Organizing and Building Up the Sunday School Part 3

VII

THE SUPERINTENDENT'S DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The superintendent has been found, has been chosen, and is in his place--what are the prerogatives and the duties of his office? These may be considered under three cla.s.ses: (1) His general duties. (2) His duties during the week. (3) His duties in the session of the school.

1. =General.= (1) _Supervision._ It is his right to supervise and direct the work of the school without interference as to details from the teachers, the officers of the church, or the pastor. The pastor may be the admiral of the fleet, directing the general movements of the sea campaign; but the superintendent is the captain of the ship, through whom orders are to be given to all on board.

(2) _Selection of Teachers._ He should have the chief word in the choice and appointment of teachers, but in the choice he should obtain the concurrence of his pastor; and their election should be made upon the superintendent's nomination by the teachers and officers.

(3) _a.s.signment of Scholars._ He should possess the final authority in the a.s.signment of scholars to cla.s.ses, in any changes from cla.s.s to cla.s.s, and in promotions from lower to higher departments. In these responsibilities he may be greatly aided by an a.s.sociate superintendent, to whom his authority may be delegated.

(4) _Program of Services._ It is the superintendent's prerogative to plan and direct the services of the school session. It may be the part of wisdom for him to consult with the musical director or organist in the selection of hymns, but it is the superintendent's right to choose and to announce them, in common with all parts of the program.

(5) _Support._ He is ent.i.tled to a loyal support from all his fellow workers; but if he is tactful he will take them into his confidence, will present his plans for their consideration, and will not attempt important reforms or changes without their concurrence.

2. =Week-day Work.= He is the superintendent of the Sunday school for seven days in every week; and will find much work to be done between the sessions. His week-day duties will include some that have already been mentioned.

(1) _Program._ Before he comes to the school he should invariably prepare a well worked out program for each session. It is a good plan to have a large blank book, in which two pages opposite each other are a.s.signed to the session for the day. Every hymn should be selected in advance and noted in its place; every announcement to be made should be written; the outline of a lesson review, if one is to be given, should be indicated; and s.p.a.ce should be left for memoranda of miscellaneous matters which may need attention. This program should be laid upon the desk, so that if for any reason the superintendent should be out of his place upon the platform an a.s.sociate can go forward without delay.

(2) _Lesson Study._ In schools where the uniform lesson is still followed in all or most departments, the superintendent should make himself thoroughly acquainted with the lesson for the coming session. As has been intimated, he should be prepared for any work expected of his teachers and scholars. He should be ready after the cla.s.s study to give a practical summary of the teachings in the lesson, in a crisp, well-outlined talk, which will be aided by a blackboard ill.u.s.tration.

And in the increasing number of schools which are employing graded lessons, not uniform in the departments, the superintendent should have at least a general knowledge of the subjects studied in each department.

The more thoroughly the superintendent fills his own mind and heart with the truth, the more efficiently will the truth be taught in his school.

(3) _Social Duties._ The superintendent should know all his teachers, and, as far as possible, his scholars also. If it be practicable for him to visit teachers at their homes, the visitation will greatly increase his influence and his usefulness. If in his own home, or in the parlors of some family in the congregation, a social gathering of the teachers and officers can occasionally be held, it will add to the social power of the school. And in the social relations much can be accomplished before and after the church service, the school session, the prayer meeting, and the other gatherings of the congregation. There are superintendents who keep before them up-to-date lists of the cla.s.ses, and by study of faces during the school session, with judicious inquiry, are able to call large numbers of the scholars by name. Such greetings will strengthen the superintendent and heighten the loyalty of the school.

(4) _Seeking Workers._ In nearly all Sunday schools there is a constant need of helpers, to fill the places of withdrawing or absent teachers; and the work of supplying the demand generally falls upon the superintendent. He may find relief in the work of an a.s.sociate superintendent, as will be seen in the next chapter. Both the superintendent and his a.s.sociate should always be on the alert for new teachers and for new scholars. As the builder in stone looks at every fragment of rock, to see where it will best fit into his wall, so the whole-hearted superintendent studies every individual in the parish, to find exactly the place he may fill in the school, as an officer, a teacher, or a scholar; and not infrequently his search will be rewarded by a treasure.

