Another forward step is graded Bible study, graded athletics, graded service, graded social life, and graded mental activities.  The work of the school, to hold the boy, must be new and diverse in its interests, and big enough and broad enough to command his constantly changing attention.  As his years so shall his interest be.  To his years the work of the Sunday school must correspond.

The Organized Bible Class that is self-governing must be added to the above.  Better have the gang on the inside of the church with a Christian-altruistic content, than to permit the boys to organize under self-direction on the outside.  The Bible Class, too, has advantages over every other form of organization.  It has the Bible at its heart, the one thing necessary to assure permanence, and never allows the thought of graduation.  Other boy organizations meet the need of certain specified years; the Bible Class meets all the needs of all the years, and is flexible enough to include all the special needs that are met by other forms of organization.

The greatest need of the Sunday school is capable teaching.  By it the Bible Class becomes efficient or the reverse.  For the boy the teacher should be a man, a Christian man, who has personality enough to command the boy’s respect, and ability enough to direct the boy in doing things.  This means a comrade-relationship of work and play, Bible study and athletics, spiritual and social activity, Sunday and week-day interest, and a disposition on the part of the leader to get the boy to do everything—­government, planning, presiding, achieving—­for himself.  This is true teaching and leadership.  The greatest thing in the Sunday school is the teacher.  For now abideth the Lesson, the Class, and the Teacher, but the greatest of these is the Teacher.

In view, then, of all that has gone before, what shall be said of the Sunday school and the boy?  Each to each is the complement; the two together form a winning combination.  On the one hand, the modern Sunday school should meet the boy’s need at every stage of his development in a physical, social, mental, and spiritual way.  It should give him variety and progression in the processes of his maturing, and suitable organization and trained leadership for character-building and man-making.  On the other hand, the boy will render the Sunday school and church his service, and through both give his heart’s thought, devotion, and worship to his Lord.  This is the whole matter of the Sunday school and the normal boy, and is our vision of the future of the church.  The past did not do it!  The past is dead!

BIBLIOGRAPHY ON THE BOY AND THE SUNDAY SCHOOL

Boys’ Work Message (Men and Religion Movement) ($1.00).

Foster.—­The Boy and the Church (.75).

Lewis.—­The Intermediate Worker and His Work (.50).

—­The Senior Worker and His Work (.50).