The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-11-04
Methodist Women Authorize the
Formation of the Royal Army
Of Standard Bearers.
Several Candidates for Work in For
eign Mission Fields Are Ac.
E. cepted and Assigned.

. The morning meeting of the general ex-
ecutive committee Of the Methodist Wo-
mans Foreign Missionary society to-day
was again occupied with new business to
the exclusion of the scheduled program,
but by vote the official correspondence
which has been thrust aside for several
days was made the special order for
tomorrow morning.
After devotional exercises by the Balti-
more branch, the committee took up for
final action the report of the committee
on children's work which was yesterday
returned to the committee for minor al
terations. Before it's final adoption the
article creating a general secretary to be
a member Of the general executive was
reconsidered but an attempt to strike out
this article did not succeed. There is a
strong, conservative element opposed to
charging the general executive. This ele-
ment succeeded yesterday in giving the
work of supervising the Little Light Bear
ers and the Kings Heralds to one secre-
tary but did not entirely do away with
the office.
A plan for young peoples work almost
identical with that of the children's soci-
ETY. was presented by Miss Dickson for
the memorial committee, from the New
England and Northwestern branches and
took for it's basis the methods of the young
societies organized with great success in
the past two years by Miss Clara Cush-
man, a missionary home from China on
leave. This organization is called the
Standard Bearers and In many places is
found preferable to society with
woman" in its name, for much of the
support of the young peoples societies
comes from young men.
The existing Young Woman's Mission
airy society is not interfered with, but the
two societies are o-ordinated and placed
under one management. Its general
secretary was made part Of the general
executive. The organization is military
in form, the sections being called COM
panies, regiments, battalions, divisions,
and the whole society the Royal Army of
Standard Bearers There was some OBJ
lection to this idea and at first it was
voted down. On reconsideration a plea
was made against overturning the valu-
man and the Standard Bearers as they ex-
ist and the clause was changed from a
mandatory one to one permitting the use
OF military forms and titles. The en-
blem Is the church pennant, a blue cross
on q white ground, used by the navy. The
pin Is based on the design Of the pennant
OF the. Olympia. The plan of reporting
and the auxiliary relation were carefully
adjusted to make the society dependent
body, touching the parent society at every
point and being controlled by it.
Mrs. Foss made brief report on con-
NSAI1OIl cApCuScS. Inc expenses or all
officers and delegates to the meetings
are paid by the general body and last
yea ra special fund was created for this
| purpose in order that no funds con-
tributed for foreign missions should be
| used in this way. The expenses Of the
last general executive and the midyear
! meeting Of the reference committee made
up of the corresponding secretaries Of
each branch, amounted to $2,420, which
| left few dollars in the special fund.
At the reference committee meeting in
the spring a committee was appointed to
| ascertain accurately the present valua-
ton OF all property belonging to the or
San1zation, numbering eighty-four pieces,
| and all details in regard to its;;conditions
7 and the manner in which it is held The
estimated value is $739.000. A partial re-
port was made and the committee con-
| tinued.
Several new missionary candidates
We're accepted: Miss Bessie Alexander,
from the Philadelphia branch, for Japan;
Miss Winifred Spaulding Of New York
branch, for Manila; Miss Passmore of
Northwestern branch for Bombay: and
Miss Minerva Guthaffel Of New York
| branch. not assigned.
At noon the missionaries had special
| luncheon parties in the dining-room. At
one table were seated Bishop Thoburn and
the indian missionaries with Misses Bud
den and I1oge as hOstesses, and at another
table the rest Of the missionaries were
presided over by Mrs. Mary c. Mind. In
the morning the Indian missionaries held
an enjoyable impromptu and informal
conference with Bishop Thoburn, in which
he made inquiries INTO their plans for
returning.
! Tonight the Student Volunteer work
will be discussed. The presiding officer
will be Mrs. Emily Huntington Miller of
Chicago, the first president of the Min
neapolis branch Mrs. Miller formerly
lived in St. Paul. She was at one time
dean Of Northwestern university, and is
a Voluminous writer. Addresses will be
made by Mrs. Mary S. Wilkinson, presi-
dent of Folts Missions Institute, and by
student volunteers from FIamline univer-
sity.