Evening star., 1909-05-26
SPECIAL WORK AMONG MEN
INTERNATIONAL LEADERS
MEET AT =. N. G. A. HALL.
Progress Reported by Speakers
Among Boys in the High Schools.
Special Fund Asked For.

In the Y. NJ. c. A. assembly hall last
evening the international leaders of the
movement known in Y. M. c. A. circles as
| special religious work for and by men
briefly surveyed the present lines of work
| being promoted through this agency.
G. w. F. Swartzell presided and viii.
| liam Knowles Cooper made the opening
| address. in which he touched on the rela
| fions of the Y. NJ. c. A. to the interna
tional committee, and urged that $5OOt
be contributed by Washington each yeal
| for the support of the religious work de-
partment.
Fred B. Smith said: ''The Y. M. c. A
has been guilty of neglecting the church
We will throw our whole organization
into the strife for Christianity. and un.
| til we die we will stand for positive evan
gelism."
In outlining the work of his department
Harry w. Arnold. exponent Of the lay
mems federation idea, said: I'VE are
planning great religious work conventions
in different states throughout the coun
try, where men representing the various
churches will get together to plan out the
work for a great religious work campaign
We are emphasizing and planning for q
great meeting of laymen to meet at Silver
Bay during the last week in August.
"Then we are planning for another con-
ference, that we may get together, Tor
example, to study the work Of the vari-
Gus commissions that have been working
in conjunction with the association along
the line of the development Of religious
work among the high schools. colleges
and Sunday schools, that we may learn
the limitations of each field of work and
study the possibilities of development and
expansion of these branches of work by
the association"
In speaking of the work among the boys
in the high schools r. A. Waite said
that Bible classes are being conducted In
high schools from New Jersey to Cali
fornia. "It may be Of special interest to
some of you." Mr.. Waite said, Ito know
that the boys of Portland, Ore, carried
this matter of Bible study in the public
schools through all the courts In that
state to the highest and have a verdict on
record that Bible study initiated by the
boys of the school can be carried on In
the school buildings of Oregon"
The introduction of Bible study in pub
lie high schools. Mr.. Waite said, had
led to the development of much greater
respect for the Bible among all classes
Of people. Personal work is also being de-
veloped in the schools, and the boys are
learning to manage their own work.
They have a series of monthly talks,
the subjects for which are chosen by the
boys themselves.
Mr.. Waite said that out of 100000
vironment in the United States only 500
600 are in Sunday schools, which gives
his department tremendous neld of
work. In endeavoring to reach these
boys, Mr. Waite said there are three
principal lines of cooperation with the
work of his department. First. through
the home: second, through the school;
third, through the church and Sunday
schools.
Others who spoke briefly were Fred S.
Goodman, DR.. Clarence A. Barbour of
Rochester and c. r. Drum, an organizer
in the industrial field.
Preceding the evening meeting a dinner
was given iii honor Of the visiting COM
mittee.