The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-11-04
Young Mems Christian Association
of Vermont.

The Young Mems Christian Association
OF Vermont began its annual convention at
st. Adams last Friday. The following
officers were elected for the current YEAR
President, l.. w. Hawley of Brattleboro;
vice-presidents, G. p Harris of Rutland and
Professor Deering of Burlington; secretary
W. II. Hopkins of st. Adams; assistant
secretary, L, o. Jones of St. Johnsbury
railroad secretary, A. S. Fleury of st. AL
bans. The international committee was
represented by E. w. Watkins, who adj
dressed the convention regarding the work
IN the South. a report was made by Sec
rotary Ingham for the state executive COM
mittee.
The afternoon session was taken up by a
devotional meeting, led by A. j. Howe of
Montpelier, and general discussion of the
phases of association work. The topics
We're: Can Associations in Small Towns
Specialize Work for Young Men? ?" and
Personal, Community and Church Bene-
hts Resulting from Associations" The
former was discussed by Messrs. Ingham,
Page and Merrill, and the latter by Messrs
Page, Deering Pratt, Babbitt, Sewall and
others. The main point made was that as
ISOLATION work, If conducted judcously and
so as not to conflict with that of legitimate
church work, must be beneficial to all con-
cerned.
Saturday morning " How to Conduct
Training Glasses " was illustrated by Il. w.
Watkins of New York Following this Rev.
Henry Fairbanks and others took up the
condition OF association work and means for
its development. Rev. e. p. Wild of New
port read paper on " How Shall We Help
in Other Towns?" Resolutions pledging
anew to association work were adopted and
some lengthy ones bearing on the necessity
of effort among the inmates of warehouses
and 1ails and among laboring people were
referred to the executive committee, to be
reported on next year The treasurer's re-
port showed $117 on hand. The following
were elected as state executive committee
for another year: Rev. Henry Fairbanks
and f. q. Stevens of st. Johnsbury, j. j.
Estey and A. M. Ingham of Brattleboro, c.
A. Smith of Barre, ID. M. Camp of Newport,
A. S. Fleury of st. Adams, j. l. Quimby of
Thetford Center, G. A. Page of st. Johns
bury, G. F. Daniels of Burlington, NJ. E.
Merrill of Rutland, Rev. c. H. Sweat of
Enosburgh Falls, George E. Davis of Bur
lington and ID. l.. Morgan of Rutland. Mr..
Watkins spoke of the association work gen.
orally and the grand results therefrom. He
reviewed the history of this sort of effort
from its beginning, in the seventeenth CEN
fury, down to the present time. He referred
TO the organization as mighty bulwark
against the hosts of sin. There are 1881
Young Mems Christian Associations in the
world, and they are doing a grand work.
He gave several instances to show the power
OF the restraining influence which the Or
ganlZatlon has over young men, and of what
practical, everyday value it is in the world.
Interesting meetings We're held on Satur-
day evening and Sunday
Secretary Ingham's report of the work in
the state shows that Barre has member
ship about the same as last year, with the
interest well sustained Brattleboro has
two hundred forty members an increase of
sixty per cent since October /, 1884, with an
active woman's auxiliary; Burlington has
three hundred six members, is employing a
general secretary and the meetings are well
kept up; Middlebury College has nine mem
bers; Newport, siXty-tve members; South
Royalton, seventy-eight members, not very
active as regards meetings; Rutland en-
ploys general secretary, has two hundred
fifty members, combines railroad and city
work, interest well sustained; Saxton s
River Academy, new association, has
twenty-seven members; Springfield with
thirty-two members, has womans auxili-
airy; st. Johnsbury is doing excellent work,
employs ageneral secretary, has three hun
dred twenty-five members and woman's
auxiliary; the University of Vermont has
forty MEMBERS Windham has forty-one
members. Seven associations have reading
rooms, four employ general secretaries, ten
mold meetings for young men only, five have
Bible classes, six have receptions lectures
ETC., and six have woman's auxiliaries Chel.
sea, Rochester and North Concord send NO
report; at Montpelier and Waterbury the
work has been given up; Thetford OBJ
serves only the week of prayer; no work is
done at st. Adams.