Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1905-05-12
Y. NJ. C. A. % YEARS OLD.
Anniversary Exercises with Address by
General Secretary William Knowles

Cooper.
Services concentrating the organiza-
ton of the Young Mems Christian assoc
citation in Brattleboro 22 years ago were
held in the Congregational church in this
village and in the Baptist church In West
Brattleboro Sunday evening before good
sized audiences. Both were union SER
vices. The Methodist. Baptist and Con-
gregational pulpits in this village were
occupied in the morning by representa-
tives of the Y. NJ. c. A. movement, who
gave interesting addresses. F. S. Morri-
son of Burlington, state Y. NJ. c. A. sec
rotary Of Vermont, spoke in the Metho-
dist church J. A. Dunnett of Cambridge.
Mass, general secretary of the associa-
ton in that city, in the First Baptist
church In the absence of Alfred II.
Wardle, state Y. NJ. c. A. secretary of
New Hampshire, who was i'll, and Cen
eral Secretary William Knowles Cooper
of Springfield, Mass, in the Centre church.
At o'clock Secretary Morrison led the
regular service in the association rooms,
to which ladies were invited. it being
ladies' Sunday. Mr. Morrison spoke again
at West BrattlebOro in the evening, Mr..
Dunnett being obliged to return to Cam
bridge on the afternoon train.
The principal anniversary service was
held in the Centre church in the evening"
with Secretary Cooper as speaker Fol-
lowing the organ voluntary the Brattle-
boro male quartet sang an arrangement
of the 23d Psalm. Rev. A. II. Webb OF
the Methodist church offered prayer and
Rev. F. L. Masseck of the Universalist
church read from the Scriptures the
parable of the talents. The male quartet
sang Memories of Galilee," and Charles
F. w. Cunningham, secretary of the Brat
tleboro association, read the report of the
past years work, written by the retiring
secretary, Victor S. Reed. Miss Addie
Fay, secretary of the woman's auxiliary,
gave a report of the work OF that organl-
cation for the past year, after which
President e. G. Crosby made a statement
of the Portland test Of eligibility to mem
bership in the Y. M. G. A. and introduced
Secretary Cooper as the speaker of the
evening.
Mr.. Cooper spoke in complimentary
terms of the work OF the association and
the woman's auxiliary the past year. He
said the Y. NJ. c. A. movement was a
laymens movement and after calling at
tention to the fact that the local assoc
citation had contributed men whose
memory was revered in Y. M. c. A. circles
throughout the country said that the
Brattleboro association was beginning to
reap the rewards Of its labors in educat-
ing young business men In the Christian
service. Referring to the parable OF the
talents he said that God had given to the
churches and church people abundant
gifts and would call upon them for an
accounting, for which reason he urged
them to realize sense Of their steward
ship and the necessity of improving their
opportunity today, for tomorrow 1t is gone.
We all possess a root of spiritual vigor,
which should be cultivated before 1t is
lost. To give money is good, but con-
secrated hours are better. With all thy
giving give thyself.
Mr.. Cooper's address was very force
full, both in logic and in its delivery. and
it was listened to attentively. At the
close an offering was made for the bene-
MT OF the local association.