New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-02-19
ORPHANS, HOME SOCIETY, PARISH
OF ST. MARY.

Proceedings Of Annual Meeting, 1871.
A meeting Of the officers and managers
of the Orphans Home Society of st. Mary
parish. was held in New Orleans, on
Monday, January 9. We give below the re-
port of Rev. r. K. Diossy, corresponding Sc
cretary, the annual address of Honorable
Thomas w. Conway, the president, and
Honorable Emerson Bentley, principal OF
the Home School:
REPORT OF THE CORRESPONDING SECRETARY.
1t is most gratifying to know that the eX-
pectations so confidently expressed at the
last anniversary have not been disappoint-
ed. Clouds then overhung the future of our
society, and faint-hearted ones looked only
for disaster but the Father of the father
less did not fail us, and the reports we have
heard read by the president and treasurer,
show that the past twelve months have been
crowded with blessings from His bOuntitul
hand.
-Four brief years have made an orphanagc
which is said by our estimable patron, Rev.
Dr. Rust, to be the best thing in the whole
South. Though born and nurtured amid
discOuragements, it has proved hardy
plant, and its friends are confident that Il
prosperous and permanent asylum is now
secured for the destitute orphan and half
orphan children of Louisiana.
The interest of our friends i'll other
States still continues. Rev. DR.. Newman,
of Washington. who originated the society,
has written several letters full OF SYM
patty with our work. lie donated II hun
drea dollars to make the children Christ
mas festival. and to found library of
books for the Home.
nr IE,f,1,f Of Eipci,n.t; still
keeps up his correspondence. He pro-
cured early in the year several patrons and
life members from among his personal
friends, paying into the treasury two hun
dred and fifty dollars at Il time of orr
greatest need. He also sent us, last fall, Il
first class sewing machine.
Rev. DR.. Rust, Of the Freedmen's Aid So
ciety, Methodist Episcopal Church. has
written frequently. He has largely assisted
in the support of our school teachers. pay
ing them over a hundred dollars during tue
year. and presented lis with tine lot of set
tees for the chapel.
have written letters to all the patrons
and life members, transmitting certificates
which the board OF managers ordered to be
prepared for that purpose. We have now
fourteen patrons and sixteen life members
1t is earnestly recommended that efforts be
made to increase the number of these bene
factors of the institution. not only because
We need their pecuniary aid, but in order to
enlist more of our own citizens in this grand
Christian enterprise, for very few of those
enrolled are residents of this State.
The small sum of $50, the patron fee. or
s25 for life mepbers. can be given with
very little sacrifice by hundreds, and it is
hoped that this occasion will not pass with
out considerable addition to their num-
bers.
Besides conducting the correspondence of
the society, l have been enabled 10 give
some attention to its interests at the Home.
especially in relation to religious and ctlu-
cational matters. being pastor in charge of
the circuit in which it is located and SUPER
intendent of the public schools.
1t has been our earnest endeavor to have
secured to the children not only the best
possible intellectual training. but the purest
Christian culture, so that they may 90 tiorth
from the Home into the world carrying with
them both education and religion-the best
possible safeguards for themselves and for
society.
The institution has been visited during
the year by various members of the society.
by members of Congress and of the General
Assembly. and recently BIZ the Governor of
our State. These gentleman all expressed
highly gratiied with what they
saw, and honored lis by their commentator
OF our management
The fifth anniversary of our society is the
most hopeful of them all. Only one embar-
remains to lS-it is the need of a
When that want is supplied.
as we are confident it will be during the
year, double the orphans now in the Home
can be cared for. and the institution will be
Respectfully submitted.
X. X. DDSSY.
Cnrr.snOndirI Sncrntur,