The record-union., 1897-07-11
Volunteers OF AMERICA.
COL. HALLIMOND. THEIR Ma
TIoNAL SECRETARY, HERE.
He Gives an Explanation of the
Objects and Methods of the
New Organization.

The local armory of the Volunteers of
America at 304 K street was well filled
last evening the attraction being the
address delivered by Colonel j. @. Hal
limond, National Secretary of the Vol
unteers, and the singing of Aide-de-
Camp H. G. Smyth, both Of New YORK
City, and officers on the staff Of Com
mander-in-Ch Chief Ballington Booth.
Lieutenant-Colon Gardner Of San
Francisco conducted the meeting, ana
after stating its object, introduced
Aide-de-Camp Smyth, who rendered
solo which received the deserving plau-
dts of the audience. Rev. Hoyt OF TINS
city, offered a prayer and afterwards
said a few words of praise for the new
organization. Then Aide Smyth sang
another selection, after which Colonel
Hallimond was introduced and went
straight to the point of his discussion.
Colonel Hallimond stated that he. in
a manner, represented General Balling-
ton Booth and had by him been in
structed to say that he would VISIT the
Pacific Coast in October next.
The Volunteers of America, Colonel
Hallimond said, is a comparatively new
organization, and had no being prior
to March, 1896. From March, 1896,
until November of the same year il
was little better than a mob, but at
that time it was incorporated under
thr laws of the State of New York,
and since then over 200 posts have been
opened in the United States There
are, he said, over 700 officers and be-
tween 5000 and 5000 soldiers working
in the cause of humanity and Chris
tianity at the present time, and the
active list is increasing
The average number of genuine con-
versions made by the Volunteers. Col
Onel Hallimond stated, is 1000, and
the average attendance at post meet
ings throughout the land is 100000
persons each week.
The foregoing, the speaker said, does
not represent all the work of the Vol
unteers, as since its organization it
has acted as an auxiliary to churches
of every denomination.
Colonel Hallimond, in speaking of the
prison work of Mrs. Booth. said she
had achieved a success which was not
anticipated even by herself. She has,
he said opened prison posts at seven
State institutions. and the members
of the Prison Volunteer League at this
time number LOO. Besides this, Mrs
Booth he stated, is in actual touch
with about 5000 other men confined in
States prisons. and her success has
been unparalleled.
Financially, the speaker said the
Volunteers of America are paying ex-
penses-keeping even--but nothing
more. The organization is solvent, and
that is all that is wanted. 1t has great
need for money, but none for a bank
account, and he trusted. he said that
years would elapse before it grew rich
and when it did he wanted to get out
of it. The association. he said is
soul-saving. and not a commercial con-
cern. Trade destroys spirituality. and
the officers, he said. are required TO do
their best to save souls and not to set
up as shopkeepers and sell tea and
soap and starch.
In relation to the Salvation Army.
the speaker said he did not wish to
cast one single reflection on it, He
felt thankful for ali the good things it
is doing for humanity, and it would not
be in good taste to compare the new
organization with the old
The Volunteers of America. he said
have distinguishing characteristics
which tend to show that the movement
is not a split from the old Salvation
Army, but thing apart. One of the
principal distinguishing features of the
new organization, he said, is its atti-
tude towards all Christian churches
He would not go so far, he contin-
ued as to say the old order is hostile
to churches, but would go so far as to
say that the new order worked hand in
hand with them. Members of the Vol
unteers of America may retain their
church membership which, he assert
ed, is not allowed in the Salvation
Army.
This arrangement the Colonel con-
tinued, was made so as to avoid Great
ing another sect. There are. he con-
tended, too many sects already What
is wanted is unity-to bring the
churches together. The new organiza-
tion is intended to be a servant of all
the churches, and link to bind them
closer together.
The new organization, the speaker
continued. retains the right to keep
its converts when it is deemed necess-
airy, for the reason that many of them
are demonstrative and like to make a
noise If forced into a church this
would hardly be allowed and the
demonstrative convert would be frozen
out in a week
Very few people converted by the
Salvation Army, the speaker held ever
become members of the organization
and unless they do so the officers of the
organization are not satisfied, and the
convert either drifts into some church
or back into the world. The methods
employed by the Volunteers are to pre-
vent such a leakage, and retain the
members either by grating them onto
a church or taking them into the or
ganization.
In concluding. the speaker said a
good word for the work which is being
done in California by the posts which
have been organized.
Colonel Hallimond and party will Wis
it the Folsom prison to-day. and hold
a meeting for the benefit of the Volun-
teer Prison League at that point.