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Morals

Lesson 7. The Saloon. Its Social Function, Suppression, Substitution.

Lesson 8. The Brothel. The Social Evil. Control of Prostitution.
Lesson 9.
The Theater. Wholesome and Unwholesome Amuse-

ment.

Lesson 10. The Gambling Den. The Gambling Habit in Business.

Lesson II.

Lesson 12.
Lesson 13.

Police.

lief.

Philanthropy

The Care of Dependents, Orphans, Paupers, etc.
The Care of Defectives, Idiots, Insane, Blind, etc.
The Care of Delinquents, Jails, Reformatories, Courts,

Lesson 14. The Organization of Charities, Indoor and Outdoor Re

Lesson 15. Welfare Work. Special Work in Store and Shop.

Education

Lesson 16. The Public School. Its Function and Administration. Lesson 17. School Extension. The Wider Utilization of Buildings. Lesson 18. Technical and Physical Education. Religious Educa

tion.

Administration

Lesson 19. The Mayor, Council, Aldermen, Departments, Choice and Control.

Lesson 20.

Municipal Reform. "The Shame of American Cities."

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Lesson 23. The Young Men's and Young Women's Christian Associations.

Lesson 24. Other Welfare Agencies.

Lesson 25. The Social Mission of Christianity.

XI. YOUNG PEOPLE'S SOCIETIES

A MORE COMPREHENSIVE BASIS FOR THE UNION OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN THEIR SOCIETIES

REV. SPENSER B. MEESER, D. D.

PASTOR WOODWARD AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH, DETROIT, MICHIGAN

Young people's societies ought to furnish, through organized suggestion, opportunity for the conversion of impressions of truth into expressions of character and service; opportunity to translate truthimpressions into action-expressions.

Young people need just this organized effort for expression of impression, and this, because they need the guidance, the inspiriting and energizing, the genius, in a word, for Christian living. We must instruct them in the facts of religion, educate them in the spirit of religion, and energize them in the practice of religion, by organizing them for service and character-making. Every church, Bible school, and young people's society should have these three principles for maturing of the instruction given: (a) Educate the young people in religion; (b) evangelize them through that education; and (c) organize them for the practice of the truth learned and the life gained through the Holy Spirit.

As at present constituted, young people's societies are not inclusive of all the forms of Christian service; but are organized around one form, and only indifferently acknowledge and cultivate other forms of Christian service. They are organized around the prayer-meeting idea. They are not broad enough at the base. They permit any form of Christian service; they require one form. When the requirement is met, the members may engage in many services; until the requirement is met, no matter how many forms of, or how much of, service is done, one cannot be a member. Explicitly in a pledge, or implicitly in a constitution, the organific principle, the basis of union, is the prayermeeting, conducting it or taking part in it. That is sine qua non. After that, several things; equal with that, or before it, nothing. That is why in almost any church, it is true that a larger portion of young people are not in these societies. That is why these societies, as at present constituted, cannot meet this need. Thousands of young people cannot worthily, or to edification, either pray or exhort in meeting. Thousands more ought not, because of immaturity of experience, lack

of knowledge, and failure of character. Thousands more should be at home when evening meetings are held, and have no advantage to Christian character in being abroad nights, when they should be at home under protection of parents. Especially is this true of junior societies. The pity of putting all young people through that test of speaking in meeting! The blunders many have made in supposing that that is the goal of Christian service, or, as some think, the essence of it! The pathos of the junior societies! with their temptation to unreality, and the attempts of the children to bear testimony concerning a Christian experience they never had, and never could have, normally, at their age. My point is, simply, that the prayer-meeting is not all, nor is it the essential Christian service.

is,

The true and comprehensive basis for such an organization as I have in mind, and such as young people need-the true basis any form of Christian service. Any one willing to give himself to any form of Christian service should be included in the membership, come under direction of, and co-operate with, the society. The prayermeeting service is one, and a profoundly important, form of that service; but there are others. A primary element in the final form. of young people's societies is, that the basis of union shall be made to be comprehensive, and the essential test af membership, simply some kind of service done for Christ's sake.

It is my firm and growing conviction that the young people's society in a church should be the manual-training department, the school of practice, the workshop, for the expression in deeds of the truth learned in the study of God's word, and in the preaching of the minister.

The present plan of the young people's organization is artificial and mechanical, analytic and not constructive. It applies a test as the basis for a general organization, and then attempts to set at a variety of work (in so far as it departs from one idea at all) those who have first submitted to the test.

