Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-10-21
Annual Convention of Des Moines
Branch w. F. M. S. Ended.
EVENT WAS A RECORD BREAKER
Largest Attendance and Greatest En-
thusiasm Ever Known in History of
organizations-The Standard Bear
ere-Meetings on Sunday.
From Mondays Daily.

From Mondays Daily.
After the most successful convention
in its history, the Des Noines branch
OF The Woman's Foreign Missionary
society OF ihe H. L ohurch Closed it's
s2saicEs iii Ot,umwa last evening with
sss<;0 At the Market street theatre.
The last business session was held
Saturday afternoon and following this,
in the evening. there was largely at
tended meeting at the First Presbyte-
rian church, whore the sessions of the
convention were held. Sunday morn
ing and evening members OF the asso-
citation from outside of the city filled
several of the local pulpits, and the
final meeting of the convention was
held at the Market street theatre.
Today the delegates and visitors, more
than 900 strong, returned to their
homes in different parts of Iowa and
Missouri
A Record Breaker.
If there has been any question in the
minds of observant people as to wheth-
er the sympathy with the foreign mis-
sionary movement is on the increase
among the women of the Methodist
church that question was answered
with a decisive Yes" by the nine
teenth annual convention Something
over 300 people We're here from out OF
the city, while the largest convention
before this, at Waterloo last year.
could boast OF but 24S.
Saturday Afternoon.
Saturday afternoon, at the First
Presbyterian church. business ses-
sion was held. followed by a very help
full devotional meeting-helpful both
spiritually and financially, for over
500 was raised toward the fsnd neces-
sary to send Miss Mabel STA to China
to work as a missionary among her
own people. At the business session
few minor changes were made in
the bylaws. and the most important
piece OF work was that OF appointing
woman to take charge of the new
department Of work to be taken up by
the Des Moincs branch, the department
of young women and children Miss
Martha Stahl, OF Indianola, professor
OF Latin in Simpson college at that
place, was chosen for this important
branch of work.
Miss ke1aper Talks.
Miss Harriet Kemper, of Anderson
Indiana, who has charge OF the Stand,
ard Bearers work in the northwestern
branch of the Women's Foreign Mis-
sionary society, was present at the
meeting and delivered an address Oh
her work and what it has accomplish
ed, her object being to enlist workers
in the same line in the Des Moines
branch.
She told Of the large amount OF
money that has been raised by the
Standard Bearers in her branch, each
one paying five cents per month. Sew
eral missionaries are supported by
means of the fund 1t has been but
little thought of in the Des Moines
branch, but as a result of Miss Ken
per's talk Saturday there will doubt
less be several thousand members o.
the Standard Bearers within the mex
year in Iowa and Missouri. The tlas
OF the organization is a white pennan
with a blue star Miss Kemper ha:
been singularly fortunate in her worl
in this line in the Northwestern brancl
having taken it up on her return from
India, where she went some years ag,
as missionary but was forced to re
turn to America on account of il
health.
Miss Hodgkins' Address.
Miss Louise Manning Hodgkins O
Auburndale, Mass, editor of the We
mans Missionary Friend, the publcs
ton of the Woman's Foreign Mission
airy society in the United States, spoll
on THE United Study of Missions.
Her address was interesting and benz
fetal. and was much appreciated b
the women who heard it.
After Miss Hodglins' address, TIL
last devotional meeting of the CONVEX
ton was conducted by Mrs Mary c
Minds, of Detroit, Mich, who was pre-
sent throughout the convention an
who, with her words and presence ado
ed to the interest and enthusiasm {
the meetings. The meeting was on
long to be remembered by the wome
of the Des Moines branch. After tn