The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-02-09

Mr. Cutter Talked About the History and
Possibility of Such Clubs and Favor
ably Compared the Portland Organ
Danielss Remarks We're in the Same
Line.
The regular monthly meeting and
banquet of the Congregational Club
was enjoyed by about forty of the mem
bers at the Preble House last night.
After divine blessing had been invoked
by Rev. J. G. Merrill, the usual bountiful
repast engaged attention till President
Wilson called the company to order, and
after the secretary had announced that
W. O. Fox, proposed by DR.. Dunn, and
W. L. Blake, proposed by J. f. Liscomb,
were candidates for membership, they
were elected.
The speaker of the evening, Rev.
Marshal M. Cutter, secretary of the Bos-
ton Congregational Club, was then in
troduced and eloquently discoursed upon
the history and possibilities of Congrega-
tional clubs. He said he felt the contrast
between the Portland Club and his own
where from 1926 to $50 members sat down
together, The former seemed more
social and he felt that he was not to give
formal address. The details of history
are very meagre, yet undoubtedly the
Boston club was the first, though else
where the same needs were felt, and the
movement had started. In February,
1869, at the Monday ministers meeting
in Boston, the Rev. J. W. Wellman of
Newton proposed the idea and soon the
club was formed. 1t has now $50 mem
bers.
In the first ten years eight clubs were
formed. Those in
Portland and New York
appeared in 1879, and now they have
spread to Los Angeles, CAL, and Puget
Sound.
Mr.. Cutter very fully explained the
'club idea'' as the outgrowth of the de-
sire to utilize social forces in church
work and predicted that club possible
ties would be an extension OF the same
idea. Future and larger work would be
carried out on the same lines.
Rev. G. Ell. Daniels, formerly pastor OF
the Second Parish was the next speaker
and presented the contrasts between the
New York club and this one. There,
many Presbyterians are members and
the president for years was also Pres
byterian He believed that these clubs
were good places to find out the abilities
of men in presenting thought upon top
les of the day and he deprecated tho
strong tendency to prevent such particl-
patton of the members by the engaging
of
Some Eminent Man
as the speaker of the evening. 1t is get
ting so in New York that there must be
some attraction to ensure attendance at
meetings. in the shape of music and the
most able thinkers of the country who are
imported from distance for the pur-
pose. This is destroying the original
idea of the club to afford members an
opportunity to say something. One has
the desire to express himself in regard
to something, but there is never chance.
Two OF three speakers mOnopolize the
time.
Yet Mr.. Daniels has found that the in
fuence of the clubs is admirable, espec-
tally in the West, where his duty had
called him. He finished by an appeal
for the clubs to direct the great wealth
that is now poured into the lap of lux
ury so that it may sweeten life by
strengthening the greatinterests OF home
missionary work that are
Now staggering Along"
The clubs should be in touch with the
great social reform movements and also
extend their influence to the homes of
the moor. the sinful and the debauched.