The record-union., 1899-07-25
The Board Of Control Holds a Meet
ing at the Indiana City
To Hear Reports and Consider Other Mat
ters Pertaining to the Society.
Rev. Edwin A. Sche11, General Sec
retary of the League, Presents
His Report, Showing That Many
Of the Expectations Entertained
at the Meeting Two Years Ago
Have Been Realized.

INDIANAPOLIS, July 24.-The Board
of Control of the Epworth League met
at 10 O'Clock to-day to hear reports ana
consider matters pertaining 10 the
league Bishop w. X. Ninde OF Detroit
President of the board, presided
The report of Rev. Edwin A. Schell,
General Secretary of the -Epworth
League, was submitted as follows
Dear Brethren: Many of the great
expectations entertained at the meeting
of the Board of Control two years ago
have been fully realized. We nave
steadily grown, until to-day we num-
Der 26,4o0 chapters, with MEMBER
ship of more than 1,IoO,OOO IN our
Methodist Church alone. New chapters
have been established in Liberia, Ha-
wall, Alaska, Russia, and Blshop NC
Cabe is eagerly watching an opportuh-
ity to plant us in Manila. Our Japanese
and Chinese chapters have rapidly IN
creased in numbers. A German chapter
in Zurich, Switzerland. numbers 5oo
members. The banner colored chapter
is at Charleston, 5. {.
There has been, moreover, obserVa-
BILE. a deepening of the spiritual life OF
our members. New attention has been
shown to securing the membership OF
the boys and girls in the church; the
diffusion of our social spirit has dls-
posed hundreds of thousands OF
friendly attitude toward the church,
and secured to literal thousands an ac-
tual grating into the great vine Ihat
the spirit of Methodism Is more gen
orally appreciated: that our sunday
congregations are better attended; thac
missionary facts are more widely dis
seminated that an honest attempt mas
been made to answer the question OIL
the presiding elder Have the rules for
the instruction of children been OBJ
served? that Methodism is more firm
ly set for the absolute prohibition OF
the liquor traffic, against sinful amuse-
ments, for the study of Gods word, for
maintaining the essentials of the class
meeting, and for giving the peculiar
Wesleyan a fuller exemplification in
daily life am ready to stoutly affirm.
TT would not be strange if the edge
of interest in the Epworth League had
slightly dulled in the last two years
We antedate the Methodist Insurance
Society. and the Brotherhood Move,
ment. both of which divide to us tha
attention of the church. while a great
has naturally diverted some of the en-
ergy and enthusiasm which formerly
flowed through Epworth League chan
nels The circulation of the Epworth
League Reading Course has not in
creased beyond the number of volumes
reported two years ago, and the Ep.
worth Bible Course has languished be-
cause the second volume has not been
Forthcoming.
Beyond these two items everything
in the way of our literature has been
prosperous. Three volumes have been
added to the League at Work Series,
and three brochures have been added
to the Epworth League Department
Series The Temperance Manual and
Catechism have been published. the
badge is selling steadily and interest
in Epworth League Resemblance is
still rising. The joint devotional topics
which the Epworth League had the
honor of first proposing to the other
Young Peoples Societies bid fair to
become permanent and the call for 81
from each chapter had satisfying
response on Anniversary Day.
Among the matter which ought to
claim your attention are:
''F'irst-An Intermediate Epworth
League. Many expressions of regret
came from the central office after the
New York meeting that some action at
approving an intermediate league had
not been taken. A resolution permit,
ting such an organization where II
seems necessary to the pastor and the
official board is the least that can be
recommended
.'Second-The constitution ought to
be amended so as to include the broth,
erhood idea. Perhaps the Fourth Vice
President would agree to a phrase as
signing it to his department. The con-
stitution of either Epworth or the
Junior League should also provide for
the graduation of the Juniors and not
leave this important matter as at pres,
ent.
''Third-Some pronouncement ought
to be made by the Board of Control in
regard to the Junior League contribua
tions by the Woman's Missionary So
cieties. The Cabinet has resolved upon
if several times, but it is still a mat,
ter of inquiry and protest. renewed
interest in the Junior League on the
part of many sanity women could be
secured If their wishes, in part, at
least, could be met.
.'Fourth-The work of the junior
League is so important that many
write our Office insisting that a cab
met officer should be at the head OF
this department. A special Junior
League Secretary has also been pro-
posed.
"Fifth-The continued demand of our
missionary workers for special de-
partment devoted to missions is again
called to your attention. The number
advocating this measure has not aps
parently increased, but the persistence
of those who favor it is worthy of sue.
cess.
"Sixth-Some recommendation ought,
it seems to me, to be made to secure
the authorization of Mercy and Help
collection on the part of the Epworth
League to be applied to the hospital
and deaconess work Collections OF
many sorts, some of them absolutely
unjustifiable, continue in spite of the
provisions of the General Epworth