Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-18
Mass Meeting Of the District Chris
tan Endeavor Union.
RECORD OF TEE PAST YEAR REVIEWED
Reception rendered to the New
Board of Officers.
THE ADDRESSES DELIVERED

The opening mass meeting for the Dis
trict of Columbia Christian Endeavor Union
was held last evening at Calvary Baptist
Sunday school house. The attendance was
very large and great enthusiasm prevailed.
After devotional services. led by Mr..
Page l.. Zimmerman, reports from the
outgoing officers of their work during the
past year were presented ami approved
The first report to be read was that OF
Miss Christine a. Poggensee- chairman of
the lookout committee and was in part as
follows:
Our first meeting, which was held the
last day CT August. was simply to organize
and arrange the time for our regular meet
ings. The third Tuesday of each month
was selected for this purpose.
I'VE found upon investigation that there
were few churches which had neither de-
nomnational or Christian Endeavor So
ciety. In nearly all cases where no such
societies existed, we called on the pastors,
explained the object OF the Christian En-
deavor Society, left literature, and did
whatever we could to encourage and help.
The societies thus organized by the COM
mittee are proSpering, having entered into
the work in the true Christian Endeavor
spirit.
I'm our tour of visiting we found that
several societies on our roll, which hal
been organized shortly before the conven-
ton. had ceased to exist. There were,
however, five new societies added to the
Union during our term of office, the Third
Christian Society, and those of Concord
Maryland NJ. f., Lanes Chapel, NJ. E.; Uni
Nersity Park Temple, Congregational and
Union Wesley a. NJ T.. churches.
summing it all up. in addition to the
little services rendered. which should not
be recorded, the committee has held six
teen committee meetings, made ninety-eight
visits. conducted sixty-seven meetings and
Va adj hv
the intervisitation committee"
Missionary Work.
The report of Mr.. ]. NJ. Foster, chair
substance, as follows:
During the past year the missionary
committee has endeavored to promote the
interests of missions and missionary work
by holding missionary prayer meetings, by
encouraging the organization of mission
airy committees and by urging the import
ance~of systematic giving to the cause of
Christ.
About twenty meetings have been held
with as many societies. In many of these
meetings Armenia was the special SUBJ
ject considered.
LAS result of the committees work
nearly all of the societies have missionary
committees. OF the eighty-six societies in
the union. forty-four have adopted the
two-ce nt-aweek plan for raising money for
plan: eleven have not adopted any plan of
regular giving. and twenty-five have not
reported on this subject. There are prob
ably sixty societies that have adopted some
plan of systematic giving.
Late in the year a letter was sent to
the chairmen of missionary committees,
calling attention to the Tenth Legion, ana
asking that its merits be presented to the
societies for their consideration. Mr.. Baer,
general secretary of the United Society,
reports that the enrolment in the Tenth
Legion from the District of Columbia is
tweDty-two.
Plans of Orsa ixntiOn.
The correspondence committee. through
Miss Anna ]. Bell. chairman, reported thus:
AT the beginning of the year just ended
it was thought wise by the committee to
consider new plans of organization and
work. that we might the better meet the
growing needs of our union. Correspond
ence was accordingly entered into with SIM
liar committees in other unions. and, from
all the suggestions thus gathered, those
best suited to our own needs were selected
Our present plan of work is as follows:
Throughout the year except during the
vacation season. regular monthly meetings
of this committee have been held. at which
plans of work have been considered and
larger opportunities for serving the church
and society sought.
We went somewhat out of our pre-
scribed lines Of work in the spring, the
union social in April, the first social ever
given by the union. 1 believe, having been
in charge of this committee. Almost five
hundred Endeavorers of our city We're pres
ent on that occasion. and the hour we spent
together did much to help us to know one
another better. to bring us into closer
Christian fellowship. and. we believe, to
give us new impetus to the work.
In reviewing the work of the past year.
We realize how far it has fallen below the
ideal we had in mind as we planned and
worked and prayed, but we are thankful
to have been privileged to have some part
in the service Of Christ and His church,
and. forgetting the things which are be-
hind. We press forward with larger plans,
with higher purpose, with more earnest
prayer for greater success in the future
Good Citixensh3p.
The report of the good citizenship COM
mittee, w. II. Pencil. chairman, was read
by Mr.. Herman c. Metcalf, secretary. and
was as follows:
I'VE have net with the same difficulties
that have confronted the committees of
former years. prominent among them be-
ing the fact that under the form of gov
eminent in vogue in the District of
Columbia whatever reforms are brought
about must be done through the action of
Congress or of the Commissioners, and not
by the voice of the people as in more demo-
craticaIiy governed communities. There
has. however been in some of the So
cieties an increase of activity in different
lines of reform work. but the seeming
lack of tangible and definite lines of pro-
cedure has undoubtedly been the rea-
son why all the societies have not been
actively at work. To supply this need and
to determine in which directions it would
be wise to move in attaining the ends for
which the good citizenship committees are
created has been our greatest desire.
1.-The work of the reform bureau before
Congress. under the direction of Rev Will
bur F. Crafts. appealed to the committee
as commend able. and we have rendered
such assistance as seemed wise and eXpe-
dent. 1t is to be regretted that objects so
worthy s. these and SO necessary for the
welfare of the people should have met with
small degree of success or have failed
so miserably. Several measures failed,
We were told, because of a lack of support
from the moral agencies of the city. In
order that such support might be assured
in the future We have taken the initiatory
steps looking to the formation of a simple
organization of the ministers of Washing
ton for this purpose. The interest they
have manifested in the project is gratifying
and We believe the work of the committee
for the coming year will be greatly bene-
fitted by such an organization"
Work of Literature Committee.
The good literature committee, Miss Zue