GLASGOW:

M'LAREN & ERSKINE, PRINTERS.

THE

SABBATH SCHOOL MAGAZINE.

WESTERN DISTRICT SABBATH SCHOOL UNION.

FOR many years it has been felt that the Western District Union was much too large for local purposes. But though the subject of dividing it into two has been often ventilated, it is only recently that a proposal having this object in view has taken definite shape. At the last two or three meetings of the Directors a proposition to divide the district into at least two parts, each part to be formed into a District Union reporting to the General Union in the usual way, has been under consideration. The present boundary of the Union is, all west of the line of Jamaica Street, Buchanan Street, and Port-Dundas Road, and north of the river. The proposed dividing line will run east and west; and, beginning at Buchanan Street, will be, Sauchiehall Street, St. George's Road, Woodlands Road, South Woodside Road, and Great Western Road; the upper district being named the North-Western Union, and the lower the Western Union. From the then Western Union it is proposed, if practicable, to detach the Partick and Hillhead district, say all westward of the river Kelvin, forming it into a separate Union; not an independent Union, as was tried some years ago, but a District Union, reporting and sending representatives to the board of the General Union.

This proposition has received the approval of the Directors both of the Western District Union and General Union; and at the last bimonthly meeting of the former it was agreed to call a general meeting of the teachers to consider the subject.

The meeting above referred to was held in the hall of Free St. Matthew's Church, on the evening of the 13th ult. Mr. D. Marshall Lang, the President, occupied the chair, and was supported by several of the Directors of the Union. After making a few prefatory remarks, the chairman called upon Mr. Ronald, one of the secretaries, who read an explanatory statement, of which the following is an abstract:— "The object of the Glasgow Sabbath School Union may be briefly NO. I.] [VOL. XXIV.

A

stated to be the advocacy and furtherance of the Sabbath school cause, and the perfecting of Sabbath school organization and machinery. It seeks this by means of publications, public meetings, and correspondence. For its better attainment, it was thought necessary, about twenty-five years ago, to divide the city into five districts, each district to have a Union of its own, and all to report to the General Union. This was the origin of the present District Unions; and the particular work, as I understand it, which they were intended to perform, was-first, to see that the whole of their respective districts was canvassed by Societies for scholars, promoting the establishment of new schools where such were needed; second, by visitation of schools and correspondence to circulate useful information regarding the best methods of managing them and attaining success; and, third, to promote local meetings of teachers for the purpose of mutual encouragement and instruction. And, in passing, it may be remarked, that the work still before the Sabbath School Union and its District Unions seems as great, and even more important, than ever it was. Whether we consider the defective hall and class-room accommodation of our schools, the inefficiency and inexperience of many of our teachers, the noise and disorder too often attending our services, our inability to retain the bulk of our scholars after they pass the age of boyhood and girlhood, or the smallness of the spiritual results, it manifestly appears that improvement is wanted.

"At the time the five District Unions were formed they each had connected with them from twenty to thirty societies. But in 1870, while the other Unions had increased considerably, the Western, owing to the growth of the city westwards, had now sixty-six societies reporting to it, and this year three or four more are expected. It is now really composed of four distinct and populous districts-viz., Anderston, Cowcaddens, Maryhill, and Partick.

"The disadvantages which have had to be borne for many years past are chiefly these-first, no public meeting held in one district is convenient, or in point of fact is attended, by the teachers resident in the other districts; second, the supervision of the district for the purpose of seeing that it is properly canvassed for scholars and covered with schools, is simply in abeyance, on account of the extent of territory to be superintended; and, third, a visitation of schools can only be accomplished once in several years, and that by different committees of visitors, whereby much of the benefit to be expected from such visitation is lost.

"The proposition which your Directors have now to submit for your