Evening star., 1895-06-05
WASHINGTON CONVOCATION
All the Old Officers We're Reflected Yes
terday Afternoon.
Two Lively Debates on the ehildren's
Summer Home and the CO.
Operation of Churches.

At the afternoon session Of the convoca-
tion of Washington yesterday some i'm
portant matters of business were trans
acted, including the election of officers to
serve for the coming year. All the old
officers were reelected, a%A Afollows: Rev.
7. S. Childs, archdeacon; Rev. Arthur
Johns. secretary; Mr.. Seymour Tulloch,
treasurer.
The sessions yesterday were enIivened by
couple of discussions that were uneX-
pectedly lively and breezy. One came up
as a result Of the report read by the arch
deacon, and the other followed address
on the subject of cooperation between
city ard rural churches in advancing the
work of the diocese.
Summer Home for Poor Children.
In the course of his report Archdeacon
Childs referred to the subject of summer
home for poor children as one upon which
the bishop desired the convocation to be
Informed. According to the statement of
the archdeacon the Society Of the Kings
Daughters has been made the recipient of
gift of two acres Of land at Colonial
Beach to be used for the erection of a
summer home for the children Of the slums
and tenements. Prof Alexander Melville
Bel. the donor of the land, has also given
the society $3.50. and 500 more has been
received from the rector and Sunday school
of st. Johns Church. Although no formal
motion was made an earnest appeal was
made to the members to contribute to the
charity, either in the form of money or
household fittings as the home was to
have been opened this summer in a'small
way, although 1t was hoped that much
good might be done.
The work of preparing the place for occu-
pancy has already been undertaken. under
the direction of Mrs. w. G. Davenport.
Wit nf hf, pf fha AVA 10
DIR. Addison sprung something of sur
prise on the convocation by attacking the
whole scheme and criticising the motives
which were behind the gift of the land.
He characterized 1t as real estate trick
intended to bolster up collapsed land
boom. He spoke of the place as hot and
unhealthy, and said that one of his parish
toner's had died as result Of typhoid con-
tracted there. Dr. Davenport took the op-
posite ground and said that his experience
had been that the place was healthy and
desirable in every way, and that his wife
had once gone there when threatened with
typhoid, and had entirely recovered as a
result of her stay Several other ministers
took part in the discussion, those who
this point holding that while the place
might not be the most desirable one in the
world 1t was still a great thing to have
some such place where the little wretches
of the alleys could have a brief breathing
spell in the open air and under green trees.
If the donor Of the ground should reap any
outside benefit from the gift they thought
the church might welh overlook that fact.
The whole matter was left there, as there
was no motion before the gathering calling
for definite action.
CO-OperatfOn Among the Churches.
At the evening session Rev. DR.. Mackay
Smith made an address on cooperation
among the churches, and how the benefits
that would accrue fnm this might best
be obtained. 1t was followed by a debate,
which evidenced tho fact that there Is
some feeling among the people of st.
Thomas Church at the establishment Of
new church SO near. them. st. Thomas
is at the corner. Of Madison and 18th
streets, and the proposed Church of st.
Agnes Is to be erected on Connecticut ave-
nue just beyond Florida avenue. Rev. DR..
Aspnwail,f rector of ST Thomas, express
ed the opinion that there was, no occasion
for another church 50 near. the present
one, and that it would do injury to st.
Thomas which has started the erection of
a new edifice that will be amply large to
accomm odate all that section Of the city.
DR.. Howell the rector of the new church,
was not present, and Rev. A. r. Stuart CT
Christ Church, Georgetown, took the posi-
ton that new chur n would be blessing
rather than de.iment, and pointed out
that the presence Of two churches in
Georgetown had proved mutually beneficial.
The debate at times became quite pointed,
but the archdeacon, who presided man
aged to steer the discussion off before it
had gone too far. Several other ministers
took part in the discussion, which brought
the evening to a close.