REPORT ON HAWAII OF THE Commission on the Orient OF THE World’s Sunday-school Association Presented at the World’s Seventh Sunday-school Convention, Zurich, Switzerland, July 8-15, 1913 The Commission on the Orient, including Hazvaii, Japan, Korea, China and the Philippines: Chairman: Mr. H. J, Heinz, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Secretary: Mr. Frank L. Brown, 247 New York Ave., Brooklyn, N. Y. Rev. James B. Rodgers, D.D., New York City. Rev. James L. McLaughlin, Manila, Philippine Islands. Rev. Harry Farmer, Manila, Philippine Islands. Rev. W. Nelson Bitton, D.D., Shanghai, China. Rev. W. H. Lacy, D.D., Shanghai, China. Rev. E. G. Tewksbury, Shanghai, China. Rev. R. E. Chambers, Canton, China. Rev. Kajinosuke Ibuka, M.A., D.D., Tokyo, Japan. Rev. H. Kosaki, D.D., Tokyo, Japan. Rev. T. Ukai, Tokyo, Japan. Rev. J. G. Dunlop, Kanazawa, Japan. Rev. George Heber Jones, D.D., New York. Rev. S. A. Moffat, D.D., Pyeng Yang, Korea. The section of the Oriental Commission Report herein given appears (in part) in “World-Wide Sunday-school Work,” the Official Report of the World’s Seventh Sunday-school Convention, which contains also similar reports on Japan, Korea, China and The Philippines, and reports of the Commissions on Continental Europe, South Africa, India Latin-America^ and Mohammedan Lands. The volume con- tains 664 pages, with 70 pages of illustrations, and may he had for $1 from the World’s Sunday-school Association (American Section), Metropolitan Tower, New York City. For information as to this and other pamphlet reprints of the Commission Reports, apply to the same address. 1 2 Rev. W. A. Noble, D.D., Pyeng Yang, Korea. Rev. J. G. Holdcroft, Pyeng Yang, Korea. Hon. Wm. R. Castle, Honolulu, Hawaii. Mr. Theodore Richards, Honolulu, Hawaii. Rev. Henry P. Judd, Kahului Maui, Hawaii. Rev. J. F. Cowan, Kohala, Hawaii. Rev. Floyd W. Tomkins, D.D., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Rev. H. M. Hamill, D.D., Nashville, Tennessee. Rev. Dillon Bronson, D.D., Boston, Massachusetts. Hon. Samuel B. Capen, Boston, Massachusetts. Rev. Fred P. Haggard, D.D., Boston, Massachusetts. Rev. J. Ross Stevenson, D.D., Baltimore, Maryland. In that part of the Orient represented in the report of this com- mission, namely, Hawaii, Japan, Korea, Philippines, China, we have an aggregate population of 500,000,000, one third of the human race. Against the mass we place the Bible school membership of these coun- tries — 500,000. But in doing so we do not forget David and Goliath and the pebbles of God’s word, nor Gideon and his band, nor the great promise that “one shall chase a thousand,” the exact propor- tions of this contrast, and as we recall that “two shall put ten thou- sand to flight,” we thank God for the margin and move on. In the Orient we are standing at the most marvelous moment in Christian history. The time-worn religions of these countries are crumbling. They are not suflBcient for the modern life. They do not relate morality and religion. The light of education is dissolving the awful shadows of superstitions that have for centuries blighted the individual and the home. The educated young people of these countries, the hope of the future, are refusing en masse the claims of the old religions and stand facing the new day without any religion ex- cept as they have known Christ. The educators and national leaders are facing the alternative of constructing nations without a foundation in moral or religious character, or to build upon Christ The priest- hood of the old religions, affrighted by their loss of grip, are making futile efforts to retrieve lost ground, and by feeble imitations of Chris- tian methods are seeking to galvanize the corpse into life. The solemn question comes to this generation. Shall we allow this wonderful moment when the steel is in the making, when the great purpose of the coming and the death of Christ can be fulfilled to these people, to pass by, never to be regained? Or shall we count ourselves the trustees of the Cross for this generation and legislate 3 and give of life and means and prayer to save a race? If we fail to do this we have robbed the people of their inheritance. The problems of the Orient are at once the most stupendous and fascinating in the world’s thinking; stupendous because of the enor- mous populations involved; fascinating because dealing with ancient civilizations at the most strategic moment in all their age long history. The impact of the West, and a Christian West, is swaying this mass of humanity toward Christ. Eager hands are held out toward the