The Portland daily press., 1895-05-21
THE LOCAL UNION.
There Are Over Seven Hundred
Christian EndeayOrerS.
THE LARGEST GATHERING IN THE
HISTORY OF PORTLAND.

Notable Event at Free Street Church
The Friends Society Won the Banner
Full Report of Interesting Exercises.
AT the Free street Baptist church last
evening, was held the annual neeting of
the Portland Social Union, of the Y. P. S.
Z. E. There was very large attendance
and the eyccrises were worthy of the large
interest displayed. Mr.. H. Wallace Noyes
president of the Local Union, conducted
the exercises. He was accompanied on the
platform By Rev. T. S. Samson, pastor of
the church. Rev. E. p Woodward. Rev. e..
ID. Lindsay, Rev. S. T. Pearson, Rev. Leroy
S. Bean and Rev. Dwight NJ. Pratt.
After the Introductory hymn, Rev. Mr..
Woodward invoked the Divine blessings and
lev. I. S. Samson read from the Scripture.
The choir and congregation sang with much
enthusiasm that grand old hymn, ITO the
Work." and then President Noyes intro
duced as the speaker of the evening, Rev.
6. D. Lindsay, the subject of whose address
was THE Ideal Christian Endeavor
Society,""
He spoke first of the potency of the ideal
and said: Life Is to large extent con-
structed upon the ba sis of ideality. Youths
day dreams of future greatness are both
natural and necessary. Along the line of
legitimate human endeavor the word
"can't' ought not to appear lest it blot out
the word try
Thus ideality gives inspiration Ito every
upward movement of life. Surely, much
of the ideal must have been intended when
God said to Abraham, walk before me and
be thou perfect" Has not every good man
| in every age felt the inspiration of Cbrist's
ideal example? If He had not walked and
talked on earth would there be so many
successful Christian lives? .s s..s
AS to the ideal Chritian Endeayor
Society, first the president must have
brains and tact and proper Christian spirit
The secretary must keep all records with
exactness and keep in proper touch with all
the proceedings and needs Of the society.
The treasurer must be ready to give an
intelligent report OF finances at any
dead weight members who do nothing and
discourage those who do something. There
must be at the meetings blessed, hopeful
inspiring spirit and each member must feel
that theirs is the best society there is.
~
of its name and lose no opportunity to en-
large the list of members. If a name is ever
dropped from the roll it must be after every
legitimate effort to prevent it las been
tried. Above all the ideal society must In
no sense be an exclusive society. The
presence of the older people at the meet
ings must be welcome. The young people
must alway be of and for the church,
bo ox,;r, 4 III,
are not church within church, but they
are one OF the main arteries of the church.
The sooials of the ideal society are of great
importance. They must be made attractive,
and bright and instructive. The Devil
offers fun. but there is sting in it. Our
ideal society offers good time, better
time, but there is no sting in it.
Wrong thoughts In regard to religion must
thus he disinfceted. 1t must be shown that
religion is not gloomy and doleful. but can
and does afford the purest and best OF
pleasure.
The ideal society must be in touch with
all the modern metho ds of extending the
Christian work and must be aggressive and
capable in overcoming the fascination of
sin.
But it seeks not TO gather into IT'S fold
those w.shy-washy, namby-pamby people
who have no religious convictions. Each
society must understand the principles and
policy of Its own church and must be loyal
thereto.
The Gospel can no more be preached with
out preaching doctrine than prose can be
written without using tile alpha bet.
Mr.. Lindsay spoke at some length and
with great earnestness and elaboI alton of
the special features of an IDEAL society.
After the singing of Onward Christian
Soldier" President Noyes announced that
the present congregation was the largest
assemblage of Christian Endeavorers that
was ever seen in Portland. He then intro
duced Secretary Byron to make the roll
call. Each society responded to its name,
and its secretary read The membership and
the attendance at that occasion. The
beautiful banner, painted by Alderman
Dam, that has been decribed by the PRESS.
was to go to the society having the largest
attendance. proportionate 10 its member
ship, and that society would be the proud
bearer of the banner to the Boston oonven-
tion. AS the names were called the society
would arise en- masse and respond together
with a quotation from Scripture or a hymn.
1t was one of the most attractive features
of the entire evening. The Woodfords Con-
gregational society made. in concert. an
original statement of their aims and pur-
poses as a society. 1t was very interesting
to see the groups of young people rise hele
and there out Of the dense throng and re-
spond together in so many varied and pleas
ing ways. Below is list Of the societies
and their membership and their attendance
at this annual meeting of the Local Union:
Name. Membership. Attendance
Any ySsiuian, 80 33
Bethel. "a 9
Congress Street. 70 63
East Deering, 35 SO
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