Morning journal and courier., 1888-01-17
AN INTERESTING MEETING.

Good Work by the New Haven Chris tIan Endeav0r Union-The Unionss
 Twenty-First Meeting Last Night
 Address by Rev. IF. K. Clark, PresI
 dent of the National Society.
 The Christian Endeavor union of New
 Haven held an interesting and instructive
 meeting at the Church of the Redeemer last
 night. The interest shown in this union by
 they young people is very great. The church
 last night was filled with the young who are interested in the work. Seated on the pl at form were the vice presidents of the State
 board. Walter R. Downs, president of the New Haven union, presided. The New Ha- ven union is the first union of Christian Endeavor that was ever formed.
 The session last night opened with an an them by the Church of the Rsdeemer choir. followed by prayer by Rev. J. E. Todd, pas ! tor of the church. The union then adrait- ted the Hamden society, which has just been organized. A. H. Hayes secretary of the union, gave history of that organization. He ! told of how in December, 1885, the Dwight l Place society of Christian Endeavor, the first society to be formed in this city, sent out let. ters to the different churches ask ing them to send delegates to meeting in order to organize
 
 held, and it resulted in the organization of the New Haven Christian Endeavor union. Meetings were held, and one of the principal topics discussed was how to secure leaders and also what women could do in the seciety' At the third meeting the lecture room of the terest taken by the young people of the union, and the meetings had to be afterwards held in the audience room. At the first an- nual meeting 250 were present. Various clergymen made addresses at the meetings of the union, and tried to help them along. The meetings were all largely attended, whether held in the center of the city, in the outskirts or in North Haven. / The executive board of the New Haven society has undertook to hold meetings of revival character The board has appointed a committee to confer with the State committee to see about extending the good work and organiz- ing societies in every place. During the past two years two coIored societies have been added The union has held twenty one meetings. The union started with four so- clet1es. At the end of the second year it had increased to twenty-five societies. These societies represent 2,300 young men and women. Eighteen are Congregational socie- ties, four Methodist and three Baptist. It is hoped that the societies will be more evenly divided denominationalIy. The number in the union is more than the organization had hoped for. We thought after the first an- nual meeting that there would be laxity, but it has not and the interest has grown more and more.
 A dispatch was read from W. H. Childs, president of the Manchester union, congratu- lating the union on it's good work. A con- gratulatory letter was also received from Rev. MT. Blakeslee of Fair Haven. Congrat- ulatory remarks were made by Rev. Dr. Twitchell, father of the New Haven union, Dr. Nordell of New London, w. H. Warner. president of the Bridgeport union, Eli Man. chester, the State secretary, T. I. Pease, president of the Northwestern union, and J. O. North of this city, ex- president of the union.
 Eighteen of the twenty-five societies re- ported through their presidents of the prog- ress they are making. The address of the evening was made by Rev. F. E. Clark of Boston, who is the organizer of the first Christian Endeavor society and is af- fectionately known to the societies, there fore, as Father Endeavor Clark He l complimented the New Haven union and \ said that Connecticut had almost from the I beginning led the phslanx. He said he I brought good news from all over the country I of the work that the young men and young women are doing through these societies. Especially is there great enthusiasm in the \ West. The growth of these societies has been normal and healthy. One of the most I hopeful things is that they have never been borrowed. Let us take courage when we tbink we belong to that great host with our ! worth "For Christ and his church."
 After his address the members of the union crowded around him and gave him 8 cordial reception.