The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-28
Enthusiastic Demonstrations at WI
mona Over Annual Reports of
President and Secretary.
MISS MASON FOR THE BIKE
SAYS a "CONsECRATED" WHEEL
MAY ACCOMPLISH WONDERS.
missionaries, School of Methods and
DenOminatiOnaI Sections Meet
The Juniors Not Idle.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.

| WINONA ASSEMBLY, EAGLE LAKE,
Ind, Aug. 27.-The Christian Endeavorers
were up with the sun this morning and d
great crowd was at the mass prayer meet
| ing in the auditorium at 6 o'clock, led by
l.. A. Clark, of Charlottesville. At 7:45
o'clock in Winona Hall the pastors met
with the state, district and county officers
| of the societies for discussion of the En-
deavOr societies in their relation to the
church. The pastors relation to the gov
eminent of the society and the Endeavorers
individual work in the church attracted
much attention. William Shaw, of the
United Society, closed the meeting with an
informal address. Mr.. Shaw advocated the
teaching of Christian Endeavor fundamen-
tails, which, he said, did not contemplate
the continual doing of things that made
sensation in the town. The meeting was
closed with prayer by DR.. Kapp, who pre-
sided.
The morning session in the auditorium
was the principal business meeting of the
convention, at which the delegates heard
the reports of state officers. The session
was opened with singing, led by Mr.. e. o.
Excel, and devotional exercises led by
Vice President Rev. d. B. Atkinson, of
Muncie. Miss Jennie Mason, the state
secretary, was greeted with applause as she
advanced to give her annual report. She
was frequently interrupted with long APP
plause. Miss Mason spoke as follows
STATE SECRETARY REPORT.
" To promote a more earnest Christian
life among its members, to increase their
mutual acquaintance, and to make them
more useful in the service of Cod These
are familiar words to Endeavorers. and
frame the object for which every truly
Christian Endeavor society exists The
faithful living up TO this object by the local
church society makes Indiana EndeaVor to-
day one of the strongest state unions in the
country. Christian people also believe, and
! others recognize without understanding it,
| that this same faithful living OF the local
| society brings the state union to the OBJ
! SerVance of this, its zenith anniversary, an
| acknowledged permanent factor of influence
! in shaping the domestic, civil and religious
| affairs of the State.
ION your birthday there are three things
| you ought to do The first is to consider
! how you are fulfilling your mission in life.
| The second is to have your picture taken.
| The third will be mentioned later. Since
! the state convention last November in Mum
| Gle how has Indiana EndeaVOr tried to
| promote a more earnest Christian life
among its members? First, by deeper
| personal experience as shown by individual
higher plane &c Of soti6ty life as proved by
! testimony of pastors, and by such letters as
| this: Speaking of my own society we are
in better condition as regards numbers,
| finance and spiritual growth than ever be.
| fore. Third, by that great means or
| spiritual growth. regular church attend
| ance.' Conscientious figures show that 81
| per cent. of the active members In the state
do attend the church services regularly.
Many of them have to travel several miles
! to get to church. The greatest church-gO-
| ing district is the Thirteenth, or Richmond
| district composed of Union, Wayne,
| Franklin and Fayette counties, the average
attendance being 81 per cent Denomina1
tionally the per cent In church attendance
is Friends, SO; Methodist Episcopal, So;
Lutheran, 81; Christian not Discples), Sc.
Local Unions
"How has the Union fulfilled its mission
of increasing mutual acqualntanceI ana
making it's members more useful IN the
| service of God?' BY local unions. There
| never has been year when city and town
unions of Christian EndeaVOr needed so
much pushing, and there has never been
| year in which local union work has been
! finer. The report that enc union d1Sbanded
| ton would not recognize a certain other de-
| nomination is counterbalanced by report
from another city that these Identical de-
nominations join heartily in union mass
| meetings for prayer fellowship ana Tor
| lines of work common to all. The Muncle
state convention made the VincenneS local
| union more useful to the extent of inspir-
| ing it to send $40 to the relief of the Ar
menian sufferers. 1t certainly is a matter
Of proper state pride that in the interna-
tional convention in San francisco the
| local union of our capital city received the
| banner presented by the Un1teQ society OF
Christian Endeavor as a recognition of the
best work done in Christian citizenship. Is
not this inspiration to all societies to
read the secret of the coming years to see
if it may not be that in the hands of Chris
tian Endeavor will be the control of city
and town government, newspapers and bust
ness interests?
college Societies.
christian Endeavor, with it's interdenom-
national construction, is peculiarly fitted
for colleges Societies have been organized
open for the lookout committee Christian
EndeaVor has gone into rescue homes and
the prison, bringing. light into darkene ed
lives then let it go into the brightness OF
college life and glorify it.
Good Literature
Special efforts have been made in good
literature work during the nine months in
terVening since the last convention. Some
of the district secretaries have established
good literature bureaus, but the field needs
much greater attention to make the success
that can be made The Eighth district, con-
tanning such cities as Frankfort Lebanon,
NoblesVile and Upton, reports that $50 de
nominational papers are taken If other
districts do as well there are 1900 denoml-
national papers taken in the state. Partial
reports show that 1878 copies of the Golden
Rule are taken. This proportion shows the
church loyalty of Christian Endeavor but
this could still be shown and power for
broader Christian living and work given if
| the number of Golden Rules were three
County Unions
of every county were thoroughly organ
| lied the district and state work would come
up with a bound. County meetings reach
! many societies not able TO come to district
| or state conventions The territory being
| limited. the county secretary has more pos
| sibe opportunities for visiting each society
! personally. There is no more helpful way
| of encouraging languishing societies, assist
| ing new ones and organizing where the
| church calls than by personal visitation. a
| consecrated bicycle is a great aid to adj
yancing Christian EndeaVOr in the county.
/ A understanding these
| unions has come this year, and local so
| ceties through them are coming IN closer
| touch with the district and state. kosclusko
| has felt the responsibility of this state con-
vention. and improved thereby. w nat most
| counties need is to feel the Importance Of
| their work. Good reports come from Yer
million, Shelby, Putnam, johnson and
others.
District Unions
This entire report could be taken UP on
| district work, but there Will be other op-
| portunity for that, and time permits men
| ton Of only one important point. With the
| passing years and making of history 1t has
] come TO be eXpedient to rediStrict the state
! for Christian Endeavor purposes. The new
| districts will be based on railroad facilities.
! gravel roads. number of large towns, num-
| Der OF societies in the county, field for new
| societies, occupations and disposition of the
| people Tive drafts have been offered for
| consideration Every one Is invited 10 study
! the same published in the Indiana En-
| deavorer for August. The one adopted Will
| go into effect at the district conventions OF
! 1898.
lone of the best. If not the best, evidences
| of Christian Endeavor growing more use
frl in the service of God is the intensified