The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-24
THE LEAGUE BOYS PLEDGE.
Fifty-Four of Them Promise
to Refrain From In
toXicantS
UNTIL TWENTY-oNE YEARS OLD.
A Large Gathering Witnesses the
Ceremony OF Administration
at National Hall.

| The clank of sabers and the ring of COM
| mands raised the echoes of the National
Hall on Ellis street yesterday afternoon,
for the League of the Cross, headed by
three of the cadet companies. had taken
| possession and dedicated the hall for the
afternoon to the uses of the order.
| The occasion was grand rally of the
| Fourth Division of the League of the
Cross, and in addition to the league men,
bers there was sufficient number of their
friends and supporters to fill the hall be-
yond Its seating capacity. 1t was essen
| TALLY an afternoon of enthusiasm. and the
| center of it all was ffty-four young tenn
| perance advocates who were about to take
the pledge of the organization.
| There were present 406 members of the
| organization, distributed as follows: From
st. NJ arv's Cathedral, 121; from ST. Bird
gets parish. los; from Holy Cross, 70; from
| Sacred Heart, 56, and from st. Francis, As.
| The roll was read from the platform and
was greeted with applause commensurate
Wi tn the attendance. The cadets, in full
un form, occupied front seats; surround
! ing them came the other members OF the
| league, and filling the back seats and gal
lery and crowding all aisles were those
whose sympathieS and interests led them
| to be present and to applaud.
The league hymn "Veni Creator" sung
by the audience opened the proceedings,
or, as Father Yorke said, it was the open
ing prayer.
Thomas III. Fallon, president of the
! executive committee, introduced as the
! presiding genius OF the afternoon Grand
President James Gilday, who took charge
| of the programme.
A song, Hear the Call" by the boy
choir of the cathedral, was the first num-
Der rendered. Their followed Mrs. Aleina
Wilson, who as Miss Alvina Heuer, has
often charmed fashionable gatherings of
| Pretty Marquise," and was enthusiastic-
ally applauded. S, ]. Sandy sang 81 Fear
! No Foe" and for an encore, Rocked in
the Cradle of the Deep" Fred Knell gave
a violin, solo, and D. l. Mahony was in
troduced
Mr.. Mahony spoke principally of the
objects of the league, and dwelt particu-
| larry upon the most potent weapon which
could be used against it-ridicule. But
those who yielded to such an argument as
ridlcule, he said, were the weak in intel
lect; and. those, even in the eyes of the
ones ridiculing, were held in Contempt.
The man who remains firm in his prin-
clples," he said, sis honored, even in the
eyes of the scoffer."
He entreated the boys to remain true to
their pledge, for he said it would benefit
them mentally, morally and physically,
and with the example of each other before
them, and banded together by a common
tie, there should be no fear Of any break
ing the pledge SO solemn as that admin
istered to them.
Miss Annie Taylor then gave a recita-
ton. M. J. Hines followed with some
comic songs.
Father-J P: Yorke spoke briefly, and
like his predecessor, Mr.. Mahony, re-
ferred principally to the effects of ridicule
upon those who had and those who were
about to take the pledge.
The man who would be turned from his
duty by sneer," he said, twas not tit to
take the pledge. The boys must be strong
and stand by one another, and allow no
| sIurs to be cast upon the organization to
which they belong or the promise they
have made"
The boys who had not taken the pledge
were then called to the 'front.' and 81 re-
sponded. The members of the league were
requested to stand and renew their pledge
with the novices, and in the presence of all
the oath-for oath it was-was admin
istered. Each boyish right hand was
raised, each boyish voice repeated the
promise to abstain from intoxicants and
discourage their use, and each boy blessed
himself after the form of the church, in
ratification of the vow he had made
Father Yorke reminded them that the
pledge lasted until each was q years old.
and that even if they broke it once the
pledge was still in force for nothing could
release it until the time expired. The gath
ering then broke up, and so successful was
1T considered that similar events will be
made q feature of the league