The times., 1897-09-18
The District Union Holds Its
Inaugural Mass Meeting.
REPORTS FOR THE YEAR READ
Statistics Submitted Showing the
Work Accomplished by the Sew
ernI Committees Addresses ny
Prominent Members Followed By
Reception 90 the New Officers.

ing mass NEE ting Tor the year 1871 80 OF
the District OF Columbia Christian En-
deavor Union, held in the Sunday school
r,.lns Of the Calvary Baptist Churcn last
night, was most encouragi ging to the of.
fioers auI members of the order.
Mr Grant L=et, the newly elected presi-
dent, was IN iAe chair.
The proceedipgs were preceded by the
usual devotional exercises, after which fe-
ports Of the several committees Were read.
The lookout cumndttec for the year end
ing September 4 1897, reported.
There were five new societies added
L. tile Union during their term OF
office, namely: The Third Christian So
t,iety, and those Of ConcOrdt Maryland NJ.
T.. Lanes Chapel II E., University Park
Temple Coagre Eational, and Union WeS-
ley A. n. T.. churches. The society nj
tie Arsenal has pcoSpered during the year,
their executive committee having reported
that, although many OF their members have
left the city on account OF expiration or
enlistment, change OF station and fof other
reasons The membership has increased
from sixtCen To twenty four
The renoEt of the missionary committees.
which was next read, stated that as
result Of the committees work nearly ali
OF the societies have missionary COM
nittccs OF the eighty-Six societies III
the union, lorty-four have adopted the
2-cents-a- eek plan for raising money for
missions: nine societies follow some other
man; eleven have not adopted any plan
Of regular giving: and twenty-five have
not reported on this subject. There are
probably sixty SJCieties that have adopted
some plan uf systematic giving.
Tie good citizenship committee reported,
among other things, that the work of the
reform bureau before Congress, under she
direction OF Rev. Wilbur +. Crafts appealed
TO othecCmmiUtee a ascommendahle. : .aadit had
rcudeIed such assistance as seemed wise
and expedient. The report continues: "It
Is to be regretted that objects so worthy
as these and 50 necessary for the welfare
II the ppople should have met with so
small a degree uf success or have failed
50 luisprabIy. Several measures failed,
we were told, because Of a lack OF sup
unrt frnrl the moral agencies of the city.
In order hat such support might be rs
surcd in the future, we have vaEen the
inftiatory steps LOOKING to the formation
OF a simple organization OF the ministers
OF washington for this purpose TIE in
t.rest they have manifested in the project
is gratifying. and we believe the Work
OF the oor.mittee for the coming year VIII
be greauy benefited by such an organiza
ten
The good literature committee, which Is
a new departure, reported uniform adj
vancement in their operations, and good
deal or missionary work on the lines Of good
literature accomplished.
ID. Fulton Harris. treasurer, set forth
| that the receipts for the past year were
S57G.ll, whuc the expenditures were
S4s5.TT. leaving tatance of $90.34 in
the treasury.
The report of the retiring secretary.
Harry 6 EimbaIl, follow ed. II read in part.
A large delegation left for the san
/ Francisco convention and returned to US
without accident. The echo me etings held
under the auspices of the union. and those
held by many of the individual societies,
] have brought to The tay-at-h0mes' some
! of tue blessings obtained by the delegates.
! new feature OF the work this year has
/ been tile two social gatherings. one given
/ 10y the executive committee to the Officers
OF the sucieties and the other in connection
4 with the San Francisco echo meeting.
! You have heard Of the work OF the union
! committees from their chaiTmen, so that 1
/ wln rot repeat here what they have said
SO much better themselves.
The Constitution Of the union and the
/ bylaws nf the executive committee have
! both 5een amended in very imp0rtan; pa
tieulqTs In the former, the two most
worthy of note being the change "a the
mode OF elccting the officers OF the union,
/ which is now by our representative body,
| the executive committee, and the other the
/ one which has made our pastors members
| Of that committee.
'.Fhe 10y laws have been amended so as
10 couforn to the amendments to the
Constitution OF the union; the publication
1 of The Endeavorer has been Discontinued
and gi,od literature committee created.
The union has had for its headquarters
q room in tie Y. M. c. A. building, and
there the secretary and his assistant have
| kept regular office hours twice a week.
There has been d slight Increase in the
! number of slcietieSin in the union. Al the be.
| ginning OF the year there We're Baptist, Is:
| Christian. ., Congregational, 6; Friends, /;
Lutheran. 8. Methodist Episcopal, 10;
! Methodist Protestant, 3; Presbyterian, 26;
| United Brethren, /: Union, 3; total, SO
| societies, with a membership of :, ,SS9.
During the year four societies have dis
! banded and five new ones been admitted,
1 making 4 net increase Of one, which leaves
! the societies as follows:
Baptist. Is, with $50 members; Chris
tian, 3. with 2s3 members; Congrera.
tional, :, with 57l members; Friends, J
/ with 81 members: Lutheran, Z, with 35l
members. Methodist Episcopal, 16, witt
( 1,l28 members; Methodist Protestant, 5
with 273 members; Presbyterian, 25, with
I 1853 members; United Brethren, l, with
So members; Union. 3, with 131 members
Making a total OF Sc societies and 195
members. These are divided into Al Al
active, $50 associate, and 624 honorary.
A net gain of 500 members during the
| year.
1T is a cause Of great gratitude to God
to he able t. report hat from our associate
members EOS have joined the church dur
! ing the year, while SO other persons, not
Endeavorers, have Joined the church dur
| ing that tine as result Of ChTi stian En-
deavor efforts; making the known number
of additions 10 the Church as direct
result OF The Endeavor societies 36S per
sous. The amounts reported as contrib