The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-10-18
NEW DECATUR HOST ID STATE W. [. I. U: Welcome Addresses Deliver
 ed Last Night THE MEDAL CONTEST Mrs. Groenendyke of New Decatur Delivers Hospitable Welcome to Delegates From All
 Over State
THE MEDAL CONTEST

tonight at 1.30 o'clock in the Cenlrdi Methodist church. New Decatur. There
 are about 100 delegates from all parts
 of the state in attendance and private
 homes have been provided for them'
 and a cordial welcome extended to the visitors. Among the delegates are some Of the best known women of the state
 and some of the most refined and liter
 ary women of Alabama. It is indeed
 | representative gathering of the cul-
 ture, refinement and learning of the
 womanhood of Alabama.
 The convention opened tonight with
 an organ voluntary by Miss Bonnie
 Jervis. This was followed 'by devo-
 tlonal exercises conducted by the Rev.
 F. B. Norton, pastor of the church
 where the sessions of the convention
 are being held.
 That beautiful anthem, God of My
 Life," was sung most touchingly by
 the choir
 Then came the address of welcome by
 Mrs. Emma L. Groenendyke. president
 of the New Decatur union. The re- sponse to the address of welcome was
 delivered by Mrs. Chapel Corey of | Birmingham.
 Mrs. shelton, D. H. Alison and E. R.
 Saunders sang most beautifully The E King of Love My Shepherd Is." Then came a gold medal contest in which the following little girls re- H cited compositions: Clio Lovin. Tn
 simpkin's Wum Barrel;' Muriel Null
 len, Dots Sober Hat Virginia Man
 grum, "A Stray Sunbeam;" Marjorie
 Raney. An Old Mans Story" Wanda
 Hubbard, "The Drinking House Over
 the Way"
 Duet by Mrs. Graham and Mrs.
 Camody.
 Presentation of the gold medal.
 The session tonight closed with a
 social hour" conducted by Mrs, John
 D. Wyker. All the visitors were intro
 duced to and became acquainted with
 the people of the Decaturs during this
 hour and pleasant social gathering
 was the result
 Tomorrow the business of the con-
 vention will be taken up and tomorrow
 night Mrs. Florence Ewell Atkinson of
 Nashville will deliver an address Mrs.
 Atkinson is national organizer for the
 W. c. T. U.
 The address of welcome by Mrs. Elm ma L. Groenendyke of New Decatur was | highly appreciated. This address fol- lows:
 II Welcome Address
 1 By appointment of the New Decatur 1 W. C. T. U., l have the happy privilege 1 of extending to the members of the state l W. C. T. l.. a welcome. We think we l have very wise state executive commit | tee because that committee thinks just l like we do-that New Decatur is the prop CT place to hold the convention of 1911 | We are very proud of our city for many reasons. Our situation is ideal; in | the center of the famous Tennessee val l Icy and it's capabilities for agricultural possibilities are unsurpassed. Two rail- | road systems are here and here flows | deep and blue our Tennessee, giving ac- cess to every part of the state with ease. l Our commercial advantages have no su- l Lerior in Alabama. It is a splendid city
 ia which to live. Our streets are most l beautiful: our miles and miles of side | walks. made of cement, give us access l to every part of our city. Our school fa | oilities are of the best. In the Twin Cities 1 we have six schools, two of which are | high schools with as fine a corps of I teachers as we can obtain, and as for our l boys and girls, they are the most valu- | able asset in the state. We have numer
 ous churches with splendid pastors and beautiful buildings. These with the hearty cooperation of the Y. M. c. A. and its efficient secretary, MT. N. B. | Peak, insures us everything pursuant to | Christian happiness. Our name is fla milar throughout our state. Our local government is not ideal, but it is saloon | less, and every delegate can feel perfect | ly safe to pass up and down our streets | with no saloons on any of the corners l CT in the middle of the blocks. l since first We heard of your coming | We have been busy planning. anticipating, | hoping and praying for a great, good con- l vention, and everybody seems glad. 1t made feel good to see how eager | everybody has been to help you have a good time and profitable meeting with | Us. No one has objected to serve on ! committees, and when our committee on l homes began to work, the people saw i them coming, the doors were flung open 1 and they are still standing open wide. 1 People who are not members of the union have come and asked to allow them the privilege of having you with them during | the convention.
 Even the Boys and Girls
 When writing loved ones at home, do not say you are stopping with Mrs. B. on l sherman street or staying with Mrs s. on Line street. but say you are at home with Mrs. B. or Mrs. C. Our boys and l girls have the w. c. T. U. shiboleth snd will give you friendly greeting. The l little folks are so eager to make things Peasant for you that the broken wagons | end wheel barrows and rag dolls are all cut of sight. The boys and girls all know the mercy department belongs here and 1 tie dog and the cat are even having a 1 rest Everything and everybody greets | you because you represent the best things women can stand for. The ladies have | teen cleaning houses and arranging for l your comfort and pleasure Even the | voters got busy and the fever reached l the county, and so the men had clean | irg up day and on September II they | swept the whole county dry.
 Last week the weather man got busy and gave us several days of rain to wash off the summer dust and now the sun I shines and the grass and trees are fresh and green asSspring to greet you
 l we welcome you to this church; you l must feel free and at home, for it is yours while you stay. But you must not for moment think this is the only church that would love to entertain you The Baptist. Presbyterian and Christian churches are all open to you.
 Our telephone girls have had much
 extra work to bring about the success of
 this convention and they have been love- ly We have press in our city that has
 been most liberal The Daily Telegram
 has the past week given itself to telling
 about the convention. The Morgan Coun- " Times, county weekly, always rings true and has extended the glad hand. 1 The New Decatur Advertiser has also