The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-10-29
THE MEETING AT BRUNSWICK. :
An Interesting Paper by Secretary
Belts of Portland.

BRUNSWICK, Oct Zl.-lle afternoon SeS-
sion of the State convention of the Young
Mems Christian Association was prayer
service with special reference to college and
educational institutions, conducted by G. 0.
Whitney of Lewiston, the responsibility of
the associations to railroad men, I'll. L. Will
liams; conversation on methods OF personal
Bible study, w. G. Douglass of Boston. The
college session was conducted by j. K. Mott,
college secretary of the international commit
tee. The report of the committee on State
executive committees report commended the
labors Of State Secretary e. A. Williams, and
recommended special attention to the work
among railroad men, to further unite the col
leges in intercollegiate work. to take steps
TO organize the State into three districts.
They also reported that State Secretary E. A.
Williams be engaged for another year. Mr..
W. S. Corey. Portland, was elected CORES
ponding member of the interna tonal COM
mittee for the State.
In response to the call for pledges made
Saturday for support of the State work, the
following pledges were received from asso-
Citations and individuals; Portland Associa-
tion, 5000; Bangor Association, 5000; Bangor
individual, 500: Foxcroft and Dover Asso-
citation, $50, Gardiner Association, $50;
Rockland Association, $50; Waterville As
sociation, $50 WateryilIe Ladies' Auxiliary,
Whitford, Rockland, $35; j. F. Cobb. Auburn.
S25; w. A. Robinson, $40; v r. Foss, Port
land. $40; E. A. Pierce, Waterville, $40; e.
A. Lawrence, State secretary, $40; II. M.
Hall, Augusta, SIS; Fl. F. Williams, interna-
land, $40; s. L. Belts, Portland, 10; j. NJ.
Bates, Gardiner, 10; Charles Hill, Auburn,
So; q. +. Carpenter, Waterville, So; Mr..
Nichols, Dover, So; r. A. Jordan. Bangor,
So; MIR. Matthews. Augusta. $6; j. R. Board
Rev. c. w. Puringtop, Weld, So; S. B.
Adams, Gardiner, $5; Lisbon Falls Associa-
ton, So; S. b. Adams, Gardiner, $5. Total,
81, ,401.
A very taking feature of the exercises on
Saturday was paper on Association work:
its claims upon the active membership" by
S. L. Belts, General Secretary, Portland. In
the course of his paper Mr.. Belts said:
"The demand for active members at the
present period of our great work with and
for young men. is of greater Importance than
it has ever been in the history of the Young
Mems Christian Association, for it is through
this medium that thousands of young men
(whO may become the flower of our country
are to be reached and saved, who will be left
uncared for and forever lost if we do not put
forth our strong right arm and shield them
from the fiery darts of the demon of unright-
eousness. The responsibility and magnitude
OF our work increases as we beco me more
and more consecrated to the Masters service.
and learn the condition and needs of the
young men in the various fields to which the
Lord has called us, and where we are privi-
legged to labor. WhenIwe realize the factIthat
fully eighty per cent. of all the young men in
our cities, never enter church. and are
away from all religious restraint and influ-
ence, we can then but family appreciate the
Importance of and the necessity for imme-
diate and aggressive Christian effort for the
saving of this multitude of young men whose
feet are treading in the broad way
which leadeth to eternal destruction
"What is done for their salvation must be
done quickly, for the time is fast passing
away and the night cometh wherein no work
can be done, and it will then be forever too
late. How to compass this most important
question and meet the growing demands of
the times in our several fields. we are here
to-day to discuss. 1t is my opinion that we
will all agree on one point, that it is from
the active members to whom we must look
Tor our answers.
"Let us consider for a moment some of
the claims of the Association upon the class
of members who should be and who would
be the life OF every successful Young Mems
Christian Association. In the first place.
the fact that men become active members of
an association implies that they have previ-
ously taken upon themselves obligations as
members of some evangelical church, and
are in good standing in such at the time of
their reception to the Association, having
become disciples and servants of the Lord
Jesus, and pledged themselves to discharge
the duties OF accepted and faith full church
men.
The association receives, or should re-
ceive, to membership this class and condition
| OF men, for the purpose of adding strength
| to their working forces. Ii the association is
| to receive no assistance, sympathy or sup
| port from this class of members, along the
| different lines of Christian work, it had bet
| ter close its doors and put up a placard,
where it can be plainly seen, which shall
read, we are wasting our time and the peo-
ple's money, because of the inactivity of our
active members / thank God that this
thing need not be, for by conservation and
| prayer the number of faithful workers may
| be increased and the little leaven many times
as Of old, may be used to leaven the en- tire
| body.
young men becoming active members are
| expected in the first place (and it is their
duty to attend some of the meetings of the
association. They should not, however, neg.
| lect the duties incumbent upon them as men,
| bers of the church. On the other hand, they
should put forth even greater efforts than be-
fore toward the building up of their respec.
| tive churches, for in this manner the associa-
tion will gain larger and more substantial
sympathy than could be expected if the
work Of the church was neglected for the
sake of engaging in the service of the asso.
/ oio