Christian leadership of the world asking for help adequate to the great need for uplift. Undismayed by the greatness of the task, with absolute confidence in the suflSciency of Christ, the Sunday-school forces of the world hold out to the myriads of these countries the uncorrupted Word of God as the Bread of Life for their hunger — as fed to each life by the hands of the living teacher in the institution of the Sunday-school, and the ideals of that Book as the best motives and safeguards of the individual, the home, the community and nation. There have been Sunday-schools in the Orient from the advent of the first missionary. Bible instruction for the children has gone hand in hand with the work for adults. These missionaries had, most of them, received their call to service and first training in the Book while in the Sunday-schools of the homeland. They have made the Sunday- school an important part of the work of missions. ; The character of this Sunday-school work, as conducted by the mis- sionaries, was shaped by the form of the Sunday-school at the time when they left the homeland, and by the necessities of the environ- ment of the native Sunday-school work, an environment circumscribed by limited quarters, lack of lesson material and quality and number of teachers. The missionary was frequently the only teacher and the Bible lesson taught to all ages at one time, and the dome of the building God's blue sky. As children and parents were alike ignorant of the Bible this simple plan of Sunday-school work was effective. With the growth of the native church and the educational work of missions the work of Bible instruction through the Sunday-school assumed certain fixed forms in the Orient. 1. The Sunday-school attached to the organized church, more or less graded according to local conditions and leadership. 2. The Sunday-school composed of members of Christian secondary schools and colleges, and taught largely by the teachers of such institutions. 4 3. The Sunday-school composed largely of scholars in attendance at the primary Christian day schools and taught usually by the day school teachers, the attendance at Sunday-school a condi- tion often of membership in the school. The Bible is a text- book in such schools. 4. Missionary Sunday-schools of children of non-Christian parents sometimes called “heathen” Sunday-schools, these schools estab- lished and maintained by churches or secondary schools and col- leges, and taught by the students in such institutions or by missionaries. Several outstanding needs of the field were clearly formulated when the World’s Sunday-school Association, following the presentation of the subject at the Toronto Convention eight years ago, began to plan for the Orient. 1. Such organization of the field as should bring together the mis- sionaries and native workers in interdenominational coopera- tive effort in order to bring to bear the most help possible for the "local Sunday-school and the local Sunday-school worker. 2. The development of an adequate literature for the field. 3. The training of a Sunday-school leadership through the theo- logical seminary and Christian educational institutions and churches. 4. The need of a vision of the Sunday-school as the Bible teaching service for the entire church and community as the surest and sanest method for the evangelization and training of the Orient In 1906 the World’s Sunday-school Association, in cooperation with the missionary organizations, sent a commissioner to Hawaii, Japan, Korea and China to ascertain conditions and assist in developing these objects, namely, organization, literature, leadership, vision. In 1911 a commissioner visited these fields and the Philippines. Organization was effected, institutes held, methods suggested, exhibits shown, inspira- tion given, and the missionaries and native workers felt the heart- beat and hand-clasp of the organized Sunday-school work as members of the world’s Sunday-school family. This vital touch upon the five fields represented in this report has been increased by the World’s Sunday-school Association through the furnishing of secretaries, by the development of headquarters at centers, through correspondence and literature. In the development of the work of Commission No. 4 on the Con- ditions, Needs and Opportunity of Sunday-school work in the Orient the following plans have been employed : 5 1. The best expert knowledge was obtained from secretaries of mis- sion boards conversant with the field, from laymen and others who had visited these countries, and from missionaries from the fields who were on furlough in America. 