River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-10-13
Proceedings of the Good Templars Con-
Yention, Both District, Held at
Ellsworth, Oct. ) and 6.

Gray. Opened by singing, followed BY prayer
| by Bro. Hay Chair appointed the following
committees: State of order and plan Of work
! L. D. Kanouse, j. Haw and C. c.. Holt. On Gre
| dentials-Holt, Haw and kanouse. On Pro
gram HaW. Sisters b. Bartlett and l.. Holt
| On Resolutions Henry Cornclison, o. Thomas
and w. j. Perry. On Finanee-D. w. Kline
G. Moore and C. c. Holt. Convention then ad
| journed until o'clock P. NJ.
| At 2 o'clock convention called to order by d.
c. I. Opened by singing, followed by prayer
| Minutes of forenoon session read and approved
| The committee on credentials reported as fol
| lows: Linwood 10 delegates; East Branch ?
| Sylvan s; Charity g. Maiden Rock ); Prescott Z
| Clifton Q Total 35.
The membership OF lodges in this County is a:
| follows: Linwsod Of; Charity 60; Prescott IS
| Sylvan 81; East Branch 81; Maiden Rock 35
Glenwild so. Total a65.
Then followed speech from Bro. KanOuse con-
corning good, solid work By individual members
in their lodges.
Letters from d. V. 7. Attic A. Reed and A. P
Merrill were read regretting that they could noi
attend the convention.
The question !" Is the organizing of a temper
ance party now advisable" was discussed for a
short time by Bros. Haw and Kanouse.
Convention then adjourned until o'clock o.
Oct. 6.
After the convention closed several of the
Bros. held short meeting and elected COM
mittee Of three as a County Committee Of the
Independent Temperance party. Bros. Haw.
o. Thomas and j. S. Beatty were elected as
such committee.
MORNING SESSION. Ger. 6.
Called to order BY d. c. T., A. Gray. Opened
by singing, followed by prayer by Bro Haw
Minutes oflast session read, corrected then APP
proved. Proceeded to vote on next place of
holding District Convention which resulted in
Prescott receiving the majority of votes.
A committee ofon from each lodge repre-
sented was appointed to select persons to be vO-
ted on for officers for the next year. The fol-
lowing were selected. elected and duly Installed
by G. w. C. T. Kanouse: D. c. T., A. Gray; D.
V. T., Mrs. L. Holt; Recording Secretary, c. c.
Holt, Assistant Secretary, Nellie Bancroft;
Chaplain, W. j. Perry; Financial Secretary, d.
W. Kline; Treasurer, Mary Bascom; Marshal,
Bell Bartlett; Deputy Marshal, j. Haw; Inside
Guard, Eta Wilkinson; Outside Guard, A. Sew
erance.
An explanation Of the unwritten work was
given by Bro. kanouse.
The plans of the different lodges for program
and entertainment were discussed and all re
ported something. Bro. kanouse gave some
excellent advice concerning the plans of work
in lodges, also Bros Haw, Perry, Holt and 9th
ers.
The folio wing is the report of the d. Q. T.:
Worthy officers and members again we have
come to the close of another year. 1t has gone
wit al fa,1ltc fai vii trIg
and temptations, hopes and aspirations, each TO
be accounted for in the great eternity. 1t be-
hooves us to pause and see where we may better
the present. We are on the threshold of a year
that seems freighted with success to the temper
ance cause if properly used. In looking over
the past we cannot help but feel impressed with
the fact that our cause has advanced, even our
enemies being our Judges. IT we can IN the
coming year initiate the noble state of Kansas
we will have taken one step that our enemleS
will tremble at more than anything we can do
| In looking at the work as l now see 1t, the
greatest obstacle to overcome Is the lukewarm'
| ness of the temperance element. There are
enough temperance people IN this district to d.
| rect politics, bnt that lethaTgy i don't care
| that passes so many OF our proteSsedly temper
ance men with the widea-wake and stirring ele
ment with which we have to contend gives u
| them the advantage. As | said in my last re-
port what is most needed is general awaken
| ing, thorough stirring up. breaking up o.
| fallow ground. cutting loose from patty anc
| party alliances and making out straight TEN
| perance path and walking in 1t. In reviewing
| the past year have much to encourage me
One year ago in assuming this Office little re,
allied the work that was before me. found
| but four lodges at work, but by united etforl
| of the workers of our district was able to re-
| port twelve last spring. Since then my time
has been SO fully enpIoyed py my own aHalIs
| Lodges are in need and are dying from the luke
warmness to the cause.
| Workers.-1 was most ably assisted ny pros
| G.. l.. Bowman, q. Z. Holt and u. u. w llllams
| | also had the help and hearty sympathy OF the
| ministers of this district.
| Il During the year 1 have travelled l,l60 miles
| in the cause of temperance, spent 90 DAYS in the
work written more than 100 letters directly re-
| lating to the work, made eleven public talks
revisited several lodges, worked up ready fol-
organization Juvenile Temples, resurrected
Trenton after a lapse of six months besides this
spent my time in encouraging lodges to do theli
duty as it presented itself to them in their re-
| spectlye places. !,
In closing | return my warmest thanks to the
brothers and sisters for their help and encour-
| agement during the past year, and especially to
those who entertained me at their homes where
| | re .eiyed the solid and necessary comforts OF
| life without stint. Now as we go from mere
| may we resolve to make the coming year the
| brightest and best of any for our cause-Frohl'
! bition. Thanking you again l am traternally
yours, a. bRAY' ~, y. l.
The committee on Plan of Work and State OF
! Order reported as follows
| l. AS to Plan of Work, every member OIL
| every lodge in the district should consider him
self or herself personally responsible for the ad-
| vancement of the interests of the cause and or
| der. Every lodge should be Il careful council OF
| earnest men and women, where plans should be
| devised and agreed upon for the promotion OF
| our reform, and after plans have been devised
| and agreed upon. then those whose duty 1t Is "a
| lead should at once proceed to execute the SAID
plans. For no matter how many good resolu-
| lions may be adopted if they are not made
| practical in the daily lives OF the members OF
! No. RI eli n and
| n sounding cymbal." The competitive system
| of lodge entertainment. varied rs circumstances
may require, seems to rs the best calculated %
| keep up lodge interest In so tar as our mem
| bership agrees with the action Of the State lem
| perance Convention held in Madison on the
29th utimo, they should be ceaseless IN their
| activity until election day to give it force and
| effect Eternal vigilance is the price OF llber-
| ty," in our work rs well as elsewhere. Hence
| our district officers should lead us out into a
system of lodge visitation, and general work toT
ii. State of the Order The order is Of course
| in condition always equal TO the condition OF
| our individual membership. Then II the state
| of the order is not in any locality what 1t mem
| bers desire they alone being responsible, have
| alone possession of the needful remedy, and can
| use it or not as they Will and nobody on earth
| can help those efectually who refuse to help
| themselves.
The committee on resolutions reported as fol
| lows:
| Templar and every temperance man and WON
an to put forth their best efforts to secure the
election OF the prohibition ticket at tho coming
| election
1t being our opinion that for the further ad-
vancement OF our order and the cause of tenn
perance generally in the district, it would be
wise for this convention to adopt means to max
known our plans and objects as far as il consist
ent with our rul les.
THERRFoRE, Be it resolved that we do at this
convention adopt measures to this end 10 be
published in circulars for distribu ton, and also
to have the same published in one or more OF
our County papers.