The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1910-11-03

ulllco III Sah Ohis NO ihoPilCo
to religious activity through the chill
dren.
Il am rousing them.
When the start is well under way
when the young people take hold of
the matter, the interest they create
will carry the movement along to a
successful growth. have visited
hundreds of places already. There
are many hundreds more that need
visitation. '-Marga Koch
Dauntlessly looking forward to the
seventies of bitter cold and storms
and the rough life of logging camps
Miss Margaret Koch young mission
airy, is preparing. alone and unat-
tended, to invade the most remote and
isolated places in Maine this winter
that through the children and by her
own effort she may spread the doc
trines OF her faith there.
During the Il months up to and
including last June, Miss Koch trav-
eled 1895 miles, gave 400 addresses
or sermons in 295 places and wrote.
by hand, 1888 personal letters per-
tanning TO the advancement of the
work.
Now she is going to beat that per
Torrance if need be.
She has already left her home at
West Eden, Me-, on tour that will
last all winter She will go into the
most remote byways of the great for
est State, preaching, visiting lonely
out-of-the-way families, performing
all the duties of a clergyman.
BY enlsting the young people in
IL
igous fervor that in the end will
make Maine a shining example of
righteousness to all other states.
Miss Koch is equipped with an un-
usual knowledge of child Instruction.
and especially with detailed prepare
ton in evolutionary and physical cul
ture matters.
She intends to start societies of
young missionary workers every
where as the foundation to her sue
cess.
Miss Koch's itinerary, which is de-
pendent solely upon what seems to
her to be the urgency in religious
matters of any given community in
the great State. will lead her to the
many islands, off the coast, down as
far as the Canadian line. In such
sparsely Inhabited places. whose pop
ulation is at best a small and timer
ant one, she believes organized re
ligion of some sort is now most need
ed
The smaller towns of the Common
wealth, however. which in many cas-
es have feeble religious life. will
also receive her attention, as they
t., Gin hA i1
yinced not only that many towns can
be advanced by strong religious i'm
petus,l but that many of Names vii
lagos have gotten into a rut and that
the religious salvation of these com
munites lies largely in inspiring the
young people to form organizations of
a religious nature which will intiu
ence the adult population.
Miss Koch began her remarkable
career as what a prominent Portland
minister calls the religious phys-
clan of Maine" about ten years ago,
when she was attracted from her
work along lines of elocution and de-
pertinent to the work of the Christian
Endeavor society of the State.
Officials of the organization early
recognized that her training as a
Speaker gave her hold among the
school children that was invaluable
in cementng an organization in each
town and city
BEAT OUT MEN.
When the man who had been doing
the work of field secretary of the or
ganization dropped out of the work,
Miss Koch was substituted. The sud
den advance of religious activity at
once attested her success in the work
of creating and organizing religious
work where it had not existed before.
Gradually she acquired an acquain
ance that doubled the effectiveness of
her work and before five years had
passed it came to be a common thing
for the president of the organization to
have a dozen or more requests at one
lime for her services.
OF her nomadic life Miss Koch says
My work consists simply in helping
to bolster up religious communities
that are weak. This especially APP
plies to the Christian Endeavor soci-
cites around the State that need
some kind OF inspiration.
because of my training in physi-
cal culture matters | am enabled to
go into the schools to start organiza-
tons and through them work for the
general welfare of the community
81 deliver addresses in places where
there Is no preacher or where there
are not enough preachers. Sermons,
they call the little talks, although
am not a minister, and do not intend
to become one.
Interest in religion in the small
towns must always be aroused prin-
eipally through the young people and
it is in this way that the Young
Peoples Christian Endeayor has been
able to work so advantageously
But | always get most courteous,
kind treatment, and have never been
afraid to go anywhere. There Is no
reason for any fear. since one Is al
ways received pleasantly anywhere.
Miss Koch for a number of years
has been working. voluntarily. on
smaller salary than her male prede-
cessor received, since she does not
want to accept the larger amount be-