Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-05-01
MEET IN EAST ROOM
President and Mrs. Taft Greet
:. Delegation of Mothers.
MEMBERS OF CONVENTION
National Congress Balloting This
Afternoon on Future Officers.
MORNING SESSION ADDRESSES
"Church as Social kindergarten"
Discussed by Rev. Clayton II.
Ranck Of Baltimore.

the nominating committee mace us re-
port and the balloting upon national Of
ficers, state presidents and national de-
partment chairman was undertaken late
this afternoon. 1t is confidently predicted
that the result of the voting will show
but few changes in the personnel Of the
officers.
Morning Session Program.
The program for the morning session
was arranged by the Religious Education
Association and the speakers dealt with
the relation Of the church to child well
fare In his address on 1.-The Church as
a Social kindergarten" Rev. Clayton H.
Ranck Of the Third Reformed Church.
Baltimore, Md, declared that what the
spiritual. vocational and educational
awakening, and that it was the province
of the church to accomplish this.
In speaking of the vocational phase of
the question, Rev. Mr.. Ranck declared
that in test made of six children from
the business class and an equal number
from the skilled laborer class of par
entage there was but one who did not
know what calling he wished to pursue
when grown, whereas OF six children
there was but one who had any thought
of a life vocation.
Question Analysed.
(Which proves" said Mr.. Ranck, THAT
the children Of the first two classes take
1T for granted that they are to become
world-workers. while those Of the latter
designation think they are outside the
pale Of society, and Overwhelmingly con-
yinces us that il Is our duty to awaken
them to their opportunities, to show them
the way and convince them there is
way to improve their condition and make
something Of themselves"
Work as Well as Worship.
1.-THE church should be a working as
well as a worshiping body asserted
Walter NJ. Wood of the Central Y NJ. c.
A. OF Philadelphia, in his talk on What
Can Be Done for instruction of Parents
in Child Welfare" Proceeding with his
topic, Mr.. Wood said the unit the church
with men and women as the heads Of
homes and the leaders Of child life. In
adequate attention also is given to recrea-
ton. he said. declaring the public recrea-
ton is at present left to the devil and
his agents"
Development Of the home from the cave
man to the present time was traced by
Patterson Dubois of Philadelphia in his
address on The Children's Castle and
England's power as a worldmaker and
colonizer attributed by him to the fact
that 1t was q nation of homes.
Mrs Lemuel c.. Barnes of New York
gave an address on The Church and the
Welfare of the Immigrant Child" in
which she described conditions existing in
the metropolis and the efforts the church
is making to remedy them.
Regular Meetings in Washington.
Preceding the opening of the con-
gress this morning an executive ses-
sion to revise and amend the constitu-
ton and bylaws resulted in several
changes. notable among which was the
stipulation that a meeting shall be
held in Washington in 1913. and there
an addition will be made to one of the
sections of the bylaws which will
provide that Mothers circles and
parent-teacher associations must join
the congress as individual clubs, not
through leagues, declarations or
unions.
A letter from Cardinal Gibbons will
be read to the congress at the session
tonight when Rev. Cleveland Hicks,
secretary of the general board of re-
ligious education Of the Protestant
Episcopal Church will speak on THE
Church and the Welfare of the
Church"
Tributes to Deceased Members.
Child welfare and the relation of the
church to the child was the topic for spe-
cial services in many churches of the
city yesterday in recognition of the pres
ence in Washington Of the National Con-
gress of Mothers. In addition, touching
he
Theodore w. Birney of Washington, one
of the founders Of the congress: Mrs.
William H. Murphy, vice president for
six years. and Mrs James H. McGill,
national corresponding secretary, both
having died within the past six months.
This tribute was the object Of impressive
services held in the ballroom Of the
Arlington Hotel at o'clock
Mrs Frederic Schoff Of Philadelphia,
president OF the congress. opened the
services with prayer, and following the
singing of the favorite hymns Of the con-
gress eloquent tributes to the two departed
national officers were read by Mrs. Schoff,
Mrs. David o. Mears Of Albany, N. Y.
and Mrs. e. r. Weeks of Kansas City,
M. Miss Helen Grinnell Mears Of New
York, contralto. sang effectively.
The Spirit OF the Congress OF Moth
ers-Love and Conservation to the Serv-
ice Of His Little Ones" was the text of
Mrs. Arthur A. Birney, president OF the
District chapter. who made the principal
address. Mrs. Birney spoke OF the strug-
giles Of the great army OF present-day
mothers, and said unswerving love and
devotion to duty are typical Of true moth
ers the world over and Is the aim Of the
mothers congress. The brief services
concluded with the singing OF the hymn
abide With Me-"
President Taft Attends Service.
Numbered among the large congrega-
ton at All Souls Unitarian Church yes
terday morning was President Taft, who
with a large delegation Of members of
the mothers congress, heard DR.. u. G.
B. Pierce. pastor of the church. deliver
sermon dealing with the duty Of the
church to the child as its spiritual ad-
wiser.
Rev. DR. Roland Cotton Smith, rector
Of ST. Johns Church.; Rev. DR.. J. Hen
ming helms, rector Of the Church OF the
Ascension. and Rev. DR.. Charles Wood,
pastor OF the Church of the Covenant, de-
voted much Of their sermons to the SUBJ
ject of the welfare Of the child. Wealthy
style by DIR. Wood. who asserted their
children were unjustly handicapped by
Rev. DIR. w. w. McMaster. pastor ot
the First Baptist Church, took the faith
ers of the present day to task. declaring
the children were neglected and failed
to receive the proper training owing TO
the pursuit OF business and pleasure. and
the placing of the entire duty Of caring
for the children on the shoulders Of the
mothers.