Since the year 1912 the department has followed the plan of having all the offerings that come in on the thirteenth Sabbath of the month go to a designated field. A leaflet known as the Missions Quarterly, giving interesting particulars concerning the field, is sent out to all the schools. Thus the pupils are gradually made conversant with the needs of various missions, and the knowledge thus gained makes for larger offerings. The thirteenth Sabbath was first known as Dollar Day, the goal for which the various Sabbath schools have been striving being to make the amount received equal in dollars to the membership of the church.

The birthday offerings, for many years given by the children at the rate of a cent for each year of their age, have recently, in some Sabbath schools, become general among the adults, who usually give a dollar as a thank offering in commemoration of the many blessings received since the last birthday.

At the General Conference of 1913, G. B. Thompson retired from the Sabbath school work in order to accept the secretaryship of the North American Division Conference, which was formed at that time. Mrs. L. Flora Plummer, who had served as corresponding secretary since 1901, with a few months' interruption, was elected secretary of the department. Rosamond Ginther joined the department as assistant secretary about a year later. In January, 1920, J. S. James responded to the call to serve as associate secretary.

The organization of the work in the field is simple and effective. Each conference has a Sabbath school secretary, who reports the work of the schools in the conference direct to the Sabbath School Department. In the case of foreign fields, there are union secretaries and secretaries of divisions, who are usually persons who read and write English. It is from these division secretaries that the formal reports come in to the department.

The evidences of interest and growth in fields outside the United States have been very encouraging. In Europe the work suffered during the World War, but it was not at a standstill; for when the great struggle was over, the reports that came in showed that there had been a gain in membership of 20,000.

In the Far Eastern Division the Sabbath schools are very generally adopting the latest methods, and are growing in interest and in membership. Sabbath school conventions, rally day programs, and interesting thirteenth Sabbath exercises are common in that great field.

In Africa, well-organized and ably manned schools are a marked feature of the various mission stations. The division secretary writes:

"We are trying to keep pace with the Sabbath School Department in all the world, taking one advance step at a time and making no provision for backward steps."

The Australasian Union shows growth in its home field and in the island mission fields under its supervision. From the Solomon Islands, where the members are converts from raw heathenism, a missionary writes:

"All who come to church attend the Sabbath school, chiefs and all, old and young, coming in by canoes and perhaps going without food in order to attend. I have never yet known a native to come late. Once when there was no canoe available, the natives swam the entire distance across the lagoon, rather than break their perfect attendance record, and reached the school on time."

In the South American Division there are Sabbath schools in the large cities, and there are schools hidden away in the forest, many days' journey on horseback from the railway. secretary writes:

The

"The most southern school in the world is located at Punta Arenas on the Straits of Magellan, and is the fruit of Brother A. G. Nelson's work, who has labored in isolation for nine years to plant the truth in the southern end of the continent."

The growth of the work as a whole may be gathered from a few figures. At the close of 1923 there were 2,736 Sabbath schools in the United States and Canada, having a combined membership of 109,663. Outside these countries there were 4,336 schools, with a membership of 140,310. Adding these together, we have in all the world 7,072 schools and a membership of 249,973.

The growth of mission funds in the world may be indicated by the varying lengths of time it has taken to raise a million dollars for missions. The general secretary gives the following figures:

It would be a mistake, however, to think of the Sabbath school chiefly as an institution for raising funds. It is a school in the full sense of the word, and as such it is exerting a very definite influence. Sabbath after Sabbath our people all over the world meet together and study the same lessons, though in many different languages and dialects. Thus all are drawn together in the unity of the faith, and advancement is made along even lines in the knowledge of the Scriptures.

In the work of the individual Sabbath school the needs of various ages are carefully looked after. The classification calls for five regular divisions, senior, youth, junior, primary, and kindergarten. Two lesson themes are provided, one for the senior and youth's divisions, and one for the three divisions of children. These lessons are prepared some time in advance, for they are in use all over the world, and in many cases must be translated.

The aim is to give instruction of a practical nature, adapted to the needs of the hour, and calculated in the long run to insure on the part of the faithful student a saving knowledge of the Scriptures. The appreciation of the instruction thus sent out is indicated by messages that come from the fields from time to time. "Keep the Sabbath school lesson manuscript coming to us as long as you can," was the word that came from Russia just before the darkest days of the war.

One of the definite things which the department is endeavoring to realize is a complete membership: "Every believer in the Sabbath school." By organizing a home department for those who from sickness or other reasons are unable to join any other division of the Sabbath school, this goal is possible of attainment. In fact, it has been reached in some conferences. The daily study of the lesson, perfect attendance, and personal work for pupils, are features that have received much attention.

