Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-20
SOCIETIES COMBINE.
The Local Christian Endeavor Unions
Unite Their Forces
TO PROMOTE EFFICIENCY In WORK.
Some Opposition Expressed IL the Constitu-
tional Pledge.
REV. Il. B. GROsE ELECTED PRESIDENT

A meeting was held last night at the
Young Mems Christian Association rooms.
under the auspices of the Young Peoples
Society of Christian Endeavor, of Pittsburg
and Allegheny, to organize the various
societies into local union. The union will
embrace not only the two cities, but will
take in the western part of the State. The
object of the union is to bring together the
young people of the different denominations
to decide on plan of action to
be pursued in the future, which will
result in the greater development
Intellectually and morally. In the past the
society has not accomplished as much as
some of its members desire, which they at
tribute to the disorganized manner in which
they have worked. This union pro-
poses to remedy the defects by gathering all
the force into one center and making the in
dividual societies subordinate to the princi-
pal one. Before the meeting the Rev.
Howard B. Grose said to reporter:
THE OBJECT EXPLAINED.
"Any society that assumes the name Of
Christian Endeavor without adopting the
pledge has no real right to the name, because
entiates the organization from all other young
peoples societies This has been declared
again and again by President Clark and the
trustees of the United Society. The pledge Is
what gives the remarkable success to this
movement. The strongest societies are those
which adhere most rigidly to the provisions Of
the constitution
Promptly at o'clock the meeting was
called to order. There was fair representa-
finy, of fbo orxo 1 zo frono of hn%b oifiar Paw
II. B. Grose opened the meeting with a
statement of the object of the local union.
He said:
out a local union of Christian Endeavor. The
principle Of the unionis to stimulate an interest
in young people in this vicinity, to increase
their mutual acquaintance, to persuade the
societies who have not adopted the pledge to
do SO without delay, and to arrange for a series
OF monthly meetings in which the members
will have the advantage OF hearing eminent
Mr.; Grose introduced Mr.. Walter G.
Burns, of st. Louis, who had been invited
to tell the Pittsburg division how the union
had worked in other cities. In o lengthy
speech he made the,following remarks:
PROGRESS IN ST. LOUIS.
"Five years ago st. Louis only had one soci-
ETY.; three years ago it had increased to q,
So Every month in st. Louis rapid increase
is taking place in the number and the member
ship. The Executive of the union is composed
of three representatives of each church who
elect their own officers"
After considerable talk a union was
formed. The first societies to join were:
First q. p, Eighth q. p, Fourth q. p,
Sixth q. p, the East End Christian. Mount
Washington Presbyterian, Mount WASH
ington M. E., Butler Street M. E., Fourth
Avenue Baptist and Second Presbyterian
Churches. DR.. Grose was chosen first
President.
DIR. Pearce, of Butler Street M. E. Church,
was seen last night to ascertain his views on
the pledge question. ii said:
"The pledge will work injury. The principle
which forces a man to speak against his in |
clinarion Is not good one. Many of the socie-
ties which are now dourishing will soon be on |
.he decline if this pledge is uniformly adopted /
The headquarters of the Christian Endeavor
mas no right after four years to enforce and
,mbody this new idea into their constitution" |