The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-07-10

Denver, Col, July 9.-Thousands of
Christian Endeavorers from all parts
of the United States and Canada, with
a few from abroad, arrived here dur
ing the day, and many more are on
the way. More than 10000 persons at
tended the open mass meeting of the
convention this afternoon in the large
tent erected near City Park for the
occasion. A rousing song service, led
by Rev. F. H. Jacobs of New York,
preceded the opening of the conven-
ton which was called to order at
2 o'clock by President Francis E.
Clark, father of the Christian En-
deavor movement. After devotional
exercises, led by Rev. DIR. B. b. Tyler
of Denver a welcoming song was sung
by a chorus of 600 voices. Welcoming
addresses followed.
At the annual business meeting all
the old officers were elected, as fol-
lows:
President, Rev Francis E. Clark. D.
D.. treasurer, William A. Shaw; clerk,
George B. Graft; auditor, Fred H.
Kidder.
The retiring trustees also were re-
elected and presidents were named for
the various states, territories and pro-
vincial societies.
eV. George B. Stewart, of Auburn,
N. Y, presided at to-niGhts meeting.
The Endeavor Hall was Crowded to its
fullest capacity. william Shaw, treas
urer of the society and acting secretary
since the resignation of General Secre-
tary John Willis Baer, read the general
secretary's report, in part as follows:
This has been an eventful year for
the Christian Endeavor movement. If
it's strength were in man, it would
have been shaken. But because it is
in God, it has stood firm and mistaken,
coming out of each trial with new pow
err and a larger hope.
From one society, in 1881, to 64,020,
in 1908, from one denomination to more
than eighty, from one city to every
country, and from fifty members to g.,
1922, 300 and a million and a half more
in societies bearing strictly sectarian
names, but patterned after Christian
Endeavor and gaining their inspiration
from it. A net gain in number of So
cieties in one year of over two thou
sand.
This numerical increase will be
made vivid when in the closing session
VI lIlS convention lHG fellowship Udu-
ners made by Endeavorers across the
seas are presented to the states and
provinces that have made at least a
10 per cent. increase in number of SO
cieties during the past eight months.
The following is the list to be thus
honored Colorado, New Mexico, Alas
ka, Oregon, Louisiana, Georgia, Wash
ington, Oklahoma, Utah, Indiana, Mis-
souri,, Assiniboia.
THE increase in foreign lands has
been equally marked. Especially nota-
bic has been the progress made in Ger
many, Finland, France. Spain, Sweden,
Japan, Corea, Persia, India, China and
South America
''This has been made possible by the
generous financial help that the Worlds
Christian Endeavor Union has been
able to render, thus enabling these
countries to employ a general secre-
tary who can give his whole time to
the work Germany is now self-sup-
porting, and has two secretaries.
During the past year $4,000 have
come from the ranks of Christian En-
deavor into the membership of the
churches. And thousands more would
have come il more pastors had appre-
ciated what a magnificent field for
evangelistic effort God had placed at
their hand.
But these young people have not
only given themselves, they have also
given their money. In addition to their
gifts in other channels, the societies
gave last year for benevolence an aver
age of over fifty dollars for each So
ciety by actual detailed reports. A
total for all the societies that would
have to be expressed in millions.
Three societies deserve special mem
ton. First, the oxford Presbyterian.
Philadelphia, Penn. which gave for
missions last year s1.S14. Second, the
Chinese c. E. Society in the Congre-
gational Mission, San Francisco, Cal,
which gave $1.516. and third, the Pres
byterian Society, Clinton, H., which
gave slips.
For the intermediates the West End
Presbyterian Society of New York
stands first with a record of s311: and
the Park Presbyterian Society of New
ark, N. j., second with gifts of $1S7.
THE banner junior society in gifts
for missions is the First Presbyterian,
Omaha, Neb., with a record of S54S.
and the next is the United Brethren
Juniors, Lebanon. Penn, $3.50"
Rev Francis E. Clark, president of
the society, then gave his annual ad-