The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-12-08
STIRRED BY FORCEFUL ADDRESSES
MEN PLEDGE TlIElMSEL YES TO TAKE
PART IN THE RELIGIOUS Nov ZNT

logical brought to a successful end
the Men and Religion Convention
last evening. The address by Mr..
Schaad, who took DR.. Freeman's
place at the last moment, was con-
sidered by many the strongest adj
dress of the convention. The two
conferences in the afternoon, one
conducted by Mr.. Locker, and the
other by Mr.. White and Mr. Medlar
in the adjoining room, got down to
rock bottom in discussing the practi-
cal opportunities and problems of
church work Out of town men at
tending the convention expressed
themselves as more than satisfied
with the arrangements and the pro-
gram.
Several Conferences Held.
Yesterday afternoon the convention
divided into two conferences. A. M.
Locker of ST. Paul, secretary of the
Minnesota State Sunday School as
ISOLATION, had charge of conferences
on Bible Study, Boys Work, and
Social Service in the auditorium,
and w. R. Medler and H. w. White
of Minneapolis conducted conferences
in Missions, Evangelism, and Country
Extension Work in the lecture room.
During the course of the song
service Hosea r. Hammer rendered
"Oh, May My Walk Be Close With
God" in his pleasing and well reg.
ulated tenor voice, accompanied by
Miss Mamie Skuse. Rev. Mr.. Warren
of Vernon Center offered prayer.
Mr. Locker took up Bible study
first and continued his argument and
advice of his forenoon talk. He
urged his hearers to believe in their
work, to put heart in it, and to be
sure that they are engaged in the
greatest work in the world. The
discouraged man does not win. 1t
is the optimistic man who is a
winner, the man who carries smile
that will not come off, who believes
that the world is better now than
it ever was.
When a man gets vision OF OPP
portunity in a community his time
expands and he has plenty OF time to
do things 1t is important to get all
of the members of the Bible class
to work 1t takes tremendous
amount of grace to go to church
each Sunday and just sit in the pew
and do nothing but listen and con-
tribute money. One thing to be dis
cussed is what can be done for the
teaching force of the Sunday school.
The ''big brothers" might be enlisted
to help out as teachers. The pastor
is to do nothing that he can, get
anybody else to do. He is justified
in teaching the Bible class only
when he cannot get any one else
to do it. 1t is well to divide the
men into two classes, one with men
under thirty years, the other with
men over thirty. Most men get
little sense by thirty" observed the
speaker smilingly. He did not favor
a mixed Bible class, thinking that
the best results were attained by
having the men and women in
separate classes.
|. A. PetOn asked what the Mems
Bible class was for, and was answer
ed that it was to study Gods WORD
so as to enable the members TO save
every man, woman and child.
Mr.. Pelton asked whether Mr..
Locker thought that everybody could
be saved and Mr.. Locker was sure
that they could be.
Mr.. PeIton Had His Doubts.
Mr. Pelton came back with an
expression of doubt as to whether
all men could be saved. He said that
if all men could be saved, then
Judas Iscariot could have been
saved. 1t was a matter of each in
,1ividual man. The Master could not
save Judas, so how could we save
the numerous JudaSeS that exist
now.
Mr.. Locker quoted the Bible to
the effect that the Master said that
people ought to do better than He
did. 1t was the duty of Christian
men to bring people into the church,
regardless of what they are, and
without enquiring what they are.
The theological discussion went
on until Rev. E. L. Heermance in
terrupted and led the attention of
the convention into another channel.
The topic of Boys Work was taken
I'D, and at the suggestion of Rev.
Mr.. Heermance, w. d Willard, who
has specialized on the subject, was
asked to take the rostrom and con-
duct the conference. At Mr.. Wizards
request, Mr.. Locker opened the con-
ference with a short address.
Mr.. Locker said that many fathers
made their boys feel that they never
did anything as bad as the boys
they are out of sympathy with their
boys A boy may be commanded at
ten years of age, but not at fourteen.
The boy needs sympathetic treat
ment when he reaches the adde's
cent stage Blessed is the man who
can get into the confidence of
boy. 81 would rather have the con-
fidence of a boy from twelve to
seventeen than that of any other
human being" said the speaker.
From the age of sixteen to seven
teen or eighteen, the boy ought to
be taught by Christian woman of
the finest thought and intelligence.
It is then that the boy shapes his
ideal of womanhood and it never
leaves him, and he falls in love with
it and when he marries he picks
out such wife. Girls of the same
age should have clean man of
high thought and ideals for their
teacher, that they may love just
such man later. The more a
teacher provides for a boy to do
the easier he will lead the boy The
Christian life should reach the point
where it can dominate the play life
of the children