Norwich bulletin., 1911-11-25
SILVER ANNIVERSARY OF
PARISH HOUSE ASSOCIATION
Observed in Ossood Memorial with
Reviews of Its History-Gift to Mrs.
Syminoton.

The Parish House association of
Park church celebrated it's 25th ami
versary on Friday evening by holding
an enjoyable meeting in the Osgood
Memorial, at which there was a large
number present. The melting was con-
Quoted by the president. Mrs. Henry
It. Arnold, and after the usual reports
by Miss Elizabeth Pullen. secretary,
and Mrs. Frederick Symington. treas
urer, a special programme of music
and papers was enjoyed. These pro-
grammes were printed in silver as SOU
venirs of the associations silver an
niversary.
The first number was a song, Cow
ems Border Ballad. given in good style
by Eugene B. Seamans of Mystic, a
member of the church choir, which
was warmly applauded and followed
by Vannah's Goodbye, Sweet Day.
A violin solo by Miss Lucille Peck
was also finely rendered and de-
mand for more of her "siivery tones
responded to with a Berceuse by Stru-
be.
Growth of Parish House Fund.
Mrs. Frederick Symington. who has
been the treasurer during the twenty
five years told of THE Growth of
the Parish House Fund"
From the first ten cents given as a
membership fee to the present fund of
$4,000 has been a great advance. Be
sides this, the association provided
the furnishings of the parish house at
membership payments of varying
amounts, and gifts large and small.
as well as the proceeds from fairs aad
entertainments. have all contributed
toward the growth of the fund The
association still boasts the names of
80 of it's first members out of a pres
ent membership of little over 100.
Gift of Silver Dish.
surprise for Mrs. Symington came
in the shape of a silver dish from the
society in recognition of her faithful
service. Mrs. William II. Allen made
the presentation speech, which was a
clever piece of rhyme expressing their
thanks for guarding their cherished
hoard and increasing it by almost wiz
ard sense and wishing her health,
wealth and a silver Inning to every
cloud Another song by Mr.. Seamans.
Lohr's When Thou Art Near, was Civ
en- with taste and expression and cali
ed forth the encore number, Neidlin-
gers He Is Hoping.
Now and Then.
The Parish House Association
Now and Then. was the title of a de-
lfghtful paper by Miss Amy l.. Cogs-
well. She said:
twenty-five years. 1t does not seem
so very long ago that a company of
girls known as the Young Ladies' Mis-
sion circle, gathered at their presi-
dents house to discuss plans for
projected entertainment. We found
ourselves bahied on every side. There
was the inadeQuacy of the chapel ac-
commodaticns for one thing. Then.
some people spoke in acid terms of
Park church restaurant" Others did
not think il right to sell tickets-tfiey
thought admission to all parts of
church building should be free.
Can anyone wonder us girls sput-
tered and felt ourselves aggrieVed
We resolved TO do something about il.
We would start at once TO work for a
fund with which to build a parish
house. and we would call a meeting in
the chapel to talk it over and form a
society-and call il We did in October,
1886. Many of the old guard are here
tonight and find ourselves invested
with certain dignity as a company
of founders of a society. Makers of
history
Miss CosswelI then gave an amusing
description of the way they looked in
those days when Mrs. Langtry set the
fashions for the world and everyone
followed with patient fidelity, quite re-
CARELESS of form or feature or the gem
eraI fitness OF things. However, the
first officers We're elected and the first
entertainment planned
A Yellow Tea.
This is down in the records as a yell
low tea Teas were regarded as func-
lions and more or less serious minded
and elaborate This proved successful
and we entered upon our second un-
dramatic entertainment given in Breed