THE YEAR OF BLESSINGS—A NEW YEAR’S BLACKBOARD TALK

The following blackboard exercise will prove a good way to get the children to think about the past year. Separate the blackboard into twelve divisions, one division for a month. Write on each division the name of a month, and place in each a picture emblematic of that month. April, for instance, may show a shower, or an umbrella. November may show a turkey, July a flag. These pictures may be cut from an almanac, or any illustrated paper, and pinned or pasted on, or, if the superintendent has skill in this line, little sketches may be drawn on the blackboard in the presence of the society.

Then, looking backward over the year, set the children to thinking about some of the blessings that came to them in each month. In July their play-time began. In September came their school. November may suggest nice things to eat; August, nice things to wear. The month of Christmas may suggest the love of their dear ones, and blustering March may suggest the comforts of home.

After the months are filled out in this way, take a look forward over the next year, and ask the boys and girls what gift for God, who has given them all these things, they will plan for each month of the coming year. Ask them to put one gift in each division, and place the gifts where they will be brought into appropriate connection with the blessing already written down. These gifts will be such things as love and faithfulness, honesty and cheerfulness, working and singing and studying.