The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-06-14
UNITARIANs IN COUNCIL.
Meetings'of the State Conference and the
Maine Women's Alliance Yesterday.

CilCo yesterday at Uno ElrSG EarlSn opened
with the communion service, conducted
by Rev. A,G. Pettingill, of Yarmouth.
At ten O'Clock the regular business
session began. In the absence of the
president, Rev. j. l.. Marsh was appoint
ed chairman, pro tenn. He read the
treasurer's report, which showed that
receipts were S149. So. expenditures S18. 05,
balance on hand S131 81. Of this balance
SIS will be used for the expenses of the
conference and some for the Church Elk
change, the Unitarian paper. He read
also the secretary's report. There are
25 Unitarian churches in the State, six
CT which are defunct. Sixteen others
require reg ular settled pastors Bruins
wick will soon lose Rev. E. 9. Guild. and
an efficient successor is much needed.
Five of the churches began in the 18th
century. The average rate of increase
has been about four churches for every
quarter of a century. Twelve have been
added in the past 30 years. Nine of the
l6 active societies are self supporting.
Last year Maine contributed 1878 to the
National Association and drew from the
same over $500.
The report made some query as to the
cause of the slow growth. 1t suggested
that there was lack of the local mission
airy work. that advances other denomina-
tions, and that efforts should be made
to have local missionary, also that the
Church Exchange be continued and
that measures be taken to revise the list
OF societies of Maine in the Year book.
This latter su question was laid on the
table by motion of Rev. Mr.. Perkins.
Rev. Mr.. Reynolds thought the slow
growth was due to the small attendance
at the annual meetings. All the pastors
at least should be present. He made an
earnest plea for more active work. Rev.
Mr.. Perkins endorsed his remarks and
said that there was not present that
morning a single male member of the
First Parish church. A lady said that
she knew of one parish in which no notice
was given of the conference
The following list of officers was elect
ed: President, Hon. J, W. Symonds; vice
presidents, Hon. Selden Conner. Hon.
W AllNIOdHN, VI SOClClottJ
and treasurer. Rev. J. L. Marsh. Saco;
executive committee, Rev. John Carroll
Perkins, Portland, Hon. j. D. Hopkins,
Ellsworth, Hon. Mark P Emery, Port
land, Mrs. Marcia B. Jordan, Portland;
committee on ways and means, Rev. A.
6 Pettengill, Yarmouth, Trap. harrington
Portland, Mrs. S. M. Ware of Waterville;
missions committee, Rev J. L. Marsh
Saco, Rev. E. E. Newbert, Augusta,
Ell. Prescott, Kennebunk.
Rev. Mr.. Perkins, in his capacity as
manager of the Church Exchange made
his report. He said that at the confer
ence last year it was decided to establish
State paper. Such a paper has been
printed during the past year. Twelve
numbers appeared. The number of cop
les each month was 800. The number
of paid subscriptions was All. 1t is
probable that tae paper reaches 1000
PEOPLE. The subscription price is 35
cents year. About s145.95 have been
received. Advertisements have Melted
some S14. The total income has been
S163.s6 This added to SIS givel for the
paper, equals 1898 S. The expenses of
publication were about S27O, showing
that there is quite deficit. Mr.. Perkins.
urged that perhaps no missionary pur-
pose is better than this and that the
question of increasing the circulate on
must be considered The great object
of the Church Exchange is to bring
about better organization by giving
mutual information in regard to the
different churches and mutual help and
encouragement The question of in
creasing its circulation was discussed at
length. 1t seemed to be the general
opinion that it would be shameful not to
print the paper for another year.
Rev. Thomas Van Ness of the Second
Church, Boston, was introduced as a
new importation, not only from Boston
but from the West, where he has been
carrying on the work of Unitarian organ
ization, in California, in the interests of
the National Association. He would
bring to his topic of Organization"
Western enthus iasm and Western expert
epce.
Mr.. Van Ness said that organization is
as necessary in a church as a State for
the American principle is a church
without a bishop, State without a
king He had travelled among Uni
tartan churches from the Atlantic to
the Pacific and from British Columbia
to Mexico. In no one church in the
country had ne seen an adequate method
of organization, such as prevails in the
public schools for example The ques-
tiop is, How shall the young people be
organized? He said that the basic in
fiuences of the child are self, home and
play or delight. Taking the cue from
that, the first thing in teaching the
child in the Sunday school is play or de-
light. This is contrary to nine tenths of
Sunday schools, wherein instruction is
held to be of first Importance. He him
self was educated in an old Dutch Re-
form Sunday school. There was no sug-
gestion of home or play about it. He
hated it and ran away from it. The
Sunday school should be pleasant and
homelike and not severe contrast to the
child's strongest inclinations. Let us
introduce