(5) _Cabinet Meetings._ The superintendent should confer frequently with the several heads of departments, and with all the officers; talking with them freely about his own plans, and learning theirs, for the welfare of the school. It is not necessary that these cabinet meetings should be formal, having a secretary and a record. They may be held occasionally, for a few minutes after the session of the school, or as a social evening at a private house.

(6) _Special Days._ He should keep a calendar of special occasions in the school year, such as the Sundays set apart for temperance and for missions, Easter, Children's Day, Rally Day, Decision Day, Christmas, Promotion Day, and other notable events. Weeks in advance of each occasion--in the case of some of them even months in advance--he should begin to consider what special exercises should be held, what preparation is needed, and who can best supervise the plans. For a fortnight before Children's Day or the Christmas celebration, many Sunday schools are in a turmoil of confusion, and lessons abandoned, simply because the superintendent did not take thought in sufficient time.

(7) _The Convention._ The Sunday-school work of the Christian world is now thoroughly organized in international, state, county, and town a.s.sociations. Each school finds itself a part in a mighty movement; and it is the duty of the superintendent to see that his school takes its place in the Sunday-school army. He should see that in the inst.i.tute and the convention his school is well represented; and if at all possible he should attend these gatherings, and be active in them. Many a worker who for most of the year is alone, burdened with perplexities, has been refreshed, has found his vision enlarged and his plans improved, by conference with other workers, and by listening to experienced specialists.

3. =His Duties in the School Session.= (1) _Present Early._ He should be at his post, if possible, from twenty minutes to half an hour before the opening of the school. However early he may arrive, he will probably find a group of children there in advance of him; and they will behave better if his eye is on them, especially if his glance is kind, and with it is a hand-shake or a word of recognition. The early superintendent will often be surprised to find how much business in the interest of the school can be transacted before the session.

(2) _Open Promptly._ With his program ready, he should begin the session exactly on the minute, and should carry out every item according to the plan. If for any reason the superintendent is not at the desk when the moment for the opening arrives, the a.s.sociate or first department superintendent should be empowered to call the school to order and begin the opening service.

(3) _Conduct Program._ The superintendent should conduct the general program of services; although it is advisable to recognize the a.s.sociate and others, by calling upon them to take some part in the opening or closing services. A superintendent whose methods were always well chosen was wont once in each month to invite some official or prominent member of the church, who was not an attendant upon the school, to be present, sit upon the platform, and offer the prayer at the opening of the session. This kept the leading members of the church in closer relation to the school.

(4) _During the Lesson._ As a general principle, the superintendent should remain at his desk during the lesson period; but to this rule frequent exceptions will be made. The supply of subst.i.tutes for absent teachers, and the a.s.signment of new scholars to cla.s.ses, belong to the field of the a.s.sociate superintendent.

(5) _Lesson Review._ In the Sunday schools which still follow the uniform system of lessons, studying the same portion of Scripture in all, or nearly all, the grades of the school, the superintendent should give a brief practical summing up of the practical points in the lesson; but this review should not exceed five or six minutes in length. If the pastor possesses the gift of terse, crisp speaking, this practical talk may be given by him. In the schools adopting the graded courses of lessons this review should be given in each department by the department superintendent. Here again the adaptation to the point of view and needs of the pupils of each grade can be made much more effective than in the ungraded school.

(6) _Closing._ The superintendent should so carry out the program as to close the session at the time appointed. An hour and a quarter is as long as is profitable for the school; and everything that needs to be done can be brought into that s.p.a.ce. Often much time is lost by unnecessary delays between the numbers on the program.

4. =Miscellaneous Duties.= Here are a few general suggestions, hints, and "don'ts" for the superintendent, briefly stated:

(1) _Notebook._ Let the superintendent remember to obtain that notebook, to keep it at hand, and to make use of it. Some pages at the end of the book might be reserved for special suggestions gathered from books, periodicals, and meetings.

(2) _Quiet._ Let him be careful not to make much noise during the session, but to set an example--which will soon be felt--in favor of quiet and orderly conduct. It is not at all certain that he needs a bell for calling attention; but if he uses one, let it be a little, gentle, quiet bell, held in the hand as a signal, and never rung vociferously or repeatedly. Said a new superintendent as he tested the bell on Sat.u.r.day before a.s.suming office, "What a magnificent bell this would be for calling missionaries home from India!" But he never used it in the school. One of the best superintendents of a generation ago was widely known as "the silent superintendent." He was not deaf nor dumb, but his manner was noticeably quiet, and his large Sunday school was always in perfect order.