2. An all-day conference was called by the chairman in Philadel- phia of those most closely informed as to actual conditions, such as Bishop Harris, of Japan and Korea; Dr. George Heber Jones of Korea; Dr. Gamewell of China, and Rev. James McLaughlin of the Philippines. Some who could not be pres- ent, such as Bishop Bashford of China, and Bishop Oldham of the Philippines, sent valuable communications. 3. Commissions related to the General Commission were formed in each of the five fields under investigation, and consisted of some of the best Sunday-school leadership in each country. These commissions developed information by means of ques- tionnaires sent out to native workers in the language of each field, covering so far as possible every Sunday-school and the key workers in these countries. Each of these local commis- sions has made its own report to the General Commission. 4. Questionnaires were sent to the key missionaries in the five countries. 5. Members of the Commission used the opportunity of the recent commission tour to the Orient to confer with leaders and ob- serve conditions. The result of these investigations, conferences, reports and obser- vations as related to each field is represented herewith with specific recommendations for the guidance of those interested in these coun- tries. Each field has its peculiar conditions and needs growing out of the relation of religious education to the customs of the people, prog- ress in general education, attitude of the authorities, and vitality of other religions. In general, it may be stated concerning these countries of the Orient: 1. That the Sunday-school is the line of least resistance in the progress of the kingdom. 2. The opportunity of great Sunday-school expansion is limited only by lack of men, means and methods. 3. The Sunday-school is the natural link in the reaching of the home. The love of the Oriental for children is God’s open way. 4. The Sunday-school is absolutely needed as a feeder for the church, as a source of supply of material for church educational institutions and as the opportunity of training a leadership and membership grounded on the Word of God from their youth. 6 HAWAIIAN ISLANDS The Hawaiian Islands illustrate missions in miniature. They are near enough to America to have caught the spirit of Sunday-school progress which has been so conspicuous in the last two decades, and the leaders of the work in these beautiful islands have imparted to their Sunday-school work something of the thoroughness and high quality which has made the general mission work of the islands the finest in the world. The wealth of Hawaii is largely Christian wealth, and is devoted with a wonderful generosity to the moral and spiritual uplift and educational development of the dozen or more nationalities that have drifted here. The islands are filled with splendid educational and church and benevolent institutions that illustrate the results of Chris- tian missions in an unmistakable way. At the helm of the commercial and industrial and civic life of the islands are the descendants of the missionaries and early Christians. Hand in hand with the Christian work in the cities and on the plan- tations from earliest years has gone the hand-maid of education. The figures which are given later indicate that practically one-fourth of the schools are privately founded. In all these schools loyalty to the United States Government and flag is taught, and one of the most thrilling sights to be witnessed anywhere is to see these children of diverse races salute the flag of the country and sing the National Anthem. The statistical figures indicate that one-half of the public school pupils are members of Protestant Sunday-schools, while officers and teachers in the Sunday-schools number 1,237, as against 882 day school teachers. Portuguese, Chinese, German, Japanese, British and part Hawaiians number 427, or practically one-half of the public school in- structors. The spirit of denominational cooperation evidenced here may well stand as an encouraging example for all fields. And this has been matched by a local pride in the development of their work and by a sense of deep responsibility for the cultivation of their special field. There is a deep-seated determination to produce in these islands of the mid-Pacific, the highway of nations, in the flux of commerce, and bound to become of increasing importance with the opening of the Panama Canal, types of Christian work that shall catch the attention of the nations, and to train here a leadership from