St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1906-10-17
State W. c. I. U.
A Most Profitable Series of Meetings.
Reports of the various Branches of the
work and Notable Addresses.

work and Notable Addresses.
The 32d annual convention of the
Vermont Woman's Christian Temper
ance Union was held in Grace Methodist
church last week, beginning Thursday
evening and closing with union
temperance meeting at the South church
Sunday evening. Over so delegates
were present and the meetings were well
attended by our townspeople. Mrs. Ida
Fl. Read of Shelburne, the president,
made an excellent presiding officer, and
gracefully introduced the various
sneakers. The members of the local
rnion had made every arrangement for
the entertainment of the guests, serving
lunches during the noon hour and supper
at night, and providing excellent music
for the various services.
The preliminary business meetings were
held in the afternoon and the first public
meeting was held in the evening. The
church was appropriately decorated
with the patriotic colors and fine
nortrait of Miss Willard was placed be-
meath the pulpit. After devotional
exercises Mrs. H. N. Turner, the presi-
dent of the local union, presented greet
ings, referring to her foreign tour and
drawing striking Illustrations from
what she had seen and applying them
to the great work the W. c. 7. U. had
before them. Mrs. c. E: Smith, the
president of the county union, welcomed
the delegates to the white county of the
state and the home of the forefathers OF
Miss Willard. Greetings were then given
On behalf of the churches by Rev. A. H..
Gage; from the school, by Supt. c. H.
Dempsey; from the young peoples So
cieties by Miss Elizabeth Eaton; from the
missionary societies by Mrs. Rebecca +.
Fairbanks; from the Woman's Club by
Mrs. P. F. Hazen; from the business men
by H. N. Turner; from the press by
Arthur F. Stone.
Mr.. Gage said he welcomed this organi-
cation because it was a christian organi-
cation and because it was trying to help
us solve the problems ofright living. 1t
the women felt discouraged at the
progress of the work he said to remember
this motto, "If you don't like the out
look, try the uplook." Mr.. Dempsey re-
minded his hearers that the temperance
movement started in New England 81
years ago; that the next year Massachu-
sets started the first temperance society,
and that one was organized in Vermont
the year following. He spoke OF the close
relation between this organization and
the schools and said the scholars were
indebted to the w. c. T. U. for Their
temperance instruction. Miss Eaton
in presenting the greetings from the
young people, reminded the ladies that
only in a Christian country could such ar
organization be in existence, and asked
them to imagine an anti-opium smoking
association among the ladies of China
Mrs. Fairbanks extended. her own per
sonal welcome and the right hand o
fellowship, and said all these organiza
lions were working together to haster
the day when Righteousness shall rule II
all the land. Mrs. Hazen said there hae
been echoes of conventions for the past
few weeks, and in presenting the greet
ings of the Woman's Club and the Yer
mont Federation spoke of the worl
being done in those organizations for ane
by the women. Mr.. Turner reminded
the ladies that they had plenty OF wori
to do along the lines they had laid ou'
and said even st. Johnsbury was not
temperance town. Mr.. Stone spoke o
the power of the press, He said that thu
ladies had come to what Hepwortl
Dixon once called the model village o
New England, but that ideal would neve
be reached until the principles of the "
r. u. were embodied in our civic lite
n Responses to these greetings wer
given bv these county presidents ant
u other officers: Mrs Smith from Bennlng
ton county, Mrs. I. H. Drew of Burling
4 ton; Mrs. Humphrey of Proctor; Mrs
4 Barrett of Bradford; Mrs. Wyman c
n Brattleboro; Mrs. Kezer of Rochester.
4 Mrs. Smith said this was the thir
Il state convention she had attended in 81
Il Tohnsbury and said she thought so we
j of the town that she sent her son here t
the Academy a few years ago. Mrs
Drew said it seemed like coming home t
n come to st. Iohnsbury, and that s
Johnsbury had never shut its door t
any call that has come for the good {
humanity. Mrs. Humphrey referred
the difficulties attending the work
= Rutland county and thanked the s
Johnsbury speakers for their kind gree
N ings. Mrs. Barrett said she would tax
u this opportunity to thank the ladies te
ID their kindness in sending her as del
u gate to the national convention in Lt
u Angeles and spoke briefly of some OF tt
IN incidents of the trip. Mrs Wyman gay
some statistics from Windham count
and the last speaker referred. vee1
III pleasantly to the faithful work OF a TO
mer president of the union, Mrs. J.
III Perkins of St Johnsbury and how durif
q her administration Mrs. Hunt had intr
duced temperance into the public. school
zaA L IL f1t.f nf