The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-11-06

year. The parishes which did make
answer, many of them, promised to
meet the call, wholly or in part; and
they have done SO, as the exhibit
accompanying the report OF the
Board of Trustees will show. In a
number of cases, parishes promis-
ing to make an annual contribu-
ton have not yet sent forward
the offering, the collection being de-
layed for one cause or another. While
many excuses we're made on the part
OF the non contributing parishes, it is
pleasant to record the fact that gen.
orally there was an expression OF a
responsive feeling toward the call,
and in many instances suggestion
of help another year, though for tie
present, no parish offering could be
secured.
A little later in the year, an appeal
was sent out to the pastors OF
churches, and to the officers of Sun
day-schools, asking for collection III
aid of the home missionary work OF
our church.
The response was quite general to
this appeal; and although the offer
ings, respectively, were of small
amount, yet the aggregate was sew
eral hundred dollars, as is shown by
the figures in the financial exhibit
accompanying the report of the Board
of Trustees.
| Individual Gifts.
In the matter of seeking individual
contributions, for the work of our
church, am glad to be able to re-
port considerable offerings from a
number of faithful and generous
friends in different parts of the coun-
try. Some of these contributions
came in answer to personal request
on my part, but other gifts we're sent
unsolicited, by the generous few who
always remember the wants of the
| church in time of need.
At the last session of the Vermont
Convention, in response to an appeal
which | was allowed to make the
sum of about $500, was pledged, as
an extra, from the liberal minded
friends who were in attendance on the
closing day of the convention meet
ing.
The Cent-a- Day.
NV third line of work in seeking
contributions has been by the appli-
cation of the Cent-a-Day method.
| This plan has had some measure of
success, though it has oeen far less
productive than could be desired.
Many of the signers of pledges dur
| ing the first year of the working of
the plan, cancelled them, after pay
ing for one year, or even less
period. Upwards of 1000 pledges
are now in force, though consider
able number of these have not been
productive during the year covered
by this statement. present here
with carefully tabulated statement,
showing the entire number of pledges
now in force; the states and parishes
to which they are respectively
credited; and the number of pledges
on which payments are due fer less
time than one year; for one year or
more; and for two years or longer
time. It will be noticed, by reference
to this table, that about 300 pledges
taken during the first year of the
working of the plan, are long over
due, nothing having been paid on
them from the first until now. Per-
haps only very few of these pledges
are collectable. From the pledges
now in force, from which payment
for one year or more is due, upwards
of 600 in number, very considerable
sum will be realized, as the attention
of subscribers is called to their in
debtedness. Pledges on which some
amount is due, but less than years
payment, may be regarded as of still
greater promise. In this class are
included the pledges on which pay
ment has been made for one year, or
for two years, and also those pledges
taken within the last year, which
have not yet matured.
Difficulties in the Way.
1t is but fair to say, that | have
found many difficulties in the way of
working successfully the Cent a-Day
plan. 1t has needed considerable
explanation, and in some localities
has encountered opposition. Where
ever this system has been heartily
taken hold of and applied, it has not
only been made productive as a
means of raising quotas of parishes,
both for the State Convention and
for the General Convention, but it
has commended itself to those who
have thus sustained and directed it.
IF AL -ortou Iol &ho k;,,oo