The morning call., 1891-12-30
FOREFATHERS' DAY.
Happy Celebration of Pilgrim
Anniversary.
Banquet and Exercises Held by the Congre-
gaticnal Club and Guests in the Lecture
Room of the Third Church

Forefathers' day, the two hundred and
seventy-hrst anniversary of the landing of
the pilgrims at Plymouth Rock, was appro-
prlately celebrated by the Congregational
CiuD last night in the lecture-room of the
Third Congregational Church. At o'clock
the celebration began by an hour of social
intercourse.
linen the annual business meeting OF the
CLUB was held. and proceedings opened with
the admission of the following new mem
bers: Rev. W. W. Lovejoy, DID,, professor
In the Pacific Theological Seminary; Rev.
George l.. McNutt, w. Ii. Chi:kering and
Professor Lovelace
Oincers were elected as follows: Presi-
dent, Rev. Il. II. Wickoff; First Vice
President, James Z. Ager; Second Vice
PRESIDENT, j. Ii. Morse; Secretary. Rev. E.
Z. Oakley. Rev. F. Y. Pullan, w. NJ.
Searby and w. E. Merran were added to
the Executive Committee.
Next in order was the banquet, and as
the guests arranged themselves around the
tables they noticed the tasteful decorations
OF the lecture-room. Flags, banners and
evergreens decorated walls and chandeliers,
while on the platform was profusion of
beauty. Grouped around a large floral
winSome young ladies, members OF the
church's congregation.
IN PURITANICAL ROBES
They were in Puritanical costumes and
presented pretty tableau as they welded
spinning wheels and carders knitted, woye
and spun, pursuits so familiar to New En-
glanderS These same young ladies' de-
scendea from the platform and served with
beautiful hands the good things around the
banquet board. Superintendent Ham OF the
Ihlfd's Sunday-School was also actively en-
gagged in seeing that no one was overlooked.
Covers had been laid for 200, but only
nall That number was present. At each
plate was souvenir in the form of maple
leaf and bearing this inscription: Dec.
%, 1620-1S91."
Al Z: 80 o'clock the literary exercises be-
gan Rev. w. c. Pond, who presided.
thanked the ladies of the church for their
services at the banquet and Tor arranging
tie beautiful decorations. He said that
half the guests bad been kept away through
Sickness and the lnclement weather.
TWO PILGRIM PRINCIPLES.
Homer b. Sprague was the first called on
and spoke on the Two Pilgrim Princi-
pies. In graphic manner he told of his
visit to Plymouth nine years ago. He said
the arrival and landing OF the Pilgrims was
the most important event in the history of
the nation. Constitutional liberty was born
at Plymouth Rock on December y. 1920
1ne constitution drawn up on the Maytlower
also established religious liberty. In the
hrst place there was determination on the
part OF the Pilgrims TO obey the divine laws.
In JOY, sorrow, prosperity, adversely, life
or death, they would obey the will of God.
Another principle was that they would take
all possible means TO ascertain what was
the will of God.
The Pilgrims" continued the speaker,
did Their duty as they understood it. 1t
seems that we, particularly in California,
are IN danger of losing sight Of those two
principles. We are SO deeply involved in
financial matters that we seem to have only
IN sight the mighty dollar. All the mag
nilcence OF the Pilgrim Fathers will be
swept away If we lose sight of their princi-
pies. There is something of that pilgrim
spirit left, however, and God grant that 1t
may increase until it controls the nation"
THE TOPIC OF DISCUSSION.
THE Pilgrim Spirit and Polity in Their
Bearing on Present Problems was the
topic of discussion for the evening. The
Problem OF Theological Progress" was the
subject of the address by Professor C.. s.
Nash of the Pacific Theological Seminary.
lie confined himself to The Pilgrim spirit
He SAID that we realize that not only
control our own destiny, but the destinies
Of others as well. An interesting argument
was also made to show that although it had
seemed so. the Pilgrims did not shut the
door 20 progress. Their character, which
uISpldl Gu ueleTlllHhtlOn 10 make no con-
ceSsions illustrated the idea of progress
I'VE want more of the Pilgrim spirit and
less of the doubling kind" was his conclu-
sion.
The Problem of an Aggressive Chris
tianity; the Forward Movement" was a
topic ably handled by Rev. II. ID. Wizard,
Superintendent of Home Missions for North
eIn and Central California
song by Miss DR.. Goss was followed by
on original poem on the Pilgrims progress
by Hayes c. French. MD.
AN UNDENOMINATIoNALP PLATFORM
Rev. j. II. Warren, agent of the Ameri-
can Home Missionary Society for California,
spoke OF the Pilgrim platform as being un-
denominational both in spirit and deed.
Irving NJ. Scott spoke of The Problem
of the Commonwealth" He alluded to the
early history of the Puritans and told how
its influences had benefited various nations
WHO sought faiths pure shrine.
Rev. d.. L. b. Webb of Boston was to
have spoken on the subject of The Problem
of Unity but he has not yet arrived. Ira
p. Rankin read a letter from him dated at
San Diego.
The singing of THE Pilgrims Legacy"
brought the exercises to pleasant termina-