Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-05-21
". NJ. G.. A.
TWENTIETH ANNU IL M EXITING.
pEpOPTOFTHEG SECRETARY

REPORTOFTHE GENERAL SECRETARY
The Twentieth Annual Meeting of the Young
Mems Christian Association of this city, was
held last night, in their room, on King street,
| with full attendance of the members, Presl-
dent T G.. O'Neal in the chair. The session
was opened with the usual religious exercises.
Secretary Cooke then read the proceedings OF
the April meeting, which were approved
The usual routine of business was waived,
and the Society proceeded to The business OF
| the occasion.
The President then, after apologzing for not
having been able to prepare written report,
from press of other duties, stated that he had,
at the anniversary meeting 10 January, prepar-
| ed and delivered such report and that 1t was
ouy necessary now to pass in review upon the
| last years operations of the Society. His re-
marks we're full of earuestness. 10 referring to
the aims house, jail canal basin, Sunday schools.
PRAYER meeting, aud open air activities he said
| that on his visitation to those when he would
saw to each committee, "Watc|man what OF
the night" the reply would be made, "All is
we'll. He spoke in glowing terms OF the bar
mopy and union of the membership; OF the IN
fuence exerted upon his own soul by. the work
and result Of the Association 8 labors; OF the
kindness and consideration towards him mani
tested by the members, and ended by entreat-
ing the Association to press more earnestly tor,
ward 10 the new year 10 the sphere assigned
them by Providence.
The General Secretary then read his report
! as follows
ALEXANDRIA, Va, May Goth 1878.
The general Secretary of the Young Men S
Chrilian Association of this city, herewith pre-
SCENTS his second annual report.
During the year eudlng with date above, the
Executive Committee have reported the names
Of torty-four active and six associate members,
all of whom were unanimously elected, aud du-
by death; brothers Douglass s. Gregory and
Thos. Edgar Athey; ten members have removed
from the city, three have been dropped from
the roll, makng thirty-fve net gam to the
membership and the full number now on rolls
of active, one hundred and twenty-nine and
thirteen associate in all, one hundred and forty
two members.
The financial condition of the Society pre-
sents the same favorable aspect as reported last
wear; the subscribers to the monthly contribution
fund have, but with few exceptions, renewed
their Piled ges, and have paid up the same
promptly, thus keeping the association free
from debt, and yielding sufficient sum to de-
fray our working expenses.
The room has been again rented during the
year to the Lutheran congregation, tor their ser
vices and during part Of the year to the First
Presbyterian congregation, for their purposes;
both yielding rental almost sufficient to cover
our own room rent.
The twentieth anniversary meeting OF the
Society was held in the Methodist Episcopal
Church, on the night of the 2lst day Of Jan
uary Of this year. at which the sum OF three
hundred dollars was subscribed and added to
the building fund; of the interesting exercises
held on that OCCASION, and the pleasant results
flowing therefrom, it is not necessary to detail
10 this report, the whole proceedings being
published at that date 10 the Alexandra Ga
z,tte. The night school was commenced on
the night of October 2lst 1872, in the second
story Of the building next to the Marshall
House, and was held there three lights in the
week until the Christmas holidays when the
furniture and books were transferred to the
first floor of the house No. III King street,
aud the school exercises resumed on the night
of January 6, 1873 aud held five nights in the
week until the session closed April lst. The
number of youth on the school register was six
ty-four average attendance thirly-fve The
committee were fortunate in securing at the
commencement Of the term the services OF Rev.
DIR. Little as principal of the school under
whose excellent discipline competent tuition and
faithful devotion to his trust, the department
of the scholars improved steadily during the
session, their advancement 10 their studies was
marked and gratifying, and the attachment to
their instructor surely fixed; added to this, sew
eral of the pupils openly protested conversion
10 one of the churches and are now members Of
the Association. Again, the funds necessary
for the support Of the school we're not drawn
from the treasury Of the Association, balance
being left on hand from last year, and whep
that was exhausted on an appeal being made,
one of our generous and noble spirited citizeos
contributed sufficient for its purposes until the
close OF the school.
The Sunday afternoon prayer meeting, the
main spring in the work Of the Association, has
been holden fitty-two times during the year, with
an average attendance of two hundred and fifty
souls making an aggregate OF $4,000 worship
pers gathered Sunday by Sunday from the va
rious evangelical churches OF the city upon a
broad catholic platform Of prayer and praise
Under the efficient management of its commit
tee, who with other brethren OF the Society
ioin in its exercises, and continue time after
time to spread forth before the attention OF the
young unconverted, the glorious truths OF the
Gospel of Jesus, this precious activity, never
ceases to afford supreme pleasure, and the con-
sciousuess that the labor is mot vain in the
Lord. !"
The room of the Association has been open
ed 81 times during the year, in the afternoon,
for prayer and would that the General Secre-
tary could speak otherwise than this.that not
twenty prayer meetings have been held during
the time; could the members only feel the ne
cessity for their own growth in grace daily,
and the importance of such link in the chain
of the Associations activities, which this sacri-
fc presents, and demands-it is certain that
they would foster this daily service.
The Aims House mission was fully sustained
with but few exceptions during the year 40
meetings were held-3 only omitted because of
the state of the weather. The attendance up
GU these services, and the results flowing there
from, we're somewhat in excess of those Of the
previous year, giving great encouragement to
the Committee, whose faithful labors and
| .o,o.oll,, ,ro,n,,t attandanna entitla them to