The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-02-22
GAR CBAPLAINS.
Status and Progress Of a Noble Band
of Christian Workers.

Chaplain Cady is wide-awake man, an
| enthusiastic comrade and a warm hearted and
| efficient Chaplain.
Already he has succeeded in getting report
| from every Post Chaplain in his Depart ment.
This record is without parallel. Is there
another Department Chaplain that can show
| such a record
We hope every Post and Post Chaplain will
ponder well what Chaplain Cady says below.
LITTLE RHoDY's CHAPLAIN SPEAKS.
EDITOR NATIONAL. TRIBUNE: The ships of
half century ago were not considered complete
| unless they had stretching out over the bow thu
| figure of a man, woman, demon or dragon as q
| fgurehead. 1t was placed there for the same
| purpose as an old horseshoe was placed over the
| door of a cottage. to keep away the witches and
| protect the inmates. But of late years they
| have given up putting fgureheads on ships.
and are now putting them on the thousand
| and one societies that are being organized
| throughout the length and breadth of our land
| IN this the age of organization.
But instead of using the figure of dragon,
demon, woman, they using the
| clergymen of the country as Chaplains to take
their place. Last week read of an Amateur
Theatrical Society that had in its list of Off
GERS Chaplain; also. a =" football team " that
elected Chaplain. who, / suppose, WIS to ac-
company them to the field to care for the
wounded and bury the dead at the close of the
game
Many of the short-term and short-lived
endowment societies, those that promise ten
dollars for one and paid one dollar for hun
dred, or nothing at all, had among their officers
Chaplain, one of whom testified before court
In Boston that he received So 800 for years
service, and the service consisted in repeating
the Lords Prayer at the annual meeting.
Such things have brought the office Of Chap
lain into simply fgurehead; so that in most
cases the election of a Chaplain does not mean
anything at all.
We must admit that there is fault all
around-in the Society, in the office, and in
the man that is elected.
To help remedy this, no one should be Sc
lected for the Office except he be a clergyman,
or Christian man OF good standing in the
Church and the community.
To my mind there is no Society that should
be moro particular in its selection of Chap
lain than a Post of the GAR, and no man
should accept the office who is unable or un-
willing to fill it with honor to himself and
profit to the Post.
TO be present at the meetings is one Of his
duties. but not by any means his only duty.
Many seem to think that a Chaplain has
nothing else to do but to be in his chair at
the opening and closing of the Post. 1t is
well if he be punctual in that service, but
there are duties equally important that he
should endesvor TO perform.
Tho Grand Army of the Republic are boys
no longer. We are with but very few excep-
tions, on the other side of so II trust, the
sunny side). and the great majority of tho
comrades are old men. They are feeling sensi-
bly, the infrmities of age, and many of them
are unable to attend the meetings of the Post;
and to them it is grief to be deprived of
meeting with the comrades and their number
is daily increasing.
How glad they would be TO have call
occasionally from comrade! This work the
Chaplain could do. to the profit of himself, the
old veteran, and the Post.
As many of our Posts have ho efficient COM
mittee to look after ths sick, the Chaplain
should do that work, and from the funds of
the Post be able To carry some delicacies suit
able for the sick-room.
This service would be highly appreciated by
the sick, and they would feel that if absent
from the Post they are not forgotten.
Then at each meeting the Chaplain could
report the result of his call and thus keep the
Commander informed about them.
1t should also lie his duty to lave list of all
those who do not attend the meeting, and have
not paid their dues, and to make it his BUSH
ness 10 see them, urging them to be active
and if any are not able to pay up, see that ths
Post RENTS their Indebtedness.
II this had been done during the past year
We should, believe, have saved 900 men,
bers.
Many who have lost their membership have
not done ii intentionly, but by csrelessness and
negligence.
The Office of Post Chaplain can be made of
great Importance, and in order to make it SO
let the Post be more careful in selecting the
Chaplain, and let the Chaplain give more atten-
tion TO the duties of his ofice.-H. B. CADY
Chaplain. Department of Rhode Island.