(3) _Early Lesson._ Let the opening service be short, so that the lesson period--which is the important part of the program--may be reached while the teachers and scholars are fresh and the air of the room is pure.

(4) _Use the Bible._ If a Scripture lesson is read by the superintendent and school responsively, it should be from the Bible upon the desk or in the hand of the leader, and not from a lesson quarterly. Encourage the use of the Bible as a text-book and for reference. If the superintendent always brings his own Bible, he can appeal to his teachers and scholars to follow his example. With regard to the Scripture reading in the opening service, it is the judgment of many thoughtful superintendents that even in a school following uniform lessons the reading should not be the lesson for the day, but a devotional portion of Scripture, perhaps a selection from the Home Readings of the week. It is a good plan for the first reading of the lesson for the day to be by the teacher and the cla.s.s together.

(5) _Lesson Period._ No interruption should be allowed to break into the time a.s.signed for cla.s.s study, except under imperative necessity. The teacher and the cla.s.s should hold that period sacred to united study, without being diverted from their task by secretary, librarian, superintendent, or pastor. Said Bishop Vincent once, "I would like to have suspended from the roof of the Sunday-school hall a series of great gla.s.s half-globes, one for each cla.s.s, to be dropped down over the cla.s.s, and kept there during the time reserved for the study of the lesson!"

(6) _Speakers._ A visitor should rarely be invited or allowed to address the school; never, unless the superintendent has sufficient knowledge to be sure that he will speak briefly, interestingly, and pointedly. Before the uniform lesson concentrated the studies of the Sunday school it was the custom to invite almost any visitor to speak to the school; and many were the wrongs inflicted upon the boys and girls in those good old days by dull, loquacious Sunday-school orators. But almost everybody now understands that the Sunday school is a working inst.i.tution, and its work must not be interrupted.

(7) _Self-control._ There will be times when the superintendent will need to be on guard over himself; times when he feels depressed, or melancholy, perhaps a little cross. If he yields to his natural impulses, the school will soon perceive the state of his nerves, and some scholars may even endeavor to add to his trials. At such times, let him watch over himself mightily, and resolve, no matter how he feels, to "keep sweet," to speak gently, and to look cheerful.

(8) _The Aim._ Lastly, one purpose should ever stand before the superintendent, and should be the constant object of his endeavor--to lead all his scholars into a personal, vital relation to Jesus as the Christ, to bring them into union with the church, and to inspire them to enter upon active Christian service.

VIII

THE a.s.sOCIATE AND DEPARTMENT SUPERINTENDENTS

1. =The Necessity.= In every Sunday school there is need of an officer to aid the superintendent and to take his place when absent. Even in a small school the supervision can be more thorough and the teaching more efficient, if some one is at hand with authority to relieve the superintendent of minor details, and give him freedom for the general management. And in a large school a.s.sistants to the superintendent are an absolute necessity, for each department becomes in itself a school.

There is need, therefore, of a general a.s.sistant to be the chief of staff to the superintendent, and, in a large and well-organized school, of a special a.s.sistant in each department.

2. =t.i.tles.= Until recently, the a.s.sistant superintendent in most Sunday schools was merely one of the teachers named to take the place of the superintendent when absent, but with no duties when the head of the school was present. In the complete organization that is now becoming general, the office has been renamed, and its functions distinctly a.s.signed. The chief a.s.sistant to the superintendent is now generally called the a.s.sociate Superintendent, a higher t.i.tle for his important and regular duties. The chief of each department in the Sunday school is generally called Department Superintendent, that is, Primary Department Superintendent, Senior Department Superintendent; and each department superintendent has the same relation to his department that the a.s.sociate superintendent holds to the school.

3. =Appointment.= The a.s.sociate superintendent should be nominated by the superintendent and confirmed by the board of teachers and officers.

When two candidates are nominated for the office of superintendent, and one obtains a majority, it is not wise to elect the minority candidate as a.s.sociate superintendent, unless he is entirely acceptable to the newly chosen superintendent. The chief executive of the school should not be compelled to find next to him a rival, who may be an uncongenial worker, to carry out plans with which the latter may not be in accord.

