The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1899-04-27
History of Maine Juvenile Templary

| 1873
1t is but meagre portion of the true
history of the grand work done by our
Juvenile organization that can be given
you in the brief paper it is my privilege
topresent at this time. Indeed, volume
might be we'll filled with record of the
patience, devotion and self-sacrifce of
all the noble men and women who have
given themselves to this branch of our
work. And they have SO many times
'bnilded better than they knew" The
results are as far reaching as the length
and breadth of our land, and hundreds
now in middle life will tell you that the
ennobling, up lifting influences, together
with the more practical discipline of this
organization, were of priceless value to
them.
Maine was pioneer in the work, for
while the Grand body of Good Templars
was yet in its infancy, its members came
to realize that the highest, strongest hope
of future success in temperance reform
centered in the children, that even AS
our master gave them first place in His
gospel so must the education of the
little ones lead in the attack upon this
giant monster who threatens the safety of
our homes.
1t is now 20 years since the first temple,
with its fourfold pledge and its motto,
"Trnth, Love and Purity, was organized
In the year 1870, twenty seven of these
were banded together with the title of
"Cold Water Temples The following
year by vote of the Grand Lodge the G,
c. Templar, Rev. Smith Baker, appointed
as superintendent Rev. 0. M. CouSens, a
man to whom was given in large de-
! gree the ability, tact and loving kind
ness required in leader of these forces.
! In the five years of his SUPPLEMENTARY
the work fourshed and gained valuable
prestige. One hundred Temples were on
| the roll at one time. Brother CouSens
! also published paper in the interest of
the organization. 1t was during his term
| that the name was changed from Cold
Water Temples to Juvenile Temples.
The work was transferred from his
| care to that of Mrs. NJ. G. Crossman, 50
| well known and beloved as a worker in
all temperance movements, and who by
her loving minstrations to those in the
bondage of drink gained the title of
''Mother Crossman.' All the close of
one wear in the work she was obliged to
surrender it to another. During her Off
cia charge of the Temples she iabored
faithfully for their upbuiiding. She has
now gained the "well done from the
Master, but her memory is fondly cher
ished 10y host of these little ones grown
to manhood and womanhood
For brief period each the superin-
tendency was vested in Sister c. II. tltz-
gerald and P G.. c. t. II. A. Shorey, and
under their able guardianship much good
work was accomplished. We note at this
time q marked illustration OF what can be
accomplished by individual effort, in the
phenomenal growth of a temple in the
capital city of our State under the general
ship of p. q. c. T. Nye. 1t had a
membership at oae time of l ,263. Truly
it was ''Joshua marshalling a host and
in the gathering of this army of little
ones under the banner of truth, love
and purity" was instituted one of the
most thorough temperance reyivals ever
witnessed in our State, and to this conse-
Grated leader under the will of God
belongs much credit. Contrast the
splendid achievement of this army with
the utter failure of the "Children Cru
SADIE" in the middle ages.
In the year 1879, by vote of the Grand
Lodge, the care of the juvenile organization
was placed in the hands of the q. V. Tenn
plar, Mrs. Isabel A Hodgdon. This noble
self sacrificing woman proved herself
equal in every way for the task before her
ana excellent results followed her labors.
Amply qualified by education and expert
ence as a mother and teacher and with
strong love for this particular work she
was eminently successful in directing the
lives of many little one in the right chan
mel and in placing the order # Juvenile
Templary upon a strong basis. During
her administration of one year so temples
with 4, 900 members We're added.
From 1880 to 1882 the position of SUI
perintend was held by Sister Nellie b.
Nye, and 1t was during her term that this
officer was by vote of the Grand Lodge
made a member Of the grand council.
Sister Nye was possessed of an energetic
disposition and cleaI foresight, which en-
aoled her to manag, the work with method
and exactness. She was instrumental
in inaugurating s'Children' 5 day. at the
several temperance campmeetings, and in
1881 five of these meetings were held in
which the little ones took a prominent
part.
Her successor was Sister 2. q. BarstOw,
an earnest, devoted Christian, with love
able personality and many attributes that
well fitted her for this service, yet by ma
ture SO timid and retiring that many of
her closest friends saw her undertake the
work with doubts; but how grandly did
she disappont the most fearful. She
proved herself intense and active, most
conscientious in all she did, and the work
which at her installation to office was be-
ginning to languish was given new i'm
petus. Temples were organized, old ones
were revived, and all over our State the
people became more alive to the great i'm
portance of this branch of temperance edu-
cation and began to see it in its clearest,
truest light. After two years of labor, in
which she seemed inspired by only one
thought, the doing of her whole duty,
she was obliged to retire from office, leav
ing the work in excellent condition, with
seventy temples on the roll
Sister E. G. Pember was the next super
intendent and held the position two
years, when she removed to another State
An earnest, devoted worker, highly edu-
Gated, and with kindly sympathies, she
garnered in harvest of which she and
the order may well be proud. Ninety tenn
pies with 5000 members were reported
during her second term.
This brings us to the time when the
work was given to our good sister, Emily
E. Cain, whose eleven years of faithful
service is SO recent and so well known to
you all that | feel that | must not give it
in detail. Yet it is but just TO say that
never was grander work done nor 50