The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-04-29
Baptisis Get Together at Fine Ban
quet Last Evening.
Serious Business Was Combined With
Much Genuine Pleasure.
Toasts Responded To BY Several
Well Known People.
Addresses Touched Upon Topics of
Live Interest to All.
From Saturdays Daily.

Fifty gentlemen of the First and Scan
dinavian Baptist churches of this city
sat down to banquet, served last eve
ming In the First Baptist chapel by the
first division of the Ladies' Aid society
of that church, under the management
of Mrs. W. S. Howe. 1t was a splendid
repast that the ladies served and all who
attended the banquet felt that they
were passing most enjoyable social eve
ming. The main purpose of the gathering,
however, was not pleasure, but business.
1t was to form Baptist Mems club.
The club is wanted for more united
effort of the gentlemen of the Baptist
churches of the city and its vicinity in
church work. 1t is not necessarily to
have its membership exclusively of Bap-
fists. 1t might be termed a Christian
Mems club of the Baptist church. The
regular title has still to be selected.
Quite series of highly interesting
toasts were responded to. Rev. F. E. R.
Miller was POSTMASTER. Deacon H. F.
Shaw, the oldest surviving male member
of the First Baptist church, responded
to toast on "reminiscences" He took
up the history of both the First and the
Scandinavian Baptist churches from the
time they were first instituted. H. H.
Tompkins, in response to toast on
"The New Member" spoke of the needed
training that every new member receives
at the hands of the church. The new
member gradually becomes an old men,
Der and in turn trains other new mem
bers who have entered later. Joseph
Tanquist spoke of the work of the "Scan-
dinavian Baptists" and the position of
their church. He called attention to the
remarkable progress made by the Scan
dinavian Baptist church in Mankato
during the past three years. He spoke
too of the good work that church does
for immigrants coming into this part
of the country from Sweden, Norway,
and Denmark. George M. Palmer re-
sponded to the toast on the main topic
of the evening, ga Baptist Mems Club"
He was strongly in favor of such club.
He advocated it for purposes Of good fell
lowship and for information on topics
of timely interest. T. w. Hart in re.
Spouse to the toast, Ladies of the
Church." commended the excellent work
of these ladies in raising such funds as
have been needed for various church en-
terprises, but also suggested that if the
men took upon themselves more of the
financial burden, the ladies could give
more attention to the social side of the
church work. Rev. B. L. Bergstrom,
pastor of the Kasota Baptist church,
happened to be present and was called
upon for impromptu remarks. Mr.. Berg
strom spoke on several matters of live
interest but dwelt particularly on the club
idea, with which he was highly pleased,
He would like to see the men of his
church belong to such club.
The subject of forming such club
was now thrown open to the entire
meeting. About twenty participated in
the discussion. Secretary Gran of the
Y. NJ. C. A. and DIR. Holbrook were very
warm advocates of the project and cited
instances of success of many such clubs
elsewhere.
A motion was carried instructing the
chairman, Rev. Miller, to appoint a COM
mittee with full power to do such prelim-
mary work as it saw fit in the formation
of the intended organization. The COM
mittee appointed consists of Rev. F. E.
R. Miller, DR.. John S. Holbrook, A. G.
Gran, George NJ Palmer and Joseph Tan
quist. All the gentlemen present signed
a paper advocating the club.