The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1888-02-13
BLUE RIBBON LEAGUE.
The Annual Meeting at the u. N. G.
A.-RepOrtS aud Presidents Ad-
dress.


The annual meeting of the Blue Rib
bon League was held Saturday evening
at the Y NJ. G. A. Hall with a good at
tendance, the President, Rev. Herbert
H. Gowen, in the chair. The proceed
ings opened with violin solo by Mr..
w. E. Herriclz, the piano accompani-
ment being played by Mr.. NJ. H. Jones.
Then William Newell of H. B. NJ. S.
Caroline sang a song, folio we'd by the re-
port OF the Entertainment Committee by
Mr.. P G.. Jones. The Treasurer, Mr..
Walter Brash, read his report, and then
came the Secretary's report.
President Gowen gave an address and
said:
''There were many lessons which
might be gathered from the last years
work. Personally he had learned much
from the kindness and sympathy of all
connected with the League, but espec-
tally that it was true of temperance work
This kind goeth not out but by prayer
prayer and fasting The Society might
not have succeeded so thoroughly as
could be wished to reach the class of
men that needed reaching, but it was
important to face the questiOn-why?
| And the answer seemed to be that we
were face to face with an enemy extern
sive than drunkenness itself, viz, that
generalization of the will which rem
dered man incapable OF looking hon
estlv at life. No man will be reached
until he is persuaded to face this ques-
/ ton. Life is gift; has it any RESPONSE
bility or none? Is it merely the product
of physics-chemical laws, evolved from
nothingness into illusion, or is it gift
from a personal being with a definite
purpose in it? If the former, then a
man might go blamelessly to the lowest
depths of vice; there was no standard to
set him right. But if the latter, then he
had a duty. Life became invested with
an awful interest, setting before every
man one all-important work-the duty
of self-conquest. No society could do
this work for any man, it was to each a
personal responsibility; but the society
comes in, giving him the right hand OF
fellowship in particular struggle, help
ing him by sympathy, by legislation, by
education, aiming to smooth away the
difficulties which beset a man in the at
tempt to lead sober life, and above all,
keeping his mind ever pointed to his
, God as the sole giver of strength. With
[ regard to the public, the Blue Ribbon
League had at any rate kept itself in cyl
dence, and if it did nothing else there
was no little importance in this one
thing, that it remained a protest against
that traffic which was dragging men
down, body and soul, to hell. That
this might be done with ever increasing
effect was his great wish as regards the
future of the Blue Ribbon League:
w. Smith of H. B. NJ. S. Caroline
sung a song, after which the report Of
the Nominating Committee was read
The election of officers for the ensuing
six months took place, with the follow
ing result.
President, Rev. Herbert H. Gowen
(re-elected).
Vice President, Mr.. P. G. Jones, Gre
eIected).
Secretary, Mr.. Norman Logan.
: Treasurer, Mr.. John Magoon.
The following committees were ap
pointed:
entertainments. G. Jones, S. D
Fuller, w. o. Atwater, A. F. Cooke
f J.P. Ingram.
Visitation-J. J. Macdonald, Joh1
n Dat, W. S. Brash, L. M. White, A. Lyle
9 Outlook-J. A Dover, w. w. Wright
y w. Phillips, L. P. Hanson, I. B. Muir
. raw, D. Douglas, A. Moroff, w. S. Terry
. G.. c.. McDougall, w. E. Herrick.
s. Refreshments consisting OF ice cream
g and cake were served, followed by socia
intercourse. Fourteen pledges wer
: taken.
II For San Francisco.