I have thought that perhaps the readers of the Missionary would be interested to know something of the Institute held at LeMoyne for the colored teachers of Shelby and the adjoining counties. The Institute was continued for two weeks, beginning on the first Monday in June. Prof. Steele was appointed conductor by the State Superintendent. Teachers were present not only from western Tennessee, but also from Mississippi and Arkansas. On the first day our enrolment list reached eighty-nine, and increased during the succeeding days to one hundred and fifteen. Our daily session began at quarter before nine with short devotional exercises. These were followed by the recitations in the different branches. The lessons were given and studied by topics, and each teacher was provided with a blank book, in which he kept the topics for study and also any notes which he wished to remember. The Rev. Mr. Imes had charge of reading, Prof. Steele of arithmetic, grammar, penmanship and geology, while I took history and geography. A certain time each day was devoted to any matters of interest which we should wish to present. At this time several talks on school organization were given, an object lesson on coal was presented by Miss Lovell, principal of one of the public schools, the temperance charts showing the effects of alcohol upon the stomach were exhibited, and Miss Wadsworth, a worker under the W. C. T. U., addressed the teachers, answering many questions which they asked her. The teachers present were, without exception, earnest, enthusiastic and anxious to get good, that they might do good. One young man said to me at the close of the Institute: “This Institute has given me work to do for twelve months to come; it was just what I needed.” Many others told us of the good they had received during the Institute, and seemed to feel that they should do their work in their school-rooms better for the work they had done there. The county superintendent, who was with us for two days, told us that the colored teachers would average quite as high as the white teachers, who were then in attendance at a similar Institute at Bartlett, the county seat. This is about the first work of the kind that has ever been done in Tennessee, but if the results are as good as we have every reason to hope, we are sure it will not be the last.
SUNDAY-SCHOOL INSTITUTE AT TOUGALOO.
BY MISS J. KELLOGG.
It was thought that the last Sabbath of the school year could not be better spent than by calling in the Sunday-school workers among the colored people and holding a Sunday-school institute.
Providence smiled upon the exercises with a most beautiful day, and at an early hour the chapel was filled with an attentive though miscellaneous throng, whose intelligent looks and interested, orderly demeanor were a surprise to some of the newest workers and evidence of progress to all.
The regular exercises of the Sunday-school were first attended to. The lesson, “Following Christ,” with its golden text, “Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me,” seemed to furnish a peculiarly appropriate theme for the last conference of the teachers with their classes, and called forth thoughts and experiences, exhortations and warnings, calculated to be helpful alike to the Christian of years, the score or more of young converts, and the few who, with all their calls and opportunities, still refuse the yoke of Christian service.
In closing the review the superintendent gave a blackboard exercise suggested by the verses, “What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” This formed an impressive introduction to the first subject brought forward—the use of the Blackboard. Other topics presented were, Opening and closing exercises, Duties of the superintendent, Use and abuse of lesson helps, How to get the children in, Conversion and training of pupils, Individual responsibility.
Two of these topics were well presented by former graduates of this institution. The only topic which evoked general discussion was that of success in gathering the children in and winning them to continued attendance. Of the many who volunteered a statement of methods to this end, all spoke briefly, pointedly, correctly and sensibly, and the question-box when opened revealed nothing but practical, intelligent queries.
The Institute closed with the repetition by Miss Koons of one of our regular Sabbath-afternoon course of lectures, a lecture on Temperance, illustrated by Sewall’s charts. A quantity of temperance literature was distributed, to be carried away for circulation. May the blessing of God render it very influential!