The true plan appears to be to have organized groups, undertaking such things as they may wish to do, or can do, or as are appropriate for them. These groups should then be federated in a general organization, the membership basis of which comprehends all those things included in the groups, and any others which may be apparent as likely to become the central idea of other groups. Such a plan is inductive, constructive, and comprehensive.

I herewith submit a proposed or model constitution, suggesting the form of such an organization.

MODEL CONSTITUTION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE'S UNIONS

PREAMBLE. In order to the unification of young people's work in those churches where there are a number of organizations composed of young people, the following model constitution is recommended:

NAME. This organization shall be called "+ of the church." OBJECT. Its object shall be the correlation of the various departments of young people's work, and the close relation of it to the work of the church itself, under the leadership of the Pastor.

MEMBERSHIP. The membership shall consist of all those who are members of the existing organizations of young people in the church, which have received the approval of the church; and of members of all organizations of young people which may be formed with the sanction of the church hereafter; or any other young persons who will declare their purpose to engage in some one or more forms of Christian service.

THE COUNCIL OF CONFERENCE. There shall be a Council of Conference, consisting of the Pastor, the President and Secretary of each young people's organization, of which Council the Pastor shall be the Chairman, which shall meet at least once a month, to consider the entire work of the young people of the church. The representatives, in this Council, of the different organizations, shall report, to their respective bodies, such plans as have been suggested by the council for the advancement of the work as a whole. This Council shall prepare by-laws for the government of the union, and present the same for adoption by members of the union. This Council shall also seek out young persons who for any reason cannot engage in any of the forms of service represented by the affiliated bodies, but who will commit themselves individually to some other definite Christian service.

RELATION OF UNION TO AFFILIATED SOCIETIES. The different organizations, while being left free to carry out plans of their own initiation, shall be regarded as departments of the Young People's Union, and will be expected to maintain the closest affiliation with each other, under the general direction of the Council of Conference.

MEETINGS OF THE UNION. The Union shall hold quarterly meetings for general open discussion, proposing new work, organization of new departments, etc.

RELATION OF THE UNION TO EXISTING YOUNG PEOPLE'S UNIONS. It is advised, in case there is a young people's society already existing in the church, if this Constitution is adopted, that, to avoid confusion of names, the title of the existing body be changed to "The Devotional

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TYPE OF THE PLEDGE. "Relying upon Divine help, I hereby declare my purpose to be true to Christ in all things and at all times; to seek the New Testament standard of Christian experience and life; and to engage actively in one or more lines of Christian service."

KINDS OF ORGANIZATIONS ELIGIBLE. Among the organizations or societies such as are in mind for this affiliation are Baptist Young People's Unions, Christian Endeavor Societies, Epworth Leagues, Westminster Leagues, Young People's Societies, King's Daughters and Sons, Boys' Clubs, Girls' Clubs, Missionary Circles, Farther Light Circles, Young Men's Associations, Young Women's Associations, etc. All members of these and kindred societies, groups, clubs (they being approved by the church), are eligible to membership in this Union.

BY-LAWS. To this Constitution may be added, by method described in the section on "Council of Conference," all by-laws, rules of order, etc., desired by any Union for its government.

The question what lines of organization should be followed for the groups in the proposed federation or union, is of serious moment. One or two principles must undoubtedly be followed. (a) Every group should be engaged in the culture of Christian character through some educational or study work, and likewise engaged in some service for expression of character and its culture in missionary or benevolent or social work. That is, each group should have as its aim an inner culture and an outer service. If the method followed is to be the organization of the Bible school classes, some study additional to that undertaken in the Bible school should, if possible, be made a distinct feature.

(b) We should not endeavor to limit the forms of expression to such only as may be universally used, failure in most cases arising from the endeavor to find some one form equally applicable and helpful to all. We must keep in mind the infinite variety of temperament ability, habit, and education, so that the suggested forms shall touch as many of the varied types among the young people as is possible.

(c) We should not insist upon mature expression of Christian character from immature Christian young people. Therefore the kinds of service to be regarded as acceptable need not all of them pre

'The existence of a society of any other name, having in mind chiefly the devotional aim, need not present any serious difficulty. Its members become members of the larger union on the same basis as members of other organizations having other aims chiefly in mind, and will find in the new affiliation larger opportunity for making their particular work the devotional center of the whole Union, on the purely voluntary basis, instead of the pledge basis.

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