The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1900-04-13
A GREAT SUCCESS.
The 9th Biennial Convention of Michigan
Epworth Leaguers Even Exceeded Ex-
pectations Both as to Numbers and
General Interest.

General Interest.
The big, long talked of Epworth League
convention has come and gone. and there is
hardly citizen In Owosso who
any way in the entertainment of these
people who is not glad-that Owosso was
the meeting place of the sixth convention.
Owosso citizens have abundant reason to
be glad too, for not only were they amply
repaid for the hospitality they so generously
extended to delegates and visitors by the
good cheer which the visiting young people
themselves brought with them, but 1t Is
matter of some local pride to know
that Owosso has entertained one of the
biggest and most successful state conven-
tions which the Epworth League has ever
held In Michigan.
| In estimating the actual attendance on
all the sessions the matter becomes greatly
complicated by the fact that there Is no
means of knowing the number Of those who
did not come as regularly accredited dele
gates and desiring entertainment at the
hands of the entertainment committee.
What can be told with accuracy, however,
Is that of the latter class there were con-
siderably more than six hundred delegates
who were provided with entertainment by
the committee. Even after attending to
this large number, however, the committee
showed its spirit, its fitness for the work
and the broad, generous hospitality with
| tho
hearts of Owosso citizens, by furnishing
entertainment to large number of visitors
who did not come as delegates, but who
came nevertheless to attend the convention
From the number thus entertained and
from the observation of those who we're In
position to judge something of the num-
Der of people who were being entertained
outside of the committees jurisdiction, the
estimate is made that the attendance OF
visitors at the convention numbered quite
fifteen hundred persons.
The delegates began to arrive Thursday
evening when small advance guard,
soft Of scouting party it might be called,
arrived within the city's borders, but 1t was
not until Friday afternoon that they began
to flood the stations and convention head
quarters. The delegates were met at the
trains and escorted to convention head
quarters In the congregational church where
they were received by Miss Charlena Robbins
the president of the local cabinet, Mrs. L..
Fl. Wood and Mr.. l.. ID. Wilson, chairman
of the entertainment committee. Here the
delegates registered and were given their
assignments. In the same church too, the
Congregational, besides the headquarters
was the convention post Office aud not only
was the church building placed at the dis
posal of the convention by Its trustees but
the pastor himself was present much of the
time and threw himself into the work with
a zeal which was great help and one much
appreciated by both local committees and
visiting officers.
At the Methodist church where the first
session of the convention was opened at 80
o'clock Friday afternoon no small amount
of work had been already done by another
committee. Mrs. d. M. Christian, Mrs. II.
p. White and Wade CadmaD of the decorat-
ing committee had draped the front of both
galleries with red and white bunting with
numbers of flags at intervals TO increase the
effect. In front of the organ was large red
and and white Epworth League badge In
which red and white electric lights formed
the initials tE. L." Above this badge other
small ipcandescent lights formed the word
"Wecome."
1t would be useless for The TIMES to
attempt to give report of the dOings OF
these hundreds of people in the three days
during which their convention lasted or to
even mention all who took part In the prS-
grams of those days and only the baresi
sketch can be presented.
The first session was held Friday after
noon. DR.. r. s. Copeland, of Ann Ar.
bor the state president presided and
opened his remarks with sympathetic re-
ference to The loss which Owosso had just
been called on to undergo. The meeting
was largely devoted to business and the
treasures report was submitted showing
that o malt balance would be on hand
after III estimated expenses of the cOnven-
tion ~rre paid. The secretary's report
shower that In Michigan there are over zoo
Epworth Leagues with q membership OF
35, $50 persons. while the Junior Leagues
number 237 with q membership of 10 500.
During the year there 440 persons graduated
from the Junior TO the older organization
J while the number of conversions reported
was AIS. The largest chapter In the state
Ia the one at Ann Arbor and the smallest
the one at Vernon with $50 and IL memte ers
respectively. Before the afternoon session
was ended however Mrs. Geo. w. Lyons, oI
Saginaw, read a paper on the Finances
:, of the Epworth League chapter which
seemed so practical that the convention or.
dered 1t printed In phamphlet form. The
other sessions were each as full Of interest
as brain, determination, and devotion tt
the ca. SO could make them but II Is impos
sible for this paper to even mention the
various good features OF them. The adj
dresses OF Dr.. Crawford, the work OF Mis-,