The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-06-18
GEORGIA'S B.Y.P'S U
FIVE HUNDRED OF THEM well
COINED TO SAVANNAH.
THE CONVENTION IN SESSION.
MORE DELEGATES EXPECTED TO
ARRIVE TODAY.

First Church Decorated With COlOrs
of Local Unions-HeV. DIR. j. ID. Jor-
dan Made Address of Welcome and
the Response by II. &. Norman OF
WnshingtOn-The Convention Ser
mon by Rev. DIR. X. b. Headden OF
ROme-Three Sessions to Be Held
TO-dny-PrOgramm to BE Chang
ed Because of Absence of Some of
the Speakers.
Between 400 and 500 delegates, and
many members of the local unions at
tended the first session of the eighth
annual state convention B. Y. P. L. in
the First Baptist Church last night.
The delegates began to arrive day be-
fore yesterday. but the great majority
of them did not arrive until yesterday
afternoon. Still others are expected to
reach Savannah on to-day's trains.
The visitors were given a royal well
come by the local members of the
union. 1t had been arranged that the
visitors were to be met at the depot by
committees and directed to the homes
to which they had been assigned. But
in the great majority of cases such Sa-
vannahians as expected to entertain
one or more guests went in person to
the depot and escorted the expected
visitor to the house.
Because of the late arrival of many
of the delegates as well as because of
the confusion caused some of them by
the difference in railroad and city time,
the services at the church were delay
ed. being begun shortly before 8
o'clock instead of at $3.50 as had been
intended.
Dec<ed with b. Y. p. U. COIOrs.
The church was Respondent with the
colors of the local unions, which in
broad bands of bunting were draped
around the gallery railing, and on the
pulpit platform, where the speakers of
the evening and the choir sat.
Each of the local Baptist ministers
was present as well as the most prom
inent workers in the local unions and
these occupied seats on the platform.
The general attendance, too, was ex
cellent, the auditorium of the church
being quite filled and many seats in
the galleries also.
Quoted by Rev. ]. J. Whitfield of
Hawkinsville, and consisted of two
hymns sung by choir and congregation,
a series of quotations from. the Bible,
voicing the purposes of the convention,
the repeating of the Twenty third
Psalm, and prayer, delivered by Rev.
Mr.. Ward. President NJ. l.. Britain
then called the meeting to order and
introduced Rev. DR.. j. D. Jordan, who
delivered the address of welcome. This
was followed by the response, made by
Mr.. r. c. Norman of Washington,
Ca. and that in turn. after the inter-
polation of several hymns. by the con-
vention sermon delivered by Rev. DR..
r. B. Headden of Rome.
Delegates Made at Home.
The announcement of committees
which was to have been made was
postponed until this morning. Before
the session was dismissed Rev. r. Van
Deventer, pastor of the Duffy Street
Baptist Church. asked that each dele
gate visit the headquarters of the con-
vention, in the basement of the church,
and there register his or her name and
receive a programme, badge and such
other things as visiting delegates may
need. He also requested all members
of the Executive Committee to meet
quarters of the convention this morn
ing at 8 o'clock.
special request was made by him,
and was seconded by Rev. DR.. J. D.
Jordan and some of the other minis
tiers, that both the delegates and the
local members of the union attend as
many of the sessions as possible.
Among those who are in attendance at
the convention is Rev. DR.. ]. D. Chap
man, the former pastor of the Duffy
Street Baptist Church. He is now
stationed at Anderson, S. c., at
charge that he left Savannah to ac-
cept.
Sessions will be held morning, after
noon and at night to-day and to-mor-
row except tomorrow afternoon, when
the visitors will be the guests of the
local members on trip to Tybee. The
programme last night was carried out
as arranged, but changes in those of
the other sessions will have to be made
as several of those who were expected
to make addresses have notified the
convention of their inability to be pres
ent. Among these are Rev. DR.. w. H.
Ceistweit of Chicago, Rev. L. o. Daw-
son of Tuscaloosa, and Rev. Sparks w.
Melton of Augusta.
The convention will hold sessions to-
day at 8: 80 o'clock a. M, at $3.50 D. m,
and at $50.