the bright young people of the islands that shall become the evangels for the Orient. And the Sunday-school is to be one of these types of advanced work 7 to be brought to its best by the cooperation of the World’s Sunday- school Association with the workers of the islands. The report of the members of the commission residing in the Ha- waiian Islands contains much that is informing and inspirational. The summary of the painstaking investigation as to Sunday-school condi- tions, needs and opportunities of the islands is now presented. World’s Sunday-school Association Report on the Sunday-schools of Hawaii, made by Rev. H. P. Judd, Convener of the Commission to study the Sunday-schools of Hawaii : I. Statistical 1. Sunday-schools. (a) Number of schools, 198, as follows: Christian 1 Episcopalian 22 Congregational 144 Methodist 31 Salvation Army 198 (1) In cities, 35, as follows: Christian 1 Episcopalian 12 Congregational 18 Methodist 4 (2) In villages and country, 163, as follows: Christian 0 Episcopalian 10 Congregational 126 Methodist 27 (b) Character of Schools : (1) Church Sunday-schools 190 (2) Educational Institution Sunday-schools 2 (3) Mission Schools 6 8 2. Membership. Officers and teachers 1,237 Pupils 15,071 Cradle Roll (about) 300 Home Department (incomplete returns) Total 16,608 This membership is sub-divided as follows : T eachers and Officers Pupils Christian 12 129 Episcopalian 92 1,396 Congregational 901 8,938 Methodist 1,738 Salvation Army 66 2,870 The Day Schools of Hawaii 1 Normal. 2 High. 3 Industrial. 151 Primary and Grammar. 51 Private schools. There is a total number of pupils of 29,909. Teachers 198 males and 684 females, a total of 882 in all schools. Americans 426 Part Hawaiian 183 Hawaiian 83 Portuguese 57 British 47 Chinese 30 German 15 Japanese 12 Others 29 Total spent last year on public schools was $630,364.65, or $26.25 per pupil. 9 Percentage of race in public school students : Hawaiian, 14.22 ; part Hawaiian, 13.62; American, 3.90; British, .45; German, 1.03; Portu- guese, 17.82; Japanese, 31.09; Chinese, 10.94; Porto Rican, 1.94; Korean, 1.32; others, 3.66. II. Sunday-school Equipment 1. Buildings. The majority of the schools hold their services in church buildings. The two educational institutions that have Sunday-schools hold their sessions in their school buildings and the six mission Sunday-schools hold their meetings in the mission halls. 2. Equipment. Fifty-six out of the 198 schools are using a blackboard ; sixty-one organs are reported, and twenty-two pianos and ten libraries. A wide range of lesson helps is used by the pupils and teachers. Many use the Pilgrim Press literature, others the D. C. Cook Company literature, the graded Sunday-school material and the Blakeslee lessons. The fact that English is taught in the schools makes the best Sunday-school literature available in the islands. Among methods used to attract pupils and increase attendance and interest are mentioned : picture cards ; papers ; membership pins ; automobile transportation for children who live at a distance from Sunday-school ; “brought one” buttons ; school thermometer ; rewards for perfect attendance; picnics, annual or bi-monthly; “Cross and Crown” system ; Roll of Honor badges ; Christmas festivals ; baseball and croquet ; occasional Sunday-school plays ; Sunday-school contests ; records and certificates of credit ; birthday reminders by the birthday secretary; follow up cards; Band of Love (sewing, painting, etc.) concerts ; and of largest importance, good organization, efficient teach- ing and visitation and proper appliances. About one-fourth of the schools report pupils as a rule have Bibles of their own. These Bibles are used considerably in the classes, espe- cially in adult classes. III. Grading Forty-seven of the schools are graded, this grading being based on the age of the pupils generally rather than on their intellectual capacity. The country schools as a rule have three classes : the primary, the junior and intermediate combined, and the adult. IV. Sunday-school Session and Program The usual time of the sessions is from 10 to 11 A. M. ; branch schools meeting in the afternoon. 