Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-01-26
ANNUAL PARISH GATHERING |
Recognition of 50th Anniversary
of College Street Church.
supper, Speeches. Reports and Az
signment of SittiDgs--Tributes TO
Memory of Founders--Church
on sound Financial Basis.

The annual parish gathering Of the Col
lege Street Church this year, partlyin rec
ogntion of the 50th anniversary of the
founding of the church, was held last
evening 1t began with supper served
at $3.50 o'clock in the parlors Of the
church, and ended with the assignment
Of sttings for the coming year The
gathering was one of the most successful
and largely attended Of any held IN some
years. The affairs of the church in gen
eral, and the finances In particular, were
shown to he In a most excellent condition
Robert Roberts presided at the post
prandial exercises. which began with
singing by the church choir. Mr. Rob
erts In hts Introductory remarks outlined
the condition Of church affairs III Burling-
ton In the early COS, at the time the Col
lege street Church was founded He said
that to-day the people do not go to church
as much as they formerly did, and he as
crihed this condition in part 70 decline
in faith.
II. o Wheeler read an interesting and
appreciauve paper, which will later be
given In full on the Rev. George r.
Sa ford, the first pastor Of the church.
Mr.. StAford was born In Boston. where
he attended the Foston Latin school He
afterward went to Yale, and then TO
the Andover Theological Seminary. After
holding ono passionate and travelling
abroad for a u he he came to Burlington.
From 1860 to 1889 hs was the pastor
of the College Street Church. Mr.
Wheeler spoke particularly Of Mr.
Stafford tolerance and observation-disclosures
and his good citizenship He died In
| 1895
Professor G. r. Perkins of the Uni
| versity Of Vermont was the next speaker
| He took for his subject the relation of
| til late President NJ. n. Buckham to the
church. President Buckham was one of
| tho few remaining original members of
| tho church. and he was never so busy
that he could not respond to It's de-
mands. What the church is, said Profess
! sor Perkins. 1t is because OF such men
as President Buckham and perhaps it
| owes to him more than to any other
one man its present strength. While
| President Buckham was naturally con-
servative in the practical affairs Of life
| he was a progressive. II was such in
| huences as his that have given the
| church that llberal!ty which makes it
! inclusive rather than exclusive. The
breadth and depth and optimism Of his
| character were directly felt in its af-
! fairs.
MIR. Roberts read a letter from Mr.
and Mrs. b. l.. Benedict, in which they
expressed regret at not being present at
the gathering. He then introduced F. s.
| Pease. who gave some "reminiscences of
the later members of the church, now
dead.
j. l.. Southwick made some announce
ments for the prudential committee
which were enthusiastically received. He
said that the church would begin the sec
ond half century Of its existence on q
sound financial basis. the last funded deb
| having been paid The last debt was z
81. go note end Mr. Southwick said he hat
| looked at 1t so long he had come to owe
It a grudge In concluding n detailed re
port OF the affairs Of the committee, Mr.
! Southwick said that it was the first time
the church had ever started a year IL
such good shape
Fl. II. Hagar, In reporting for the fnan
cial committee, said that through a new
system of raising revenue and the enthu
siasm OF the young men the work had beer
markedly successful and that already
5000 was pledged for the coming year
This was good excess over last yea,
and the largest, in fact in some Is or i
years. If things worked out as planned
there should be balance OF over 800 a
the end Of the year.
Prof S f. Bassett reported for tn
Young Peoples society He said that o,
tho shoulders OF the young people OF to
day rested the responsibility for tn
church OF tomorrow, The society durin
the past year had taken up the study o
, the relation of the church to various so
cial problems Plans for the future vii
z he announced later.
, n. c. Burrows spoke for the Sunda
school. That department is also on
good financial basis. there being a balanc
in the treasury for the first time In man
: years A successful mems class ha
been in existence since Christmas an
= a class for women is planned.
! Mr.. Roberts spoke briefly concernn
the proposed interior re-decoration of IN
, church and then introduced DR.. H {
Tinkham DR.. Tinkham limited at
series of meetings which will later h
= held by the Mems UNION but did not z
z into details.
: The Rev. DR.. l. C. Smart was The las
8 speaker, In a few words he compliment
- ed the members of the church on the
o loyalty to tho organization. A churc
r with such members, he said, would I
n rich without a minister. The inspira ito
d of the lives that have gone should kee
q | safe the present.
q Printed slips with the financial report
). of the church for the past year were
n ca oh place at table The statement Of III
d church showed receipts for the past Yea
1. to be s1,e2l.S3; disbursements, 1880 q
$ leaving a balance OF s4048 The sunda
n school report showed receipts OF sl85
a disbursements. SEQ; with balance
II 1867. The Womans union receipts wei
# 1857 60; disbursement, sS2l14: balanc
a 1896 Sc, The parish house fund shove
d a balance of si9G
e BREVITIES.