The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-05-21

Il will do my best to tell yon some
of the things the women of our organ
ization have accomplished during the
fifteen years of it's existence.
"The women's auxiliary was or
ganized in 1894 The first record of
any meeting is Feb. %, 1894, neld at
the home of Mrs. Farr. The organiza-
ton was conducted by Secretary Mar
tin. Mrs. MARS was chosen president,
Mrs. Ray vice president, Mrs. G. NJ.
Palmer secretary and Mrs. z. G. Har-
rington treasurer.
81 am indebted to Mrs. Palmer's good
penmanship for the information con-
corning the early workings of the So
ciety and to Mrs. A. J. Veigel for the
later work; both were faithful sec
retaries.
THE auxiliary had no home, so it
met wherever it was convenient, us
ually in the association rooms on Front
street, oftentimes in the Methodist
church. The first canvass for members
brought forty women from the differ
ent churches. These women were earn
est workers in their respective churches
but they responded to the call of the
Y. NJ. c. A. work, realizing its great
need in our city. Why were they will
ing to divide their religious work? For
surely the work of providing a clean
and wholesome place for boys to play
games and read good literature is re-
ligions work. This is almost an ad-
mission on the part of church people
that the church can not or does not
do this work.
Most church services are not planned
for the youth; they are adult SER
vices and are unattended by the youth
of their own free will.
Fifteen Minute Sermon to Children
Il was glad to read in our daily
papers last week an announcement that
minister of our city preached a ff-
dren, especially the boys of the church,
are not often given any responsibility
in the church work. 1t is usually con-
Quoted in a way that does not interest
them personally. The boy wants to
be noticed, not so much wants to be,
but needs to be. He enjoys activity,
mostly physical activity to be sure,
and if he does happen into church
service of the usual dignity and length,
he feels like some Wandering Arab
and longs to pitch his tent where he
can have some fun
The association steps i'm at this
point and through its many avenues of
work it is able to attract the boys
and young men, and gathers them, not
only into the gymnasium and game
rooms, but into the religious service on
Sunday. 1t was the realization of this
need, | am sure, which prompted the
women of our society to organize. 1t
meant sacrifice, work, faithfulness and
prayer.
Mrs. Harrington's Remarkable Record.
"Mrs. Harrington was our first treas
urer She served continuously until
two years ago. This is remarkable
record of faithfulness and sacrifice l
say sacrifice not because there was
any great temptation to abscond with
our funds, but a sacrifice of time in
trying to magnify them sufficiently to
meet the necessary demands. Mrs.
Harrington was always present at the
meetings, smiling and hopeful no
matter what the condition of the
ments in our records like the following:
The day being very stormy, only two
ladies We're present-Mrs. Harrington
and one other, usually Mrs. James.
"Mrs. James has filled every office
in our auxiliary, as far as l can find
out; indeed, she has done most of the
praying for the auxiliary too. When
ever the leader was absent or if a
president was timid about leading in
public prayer, Mrs. James invariably
came to the rescue Mrs. James is
not only the exponent of the spiritual
ity of our organization but she is also
interested in its material welfare.
When she was not on her knees pray
ing for us she was on her feet making
motion for more towels. sheets. table
cloths and spoons, beautiful example
of the proper relation that should ex.
ist between faith and works. In all
these matters Mrs. Palmer proved her.
self close second. Following these we
find the names of Mrs. j. HI. Ray, who
served several years as secretary and
one year as president. She was in
tensely interested in this work and
gave much time to it, Mrs D. L.
Clements was another of the faithful
workers of our society in it's early or.
ganization. The normal school had an
able representative at this time in Mrs.
Cox. She was identified with nearly
every department of our auxiliary and
was a tireless worker. The coming of
Mrs. Cooper furnished another loyal
worker for the auxiliary. She served
as president one year and still holds
an office in one of the departments.
The First Years Record.
81 hope you have forgotten the date
| mentioned at the beginning of this
paper, for | found in the records of
the first years work. that Miss Grit
fin sang for the auxiliary she was i'm
mediately invited to become the soloist
of the society, which position, as Mrs.
Patterson, she has held all these sue
ceeding years.
ut is matter of record that when