lessons a child can learn from his lessons in religion is that he is his
brother's keeper. The instincts of childhood are naturally selfish and
self-centered; the sense of responsibility for others must be gradually
trained and developed. A double purpose can therefore be served by
enlisting the children of our classes as recruiting officers to secure
new members, and to look up any who may have dropped out or whose
attendance is irregular. The sense of pride and emulation in such work,
and the feeling on the part of our pupils that they are actually
accomplishing something definite for their class or school will do much
to cement loyalty and train the children to assume responsibility for
their comrades.

This _pride of the group_ is a strong force during later childhood and
adolescence, and can be fruitfully used in religious training. The boy
or the girl Scout takes great pride in doing acts of kindness and
service without personal reward, just _because that is one of the things
that scouting stands for_. "Scouts are expected to do this," or "Scouts
are not expected to do that," has all the force of law to the loyal
Scout.

The Sunday school class can command the same spirit if the proper appeal
is made. In its neighborhood work and on many special occasions the
church and the Sunday school will have need of messenger service.
Errands will have to be run, articles will have to be gathered and
distributed, calls will have to be made, funds will have to be
collected, and a hundred other things done which children can do as well
or better than anyone else. And it is precisely in these practical acts
of homely service that the child gets his best training in the social
side of religion.