The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-10-16
Directors Report.

The report was referred to the Audit
ing Committee for examination. The
annual report for the Board of Directors
to the State Convention was now pre-
sented by Mrs. o. w. Nash:
"We meet today in the Both annual
session of the Universalist Women's AS
sociation of Illinois and to the report OF
the Board of Directors for the year end
ing September 20, 1897. invite your at
tention. 1t is with regret that we can
not bring to you glowing record of
something more accomplished: some
greater results in the line of work for
which our organization stands. The
record of the year now ending is but
repetition of the years since 1892. The
work OF an organization established in
part to foster the interests of the Uni
versalist church in its missionary and
educational movements must depend
not only, on executive ability but finan-
cial aid. as the aid comes to us only by
the dollar membership, it is unnecessary
for me to say why we have not accom-
plished more. when our treasurer re-
ports membership of less than two
hundred representing like number of
dollars. Oh if we could only make the
Universalist women of this state feel
what power rests in their single dol.
ars! What can we say or what can we
do, that you may feel individually the
obligation that rests upon you. A few,
and the number is not increasing,
struggle on from year to year, striving
as they best know how to meet the de-
mands made upon them for assistance,
but the many are not with us. Is it
from indifference or negligence? We
have sent out reminder after reminder
and have spent time and money with
but small returns for the outlay. Cannot
some plan of systematic paying be here
evolved that shall SO increase our re-
sources that mighty impetus shall go
forth from this Association that shall
be felt through the length and breadth
of the state. The money we have re.
ceived this year as you have already
learned from the treasurer's report has
been devoted almost entirely to assist
ing in the payment Of the state superin-
tendent's salary.
"The board having pledged 5000 we
consider a most worthy and profitable
investment as through his employment
this faith which we cherish is brought
to many where there are no regular SER
vices and where we hope through him to
sooner or later establish self-supporting
organizations. We do feel. however, that
in those localities which have been thus
administered to we ought to have some
members of the Universalist Womsn's
Association. To Lombard we have paid
$50 on scholarship; this money was OBJ
tanned from the interest of the invest
ment of our Permanent Fund. We are
still indebted to the clemency of the man
agement at Lombard for interest over
due, but we sincerely believe the coming
year will see this paid to date.
"Of the Sunday.school work we have
attempted to do, Mrs. Richardson will
give you an account. Our May meet
ing held this year in st. Paul's church
was the very best we have ever held; the
papers then presented were thorough,
thoughtful and helpful. The discus
sions were participated in very generally
and were lively and interesting.
The number in attendance was fully
equal to. if not greater than any previous
year. Very complete and good reports
were received from many Of the differ
emit aid societies throughout the State
and we found that while the blanks
issued to aid in compiling such reports
WAS not quite all that could be desired
still it was an improvement on the old
plan. We regret that many parishes
failed to respond to this call Of the Asso-
citation and as this meant but the ex-
penditure of postage stamp if the
society could not send a delegate, we
must feel that this surely was indiffer-
ence on the part of the parish not repre-
sented.
"The League which is now entering
upon its third year and for which the
programs are here circulated, we feel is
surely though perhaps slowly growing