The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1890-04-26
Y. NJ. C. a.

lhos. tain Walker, the newly
elected President, delivered Thurs
day evening:
We stand, as the president says, at
the meeting of past with coming
years. There is record behind us
as an association of many short
comlngs, and we know not what mis-
deeds, but record also of much
earnest work in the service of our
blessed Lord, from the apparent re-
suits OF which we may derive happi-
ness and new courage. Before us is
again new year for work, future
IN which we may profit by the ex-
perience and the lessons of time
gone by.
This meeting marks the compile
ton of twentyone years since ten
persons met in an upstairs room of
the old Sailors Home,to enroll them
selves as Young Mems Christian
Association in Honolulu They be-
| lOnged to various UNCONVENTIONAL
branches of the Christian church,
but desired and were able to unite
upon the ground of their common
faith for work together.
| At the first meeting it was decided
if possible to help Sunday schools.
At the second, volunteers offered
themselves for the maintenance of
Chinese Sunday school. An out
come, believe, Of the Chinese even
ing class which our friend Mr. Duns-
combe and others had conducted in
connection with the Bethel Church.
In this retrospect we must always
recall the interest in the school which
was taken by our late honored friend
the Rev. DR.. Damon. At the third
meeting, libraries of 100 volumes
each were provided for the Sunday
schools Of Kawaiahao and Kauma-
kapili. The fourth meeting resulted
in the establishment of a small
library and reading room at the old
Sailors Home. At this time the
association had increased in numbers
to about twenty.
At the close of the first year, the
retiring president, now the Hon. US
tice Dole, urged the Importance of
Christian labor in the direction of
the Hawaiian race, with especial re-
ference to their social and domestic
condition.
In April, 1870, the association re-
ceived kind Of recognition by the
| ~ o;-,o;1oy, s,,rkS%r%f0po
in the form of letter from the edi-
tor Of the {" Association Monthly"
In the same year partially sue
cessful effort was made to assist in
spreading Christian literature
among the Chinese in this country.
In July, 1870, the Rev. DR.. Damon
invited our charge of the last page
of sThe Friend" which has now
been edited, first by a committee of
the association, and then by the
General Secretary, for nearly twenty
years.
In 1870, was first considered the
feasibility of raising separate
building for the association. Twelve
years later we were permitted to see
the foundation-stone laid of the
house in which we now meet.
| One of the most serious duties
which have presented themselves
was undertaken in 1873, when the
Importance of Chinese missionary
work was eloquently urged by Mr..
w. Damon, and support for such
an enterprise warmly promised on
behalf Of his church by the Rev.
Frank Thompson of Hilo. After
many efforts and some disappoint-
ments, this work was assisted in
1876 by the arrival of Mr.. Sit Moon,
a colporteur. Chinese Christianity
is now evidently amongst us, and not
it's least notable outcome is a Chinese
Y. M. G. A.
This brief review of the early days
of the association is made in order to
indicate that the lesson of our past is
+" work and hope" The years we
leave behind us are rich, not only in
some visible results, but also in
, promise for the future. They have
too, been frightened by friendships
which the bond of union in Gods
service has created amongst many Of
7 us who might otherwise have neve,
known that our highest and most
} earnestly sought objects are identi.
cal.
In the address, to which I have al
ready alluded, of our first President
he spoke of organizations like ours al
being the complement of the church
? system, their aim being to exert
5 earnest influence towards pure re
: ligion without prescribing any spe
!, cial UNCONVENTIONAL means. In sup
port of this I may mention that il
; February last the annual meeting
was held of Young Mems Christian
: Association in an English city, al
I association so large that the secre
tary reported the admission during
: : the year Of more than thousant
7 new members and associates: Thu
meeting was attended by the Bishol
: of the diocese, some of the cathedra
!. clergy, the late President of tn
Wesleyan Methodist body in Eng
land and many other clergymen ant
ministers of different Christian de
nominations. The President, mai
e greatly honored in the north O
Q England, and wherever he is known
i pointed out that without such organ