The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1911-08-03
AMONG MEN AND BOYS IA THE
OBJECT OF THE CAMPAIGN
TO BEGIN SOON.
Outline of Plan
tremendous Effort to Reach Men
and Boys all Over the United States
and Canada will be Made by the
Federakion Of Many Religious
Bodies.
(By n. Barnett Dodson.)

=
on Christian work among and by
men and boys and through the spec
ial campaigns this year to bring a
permanent accession of membership
andy working strength from among
the men and boys who are at pres
ent untouched by or loosely related
to the Christian church. The main
idea Of such an aggressive campaign
among men and boys has been in the
thought Of church brotherhoods for
some time as well as in the plans
Of the Young Mems Christian asso-
ton through it's international COM
mittee.
Federated in this movement are
the church brotherhoods Of the Epis-
copal, Baptist, Congregational, Dis
clple, Lutheran, Methodist, United
Brethren and Presbyterian denomi-
nations the International Sunday
School association and the interna-
tional committee of the Young Mems
christian associations. The control
OF the movement is invested in a gen.
eral committee, called the committee
OF ninety-seven, representing all the
participating organizations and all
parts of Canada and the United
States.
The earnestness of the effort can
be judged from/the fact that Mr..
James G.. Cannon is chairman Of the
committee Of ninety-seven.
Mr.. Cannon is president of the
Fourth National bank of New York,
chairman of the clearing house COM
mittee Of New York city and was
chairman Of the commission of New
York bankers which ex-Presiden
Roosevelt called to Washington to
consider measures for quieting the
panic Of 1907. To the men and re-
ligion movement Mr.. Cannon is Civ
ing unstinted time and represents
the type Of substantial Americans
who are behind the movement.
- Among the we'll known members
OF the committee are Hon. w. J. Bry-
an, Hon. II. B. f. MacFarland Of
Washington, Judge S. P. Spencer Of
st. Louis, Mr.. Francis w. Parker Of
| Chicago, w. A. Hunton, international
secretary Of the Young Mems Chris
tian association, and many other
| leaders in the business and profess
sional life Of the country. The cam
paign leader is Fred B. Smith, the
successful evangelist to men. This
personnel ought certainly to impress
an thoughtful man with the force
that Is behind the movement, to say
nothing Of the bigness Of the con-
ception.
To Operate in Ninety-Seyen Cities.
| We now turn to the plan Of this
great movement. First, ninety cities
of the United States and Canada have
been selected. In each of these there
is going forward a long period of
preparation by. prayer and most
aggressive work, directed by a local
committee of 100 citizens working in
conjunction with the committee Of
tninety-seven.
An eight day campaign will be in
augurated in each city, during which
teams Of leaders specially trained in
methods of appealing to men, in
methads Of Bible study and individ-
nal evangelistic study Of the sanest
kind, in boys work and in social SER
vice will visit each city.
They will assist In every phase
Of work, addressing GREET meetings Of
every kind for men and boys, hold
ing conferences for workers and Civ
ing inspiration, direction and advice
TaS to organization and methods Of
! continuing the work and conserving
| the results. The Christian force and
! organizations in each city, along with
those who have been won, will then
i organize and carry on a somewhat
similar campaign on smaller scale
| in from eight TO twenty smaller
cities. This will help to insure for
years to come the continuance Of the
work Of the church along very great
ly improved lines, which are sure to
be discovered and developed in the
campaign. Thus also will be employ
ed the greatly increased numb ers
newly won to personal allegiance to
| Christ.
| 1t will be interesting to know how
such movement came into being. In
vitations were sent out by the relig-
/ iouS work department Of the interna-
tional committee Of the Young Mems
Christian association for confer
ence to discuss suggestions concern
ling "a forward movement campaign
in behalf Of the religious life Of the
| young men and boys Of North Ameri-
, ca Forty~One men representing
| specially the international committee
and the various brotherhOods spent
May 18, 1910, in prayer and confer
| ence at the Hotel Manhattan, New
| York. During the day it developed
! that three different religious organ-i-
cations had been considering, each
Independently, some such plan.
Conference Results Put in ACion.
The result Of the conference was a