10 The plan of exercises covers the familiar lines of hymns, prayer, Scripture reading. Superintendent’s talk or review, reports of Secre- tary and Treasurer, hymn and closing prayer. The music is some- times varied with quartet or chorus work. One school makes a not- able exception in its exercises by dividing the entire school into two sections, set in antiphonal relations to each other. One of the sets is called Boaz (strength), the other set Jachim (endurance). The singing and Psalm work is conducted responsively and antiphonally. It is aimed to have a new Psalm memorized each month. Each set competes in attendance, music and the memorizing of the Psalm. In this same school a monthly tramp or social is planned. A printed list of requirements is furnished and subjects selected for a test for passing up. Scripture memorizing is a feature in many schools. With the Orien- tals especially this is a favorite exercise. The Psalms, Beatitudes and the Ten Commandments are staple forms of memorization. V. The Pastor and His Work There is but one theological seminary and this one is at Honolulu. This seminary is in line with so many others in failing to give the pastor a complete vision of his Sunday-school work by special courses in pedagogy, psychology and Sunday-school management. Pastors, however, in the islands usually attend the Sunday-school session but they do not generally lead teachers’ meetings. VI. Superintendent Special training of the superintendent is not attempted through cor- respondence or reading courses. While there are no summer schools, Sunday-school institutes are held throughout the islands in charge of Rev. H. P. Judd, the International representative, the object of these being to train superintendents and teachers to higher efl5ciency. Only about ten of the schools are superintended by pastors, the balance being laymen drawn from the church membership. VII. Teachers About 90 per cent, of the teachers are drawn from the church mem- bership, a few being supplied from educational institutions. The young men from one of these institutions make it a business to supply the teaching force for mission and plantation Sunday-schools. 11 While there are no training courses, as such, used by teachers gen- erally, many individual teachers read books along this line and keep up with the best Sunday-school material and methods. The work of the Honolulu Bible-Training School, founded by Mr. Theodore Richards, deserves special emphasis. Since 1904, 72 have been graduated with diplomas and appropriate graduation exercises. The largest class was the last, with 17 graduates. A great many of these are now teaching; the Kawaiahao Sunday-school being largely made up of such teachers. The nationalities represented in the Train- ing School are: Hawaiian (27), Chinese (24), Korean (6), Japanese (5), Portuguese (4), Porto Rican (1), and various races (16). The first year’s course is in the hands of Prof. Edgar Wood, Principal of the Normal School. He deals with Old Testament history and Geo- graphy, and uses for his text-books the Bible and maps, with oc- casional use of Hurlbut’s Normal Lessons. The second year is in the hands of Miss A. S. Varney, whose sub- ject is “The Life of Christ.” She uses “His Life” and Hurlbut’s “Re- vised Normal Lessons.” The third year, in charge of Miss Ida McDonald is a practice year. A class is brought in each Sunday and taught by a pupil teacher and the work criticised after the departure of the class. VHI. Pupils Forty-eight Sunday-schools undertake home visitations. Forty-one report social plans and picnics. Nine are developing the pupils athleti- cally, and twenty-five are pushing plans for literary and musical interest. One-fourth of the schools distribute papers or cards to pupils, the papers including the Sunbeam, Young Churchman, Little Learners, Dewdrops, Mayflower, Boys’ Hour and GirlY Companion. Special forms of service are undertaken by some of the schools, such as the support of a girl in India, support of needy boys and girls in school, visitation and care of the sick and poor. IX. The Homes The measure of cooperation with the Sunday-school by parents varies of course in different localities; in some places such cooperation being considerable, in others less. The average of Christian homes is marked — say two-thirds. The industrial and social conditions of the Islands, on the plantations and elsewhere, do not deter from Sunday-school attendance and interest. One worker sums up tersely the general 12 agreement as to the Sunday-school, “It is the greatest lever, often- times, whereby to gain entrance into non-Christian homes and is a powerful agency for the spreading of the Gospel.” The homes are accessible as a rule to the visit of the Sunday-school teacher. X. Public Attitude Toward the Sunday-school This attitude is favorable. In many of the public schools the prin- cipal reads verses from the Scriptures without comment, as allowed by law, and leads in the Lord’s Prayer. In the old days in these islands