The quality of the teaching has been very considerably improved by the adoption, beginning with the year 1910, of a Teachers' Reading Course. The outline for the studies to be pursued is published in the Sabbath School Worker, the course beginning each year in February and ending with November.

As a spiritual force in the denomination the Sabbath school is making itself felt more strongly from year to year. Mrs. Plummer writes:

"The office of the Sabbath school is to make religion and the Bible lovable from a young person's point of view. . . . Therefore the Sabbath school must reflect what attracts children - brightness, color, sweet sounds, rhythm, free expression, justice, confidence, love."

But the school ministers equally well to the needs of the adult.

"The Word of God is the active agent in the conversion of sinners and the development of Christians, and the study of that Word is the center, the very heart, of all Sabbath school effort."

Organization and Work of the Young People's
Department

The development of the organized strength of the young people of the denomination was not attained at a bound; it was a process of slow growth. A previous chapter has recorded the work of the Sabbath school, that first organization directed primarily toward supplying the need on the part of the children and young people of systematic instruction in the Bible. The next step in advance was the holding of services especially for young people in connection with the camp-meetings. This effort also bore rich fruit for the kingdom.

Simultaneously with the development of these camp-meeting efforts to help the young people, there began to be additional stress laid upon active missionary work of various kinds, and in many churches societies were organized that held weekly meetings for the study of mission fields, and to wrap and send out papers to interested persons. In these meetings the younger members of the church often took a leading part, both in getting up the programs and in doing the work.

The success of these initial efforts led many to feel that still more might be accomplished if the work were to be planned in such a way that the responsibility for it would fall more directly upon the young people, thus developing their powers of leadership and their staying qualities.

In response to this demand, local societies began to make their appearance in various churches. One of the earliest of these was organized by Luther Warren, then a boy in his teens, in connection with the church at Hazelton, Shiawassee Co., Mich., in 1879. The members of this society met at stated times for united prayer and to lay plans for Christian work. They bought and circulated tracts and papers, conducted correspondence with interested persons, and also engaged in local effort in behalf of the sick poor.

Similar local organizations appeared from time to time in the early nineties. In Australia, A. G. Daniells, encouraged by a communication from Mrs. E. G. White dated Dec. 19, 1892, organized a young people's society of twenty members in con

nection with the church at Adelaide, South Australia, which had a successful career of some years, amply demonstrating the possibilities for good that lay in such societies.

In Battle Creek, Mich., there was organized in the autumn of 1895 the Loyal Workers' Society, with a membership of about fifty. The members of this organization had a constitution and by-laws closely resembling the Christian Endeavor Societies. Meetings were held fortnightly, the members also attending the weekly missionary meetings of the church and devoting their best energies to making them a success. The activities of the society otherwise were much the same as in those already mentioned. This society also continued for several years, and was finally merged into a similar body, the "Young People's SelfImprovement Society," which rented a hall in which to hold its meetings, and was intended to minister to the social and educational as well as the religious needs of its members.

All these societies were, however, of a local character and immediately adapted to meet local needs. The Sunshine Bands, formed by Luther Warren in various churches, were the first attempt in the direction of a general organization for the young people. Elder Warren had labored much among young people, and understood their needs. He was encouraged, moreover, in his efforts by repeated references to the need of this work in the writings of Mrs. E. G. White. The first of these to come to his attention appeared in an article in the Signs of the Times dated May 29, 1893. The writer asks:

"Young men and young women, cannot you form companies, and as soldiers of Christ, enlist in the work, putting all your tact and skill and talent into the Master's service, that you may save souls from ruin? Let there be companies organized in every church to do this work. . . .

"Will the young men and young women who really love Jesus organize themselves as workers, not only for those who profess to be Sabbath keepers, but for those who are not of our faith?"- Signs of the Times, May 29, 1893, p. 455.

In the following October there were published extracts from Mrs. White's writings containing the following suggestion:

"Let there be a company formed somewhat after the order of the Christian Endeavor Society, and see what can be done by each accountable human agent in watching for and improving opportunities to do work for the Master. He has a vineyard in which every one can perform good work. Suffering humanity needs help everywhere."-" Extracts from Letters from Mrs. E. G. White, Relative to Medical Missionary Work," dated Oct. 2, 1893.

An article by the same writer appeared in the Youth's Instructor of Aug. 9, 1894, in which the idea of young people's work was further dealt with: