeavor society, for the Endeavor idea would be a part of the work of each class. Why should not the auxiliary and the woman's class be synonymous? The young woman's circle ought to be a Sunday-school group studying the Bible and circle work together. In a word, every class a missionary class and every offering a missionary offering. In this way, I judge, the missionary problem will be finally solved.

      The problem will be solved, because missionary education will be methodical, and will begin with the young--the only place where it can begin. Missionary giving will be systematic and continuous instead of spasmodic and occasional. The missions will be more in evidence than missionary advertisements. The anti-missionary people will die out, leaving no successors. There's a vision here, for I believe that right here we ought to begin a new century. The first century was a reformation. The second ought to be a reorganization. At the first was a Christian church; at the second, a Christianizing church. At the first we declared for spiritual freedom; now we should declare for spiritual service. In our first century we denied the human confessions; now we should increase our human interest. Having discounted the creeds, we should enhance the practice. Let us begin, then, with the child.

      Out of the darkness of the past there are two bright lights of history which shine on this problem. In the beginning of the sixteenth century, when Protestantism thrust itself up in the face of Romanism, it seemed for awhile as if the Roman Catholic Church itself were tottering. This danger was the real cause for the calling of the famous Council of Trent. Among the many things decided upon in that council was a system of education for children in the tenets of the Roman Church. This system materialized into the Tridentine Catechism in 1566. Then began that tenacious hold which Catholicism has maintained over its people. It offset the Protestant reformation by securing to Rome the oncoming generations of children. This fact has given to this policy the name of the "Counter Reformation." The act was wise, strategic and effective. The lesson for us is luminous. Let us not disregard it.

      The second historic example is like unto it. The famous Westminster Assembly of divines compiled two catechisms known as the Longer Catechism and the Shorter Catechism. This they did for the instruction of all the people in the doctrines of the Westminster Confession of Faith. The Longer Catechism was for the older people, and the Shorter for the children. They both went into use in 1647. The Longer Catechism was never a success, but the Shorter laid hold of the young mind and had an immense influence. It indoctrinated Scotland. It made Scotland Protestant. It did more than that, it made Scotland almost wholly Presbyterian.

      The lesson of history is plain. We need not a counter reformation, but a reorganization. The need becomes apparent at the beginning of a new century. It needs not to be a catechism, but it must begin in the education of our young people. Should one result of this convention be the beginning of the missionary education of the young, looking back the people of another century will judge that this Centennial is worthy to take a place in history side by side with Trent and Westminster. Let [56] this missionary education begin, and the evangelization of the world will sweep like a prairie fire. Then, as the church in each Centennial asks the question, "Watchman, what of the night?" the watchman on the tower, looking out toward the oncoming hosts of young people bearing the banners of Christ, will be able truly to answer, "The morning cometh!"

[CCR 54-57]