religious instruction was imparted in the public schools. Public educa- tors and officials feel and express the need of religious education that shall produce character. Many of the public school teachers here do noble and faithful work as teachers in the Sunday-school. XI. Other Religious Systems and the Sunday-school. Buddhists, Mormons and Roman Catholics have schools for the teaching of children. The Mormons have week-day classes of instruc- tion, using our Bibles and hymn-books. The Japanese Buddhists have schools like our Sunday-schools in outward form and the Roman Catho- lics have Sunday-schools. These schools do not attract attendance from the Protestant schools. XII. The Church and the Sunday-school The Sunday-school here, as elsewhere, is vital to the life of the church, supplying 85 per cent, of the church membership. While the doors are open for the establishment of new schools, the cities have already enough schools for the population, while there are a few places in the country districts of Hawaii where new schools might be started to advantage. The large need, however, is not for new schools, but for new life in the old schools, some of which are fifty years old or more. XIII. Sunday-school Support The Sunday-schools are supported for the most part by the Sunday- school offerings or church donations. The missionary boards do not as a rule make special provisions here for Sunday-school literature, equipment or lesson helps. The salary of the Rev. H. P. Judd, Superintendent of Sunday-school work for the Hawaiian Evangelical Association, is provided by a mis- sionary board through the gift of friends. 13 To a small extent missionaries pay individually to assist those unable to pay for their own supplies. The lack of facilities through lack of funds is felt to be a drawback in Sunday-school progress. XIV. General The next ten years are felt to be strategic for a Sunday-school ad- vance, because the future of the church depends here in large measure upon the Sunday-school. The expressed needs of the workers in order to get in line for such an advance are : Efficient organization of the Sunday-schools, with scientific grading ; a unified system of instruction ; emphasis on catechetical form of imparting religious truth and be- liefs ; heartier cooperation of parents ; a vastly more intensive study of conditions surrounding the children; cooperation of government of- ficers and teachers as teachers of the Sunday-schools; holding the children through the “teen” years; workers’ conferences; trained super- intendents and, above all, trained, devoted, spiritual teachers educated in Hawaii and with a love for Orientals. In assisting such Sunday-school advance the Sunday-school conven- tion, and especially the Sunday-school institute, it is felt must play a considerable part in awakening interest, obtaining inspiration through the experience of others, suggestion of better methods, broadening vision. One worker frankly says that the possibilities of the Sunday- school have not yet gripped the people of Hawaii. XV. Conclusions and Recommendations (a) The strong denominational position in the Islands would seem to make unnecessary the employment of an interdenominational secre- tary for this field. Mr. Judd has recently been placed upon the field as a Sunday-school specialist representing the largest denominational interest, the Hawaiian Evangelical Association. The Methodist and Episcopalian schools represent largely the balance of the work. The Union spirit is excellent and the annual visits of a field worker from America should supply for the present the needed stimulus of the touch and methods from the broader field. (b) The repeatedly expressed need for trained teachers here should cause the Hawaiian Association and denominational workers to set a goal for the training of every teacher through recognized training courses, and the presentation to such students of International Teacher- Training Certificates at the proper convention. Normal classes of young people should be encouraged in every Sunday-school. 14 (c) The theological seminaries and the Christian educational insti- tutions should introduce special courses of study and reading upon Sunday-school pedagogy and management, to equip future workers in Sunday-school service. (d) Standard goals should be erected for attainment by every Sun- day-school and such attainment recognized in an impressive way by the Association. (e) The general use of the Bible in the Sunday-schools needs encour- agement and more thorough drill work in essential outstanding pass- ages. I