Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-28
THE GREAT CONVENTION
Activity Among the Christian Endeavorera
of the District
Preliminary Arrangements That Have
Been Perfected-AH the Commit
tees Hard at Work.

Just six weeks from today this city will
be thronged with tens and scores of thous-
ands of visitors, principally from all sec
tions of this country md Canada, hut some
of them represen ta.ives from the other
continents of the globe, attracted here by
the sessions of the fifteenth International
Christian Endeavor convention, which are
to be held from July to IL inclusive. In
terest in the convention is rapidly spread
ing, and the Washington gathering is the
principal topic of thought and conversation
with a great number of young people who
are members of the vigorous organization.
At state conventions and local rallies
throughout the country the Endeavorers
are planning to come N large bodies and
by special trains to the nations capital; In
Boston the committee IN program is work.
ing hard to complete the arrangement of
meetings and secure the services of emil
nent speakers; at the ceater of interest the
local workers, realizing the short time in
tervehing before the convention meets, are
concentrating their efforts in order to COM
plete the final details of the arrangements
which they have had under way during the
preceding months.
At Committee Headquarters.
A visit at committee headquarters during
Office hours is all that is necessary to con-
vince outsider that an undertaking of
considerable magnitude Is engaging the
undivided attention of a bard of more than
a dozen principal workers. Every desk,
with which the headquarters are literally
supplied, Is occupied by some chairman of
subcommittee; visitors pass in and out
In rapid succession; members of auxiliary
&C mmfttees are present to confer with their
chiefs about certain duties; stenographers
and typewriterS are buSily engaged in at
tending to the mass of correspondence
necessarily carried on; some one may be
seen preparing number of circulars by
duplicating process, and altogether, there
Is stir of activity and every evidence to
Indicate fntentness in carrying out a COM
mon purpose.
well advanced, and the six weeks inter-
vening will doubtless see the finishing
touches placed on all of them. A mammoth
chorus of 1000 voices has been organized
ana is now drilling on the songs to be sung
at the convention and rehearsng the an
thems and special music which will be rem
9ered by the chorus alone. Two house-to-
mouse canyaSseS of the city are in PROGRESS
one among the places of business for suh.
scrlptions to the citizens fund to defray
the expenses of the gathering; the other
among the private residences to secure ac-
Communications for the many thousands OF
visitors, who will not be provided for I'm
noteis; Satisfactory progress is being made
IN both lines of effort.
me printing committee has completed
the preparation of an official map giving
comprehensive information of value 10
strangers. and will soon enter unon tho
.-sk OF publishing the official program, 10
ers Is making plans for the proper enter
talnment of the guests after their arrival.
ana the committee on excursions has ar
reTged number of bicycle runs about IN.
suburbs. besides providing facilities for
handling large crowds OF sishtseers TO
Mount Vernon and getting up excursions
10 Harpers Ferry, Gettysburg and the
caverns of Luray.
Meeting Places Provided.
Another committee has been bending its
energies to the task of providing proper
and adequate meeting places to accommu
date the crowds of delegates and three
mammoth tents, with a seating capacity of
ABOUT lo,"O persons each; large audito--
i'm capable of holding about 1000 together
with nVe OF the largest churches which
have been arranged for, are some of the
results of this committees work Bio
graphlcal matter end photographs of prom
fnent Endeavorers in the several state
unions are being collected by the press
committee, which is also sending out over
the country advance reports showing the
general work OF preparation now being en-
gagged H. While the work of the registra-
t1cn committee will necessarily be doue
Just al convention time, yet preliminary in
struct1on is being given the members SO
that they will know their duties when call
ed upon for their performance.
A convention badge has practically been
SeieCtcu, lIouSn us design Is held In con-
hdence, and In other ways the decorations
committee IS giving assurances that its
work is being well attended to- Decorating
IN the public parks according to designs
subnittea by this committee will be short
ly begun, and f1Cral emblen.s will speak a
welcome to the Endeay or visitors The
ushers committee is busy, giving advance
instruction to the corps of one thousand
young men and examining and selecting
suitable Uniforms for this number
But not only is the committee Of 90 hard
al work, but In the several churches that
have been selected as headquarters for the
delegations from other unions committees
have been formed and plans are talked of
for extending proper he spitality to their
guests The churches will be tastefully
decorated and receptions will be rendered
Saturday night of convention week by the
pastors and your people, assisted by the
entire Congregations, to their delegations.
Unique Feature.
unique feature in all this preliminary
work, one characteristic of the organiza-
tion to which the workers belong, and for
which they are giving so much of their
time and energies, and which is indicatlv
of the spirit which actrates all those en-
gagged in the preparations, Is the nightly
prayer meeting held at headquarters lust
before closing At 10 o'clock chairmen of
committees, ste1 ograpbers, typewriters
duty or in the rooms at the time lay aside
their duties for brief period and unite in
earnest petition for divine favor on their
efforts, for final success and for a spiritual
blessing on al. the hosts who will be
brought together when the convention
meets. 1t is for this that they are earnest
ly seeking and bending their best endeav-
ID obtain