The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-12-22
The Majority Of Methodist Clergy
men in the New England Dis
trict Want Camp Meeting to
End Friday
COTTAGERS AND CHURCHES
WANT TWO DAYS MORE
The Laymen, Upon Whom Falls
the Duty Of Caring for the
Grounds, Believe the Temporal
Work is Not Balanced by e.
forts in the Spiritual Direction

lUl 10 III lIIC OplI lluoI I'll N0hS'
A majority of the cottagers at Ster-
ling Camp Grounds and majority OF
the churches in this district are in ia
vor of extending the length of the an
nual Methodist camp meeting TWO Gays
making it include Sunday MAORI
ty of the ministers of the district are
in favor of closing Friday night as in
past years.
Eleven of II camp meeting associa-
lions in New England report that they
continue their sessions through sun
day. These are the facts which will be
given to the trustees of the Sterling
Camp Meeting Association upon which
to base their decision in regard to the
duration of the Sterling camp meet
ing next summer At the last annual
meeting of the association last sum
mer a committee of five was appointed
to correspond with the cottage owners,
the ministers of the district, the
churches through their quarterly con-
ferences, and all the camp meeting as
sociations in New England in regard
to the ACCESSIBILITY of holding the Ster-
ling camp meetings through Sunday
instead of closing Friday night as in
past years. This committee consisted
of Rev DR.. James Nudge of Webster,
chairman, Rev. E. P. Herrick of Fitch
burg, Rev. George H. Clarke of Low
ell, James Hunt and A. B. F. Kinney.
The committee will report to the
trustees in substance as follows: Six
ty five ministers in the district were
written to and replies were received
from Sc. OF these six were non-com-
initial; IL were in favor of continuing
the camp meeting through Sunday;
and 80 preferred the present date Of
closing-F'riday night.
Cottagers who own cottages on the
dc MT
Gated with to the number of 144 and
"A replies We're received. OF these three
were nome ommittal; 40 were in favor
of extending the meetings over Sunday
and 81 were opposed.
The churches of the district were in
vited to vote on the question in their
quarterly conferences but only q ac-
cepted the invitation, the small num-
Der voting being partly due to the
fact that in many churches the presid
ing elders forgot to bring up the ques-
ton OF these q, II were in favor of
holding open over Sunday and 10 were
| opposed.
There are Il camp meeting associa-
| lions in New England. These were
written to in regard to their practice
and the replies showed that II, or
nearly two-thirds held their sessions
| through Sunday. Six do not.
| The committee itself, composed of
! three ministers and two laymen,
! stands three to two in favor of open
| ing through Sunday OF the clergy
men DR.. Nudge, and Rev. f. P. Her
rick favor the existing conditions. Rev.
Mr. Clarke and Messrs Kinney and
Hunt are anxious to secure the Sun
day opening.
| In an interview with a reporter for
The Spy last night Mr.. Kinney gave
his view of the situation which has
considerable weight as he has been
for seven years president of the camp
meeting association. Mr.. Kinney said:
THE burden of keeping the camp
J meeting plant in condition, making re-
pairs on the buildings and Gads, and
sanitation, is not a light one and 1t
devolves principally on the laymen.
My idea is that the expense and labor
lof the laymen in caring for the grounds
is not under the existing arrangement
compensated for by the efforts of the
ministers in the spiritual line l think
| that there ought to be more effort put
| into the spiritual side Of the work. The
| best way to do this is to prOlong the
services" Mr. Kinney is a business
man and busy one, but he said that
in the last year he has spent 40 days
| caring for the temporal part of the
camp meeting affairs.
The objection of the clergy to the
prolongation of the meetings is mainly
| based on the fact that it will mean
more work for them in conducting the
extra services With respect to this
! Mr. Kinney, and with him Mr. Hunt
! and Rev. Mr.. Clarke thinks that a
little more effort is due from the min
listers to make their labors common
| surate with those of the laymen.
Another objection raised by the cler-
gy is that Sunday meetings would draw
the rabble from Worcester and the sur
rounding towns, and that the peace
and harmony of the services would be
| disturbed.
This" said Mr. Kinney. would
| hardly be a sufficient reason against
| Sunday meetings, even if it were true.
| The 'rabble' is composed of just those
people which the camp-meeting ought
to reach. If all the people who went
to camp-meeting were Christians it
| would have no reason for existence"