Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-11-27
THE VERMONT Y. M. G. A,
THE ANNUAL STATE CONVENTION
Held ut Rutland November 10 20 ~.
1901,

The state Y. NJ. G. A. convention opened
on Thursday evening of last week at Rut-
land with a good attendance of delegates
from the local associations and also from
the several different educational institutions
of the state. Col. j. j. Estey of Brattle-
boro occupied the presidents chair. and ID.
&. Morgan and Rev. DIR. Phillips welcom-
ed the convention in behalf of the Rutland
association, the churches and the townspeo-
pie, to Rutland, in few appropriate re-
marks.
Edwin f. See was the speaker of the
evening and took for his subject, GLOW to
reach the young men of today for Christ"
He said this must be by simple means
Faith will take hold of the young man of
today. This faith must be practical; it
must not only be faith that can be express
ed in words, but faith that is lived every
day Let us live up to the things we do
understand and not attempt to live beyond
what has been revealed to us. Truth is
the same from age to age, but mems con-
victions of truth differ greatly New oc-
casions need new efforts, and so a faith
that is receptive of all good influences is a
faith that will reach young men today.
Educate a mans heart, mind and body,
and you have the noblest work of God.
Let us be all-around men and we can
not help but appeal to the young men of
today. If we are to reach young men we
must come in contact with them, we must
come up to them and touch their pulse.
But, you ask, are there no discouiagements
in this work? Yes, but | tell YOU all,
work as though the whole result depended
upon you, trust as though the whole result
depended upon God.
On FRIDAY morning the convention met
at o'clock in a prayer service conducted
by G. w. Osgood of Bellows Falls, and
was a means of spiritual help to all. At
0:40 Rev. j. l.. Sewel of Boston adj
dressed the convention on GLOW can the
associations and young peoples societies
best work together for our young men and
bOys?' The church, he said, is the prime
factor for the conversion of the world, and
the Y. VI. c. 4. has sprung up because OF
the failure of the church to reach the
young men. What shall the church do for
the Y. NJ. G. A.? The different organza-
tionS which have sprung up, namely, the
Christian Edeavor and other similar socie-
ties, are helping it in many ways. The Y.
NJ. c. \. does not aim to be a church, it
simply aims TO do what the church cannot
do. There is power of promptness in it
which the church does not possess be
in our Y. NJ. c. A. that the church should
not adopt. Why should not a church have
a good reading room and evening classes
where our young men and young women
can have the advantages for study that they
have in the Y. NJ. c. A.? Why should
not the church have a gymnasium? Why
should not the church say to all, we pur
pose to do as our Master did and minister
to all your wants as far as we are able?
The ideal church of the future is going to
profit by the experience of the y. NJ. c. A.
What we want is the cooperation of the
different societies with the Y. NJ. G.. \. in
all their work and plans.
At 1890 o'clock a Bible training class.
taught by Edwin F. See, followed by ques-
tons and answers on Bible study and
teaching, occupied the remaining time of
the morning session and afforded profit and
enjoyment to all present
At the opening of the afternoon session
the nominating committee presented its re-
port, which was adopted The officers
chosen were: President, j. j. Estey, Brat
tleboro: vice presidents. n. f.. Chamber
lain, Burlington, II. r. Norton, Benning-
ton, g. f. North, Rutland; secretary, r.
| V. Lewis of the Vermont University; eX-
ecutive committee, Col. Franklin Fair
banks, st. Johnsbury, G.. f. North, Rut-
land, Col. f. ID. Bennett Bennington, F..
S. Stranaham, st. Johnsbury.
The reports of the association were then
taken up and showed generally healthful
| growth of interest in the work. The re-
ports from the colleges were especially in
teresting. The executive committee gave
their report, after which several interesting
| papers were read.
| A. - % la Il aI-
journed to the residence of Dr. G. II. Fox,
where a parlor conference was held until
6:30 o'clock, when supper was served. Be
fore the delegates departed a vote of thanks
was extended to the host and hostess.
Dr. Merrill f. Gates, president of Am
herst college, was the speaker on Friday
evening His subject was, "The strength
of young men, There is a peculiar sense,
President Gates said, in which young men
belong to each other in which the \. NJ.
c. A. has a right to be. There is no voice
that can reach a young man like that of a
Young man. Each generation has new
thoughts; it is in touch with its own spirit
of the time that sets off each generation
from what has been before and from what
is to come. The demand today is for
young men of character, men of moral
strength. But the question is, how is
strong manhood to be obtained? 1t must
have a strong centre; it must have self con-
troll. The only way for young manhood to
control itself is to have Christ in it. The
brotherhood of man rests on the father
hood of God.
Saturday morning, from to 10 o'clock
the convention, as guests of F. ID. Proctor
visited the marble quarries at Proctor, anC
the few hours of recreation were enjoyed
by all.
At 1920 o'clock the morning session
opened with a devotional service led by j.
G.. Constable of Vermont academy. c. j
Hicks, secretary of railroad work of tn,
international committee gave a talk OF
'The unOccupied parts of our field; how
to reach them through district or count!
organizations" This proved to be one o
the most fruitful topics of the convention
and brought out an interesting discussion
After this some business was transacted
and the session adjourned until afternoon
when the service opened with an interest
ing Bible study led by James McConaugh!
of Mt. Hermon, the subject being Paul
letter to Philemon. George f. Pitkin o
the Vermont University read a paper Oh
"How to promote the true missionary spir
it," The number of volunteers for mis-
sion work reported by the different school
in Vermont was %. The question of tn,
location of the next convention was takel
up, and it was decided to leave it with tn
executive committee. The question DO!
was then opened and topics of general in
terest to the association were considered.
tho auaninu saqsiOn a interesting ma