In order to possess freedom in his policy the superintendent should choose his own chief helper; but he should receive the confirmation of his choice from his fellow workers in the school. The same plan of nomination and confirmation should be followed in the choice of the department superintendents. The a.s.sociate and the department superintendents should const.i.tute the superintendent's cabinet, to be called together often for consultation upon the interests of the school.

4. =Duties of the a.s.sociate Superintendent.= (1) _Not a Teacher._ Unless the school be small, with less than a hundred members, the a.s.sociate superintendent should not at the same time be the regular teacher of a cla.s.s. He will find other work to occupy his time, both before and during the session of the school. He may, however, hold himself ready to act as subst.i.tute for an absent teacher.

(2) _Deputy Superintendent._ If for any reason the superintendent is absent, his place should be taken promptly by the a.s.sociate superintendent. It should also be understood that if at the moment of opening the school, or at any point in the general service, the superintendent is not on the platform, the a.s.sociate shall act as his representative, without the slightest reflection upon the superintendent's administration, the two being regarded in their work as one.

(3) _Providing Subst.i.tutes._ One definite duty of the a.s.sociate superintendent should be to provide subst.i.tutes for absent teachers, relieving entirely the superintendent from that burdensome and perplexing task. The teachers should permit no ordinary hindrance to keep them from their cla.s.ses, for no one can fully supply the place of a true teacher in the regard of the scholars. But when a teacher finds it necessary to be absent he should make strenuous endeavor to find a subst.i.tute; and if unable to secure one, should notify, not the superintendent, but the a.s.sociate; and before the lesson period the a.s.sociate should have a supply ready.

If the school has been properly graded it will include a Teacher-training Cla.s.s; but under no circ.u.mstances should the a.s.sociate take one of its members as a supply teacher, even for one Sunday. This cla.s.s should remain untouched by the demand for teachers until its members have completed the prescribed course. If there is a Reserve Cla.s.s, subst.i.tutes should be called from it in some order, preferably alphabetical, so that the same members will not be taken too frequently.

Where the Sunday school is held in the afternoon or at noon, the a.s.sociate can generally provide for needy cla.s.ses by watching at the morning service for possible teachers. If he is compelled to look for them in the Adult or Senior cla.s.ses of the school, he should be present early, and if possible obtain his supplies before the opening of the school. If the a.s.sociate superintendent has done his work, when the lesson begins, every cla.s.s will have a teacher seated before it, ready for the Bible study. He should never wait until the time for opening the lesson to see what cla.s.ses need teachers, and then undertake to obtain them by interrupting the teaching in three or four cla.s.ses and calling for volunteers, while the cla.s.ses without teachers are listlessly waiting, and valuable time is lost from the half-hour of the lesson period. All this work should be done before the lesson, and, if possible, before the opening of the school.

(4) _a.s.signment of New Scholars._ Another duty of the a.s.sociate superintendent is to meet new scholars and a.s.sign them to cla.s.ses. For this work he should be present early, meet the scholars as they come, learn who the new scholars are, write down names, places of residence, ages, parents' names, why they come; and prepare material for the card catalogue under the secretary's care. Scholars bringing new members, and teachers into whose cla.s.ses they may come, should introduce them to the a.s.sociate superintendent, who should at once take charge of them. No new scholar below the grade of Senior should choose his own cla.s.s, although his desire to be with friends should be considered, so far as it will not interfere with the established system of cla.s.sification. Some large graded schools have a temporary cla.s.s to which new pupils in the Intermediate and Junior grades are a.s.signed for a few sessions until their permanent place can be fixed.

(5) _Detailed Supervision._ There are also minor duties wherein the a.s.sociate superintendent can be of great service. While the superintendent is at the desk directing the general exercises, his a.s.sociate may be upon the floor, quietly observing the condition and needs of the school. He can note where Bibles, song books, or lesson quarterlies are needed, and can see that they are distributed without interrupting the service. He can also give quiet attention to the order of the school, calling to their duty boisterous, talking, or inattentive scholars. For the superintendent to stop in announcing a hymn or reading the Scripture, to rebuke some disorderly or thoughtless pupil, breaks into the service and mars its dignity. The a.s.sociate superintendent can accomplish the desired result at the right moment by a light step and a gentle word.