The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-01-25
F|FTY-E|GATH
Anniversary
OF the Unitarian Society Which Was
Hold At the Church
Building Last
Evening.
HAD A SPLENDID SUPPER
An interesting Business Meeting
Outline Of Or. shaffer's In
terestins Report as
Secretary.
HAD A SPLENDID SUPPER

The fifty-eighth anniversary OF the
Unitarian Society of Keokuk was cele-
brated last night when the annual
meeting of the local organization was
held at the church building.
A bountiful supper was provided by
the ladies of the society to be par
ticipated in by TIE voters OF the organ
ization and there we're fifty-six per-
sons served. The ladies OF this society
are proverbially noted for the excel
lence OF the meals served by them and
the rule was more than verified by the
splendid repast spread by them last
night.
The supper over, the meeting was
called to order by Asaph Buck. presi-
dent of the society. and an invocation
pronounced by the pastor, Rev. Ed
ward Hughes. At the conclusion of
this prayer DR.. j. M. Shaffer, secre-
tary of the society, read his report,
which was pleasantly reminiscent
and touching in several paragraphs.
In opening DR.. Shaffer said: The
temptation is great to fall into a
reminiscent mood on this the fifty
eighth anniversary to recite some Of
the trials and triumphs, some of the
failures and successes, and to speak
of the nobility of character, the stead
fastness of faith, the sacrifices, labors
and conflicts, and the never-failing
hope of the loved and loving ones who
have gone into the silence from our
midst. This line of thought must be
broken and we reluctantly turn to the
details Of our work.
For the twe.--e months ending Sep.
TENDER /, 1911, the society was with,
out pastor, says the report. There
were fourteen services held, by diff
ferent ministers called for special &C.
casions Since September there
have been eighteen public services
with an attendance Of 757, an average
Of a. fraction over ~.
The Sunday school, according to the
report, was seriously handicapped
some months by the necessary absence
OF the superintendent, yet the attend
ance at fifty-two sessions, including
the period of the unusual heat and
drouth. was 1882, an average of a
fraction over &c.
The library was referred to as al
ready attractive, through the work and
and skill of the Sunday school girls,
and it is referred to as possessing
many valuable volumes.
There were six meetings of the So
oiety and the trustees had five meet
ings. The greatest attendance at the
annual meeting from 1900 to date was
sixty-five in 1907. The smallest was
twenty-three in 1911, yet on several
occasions in the past less than five
persons were present.
The reports is thus concluded: "The
duties OF your secretary are many
and various, and for fourteen years
been performed with what ability he
has possessed. Further he has taken
great pleasure in the work and feels
assured that the society has a just ap-
probation of what he has faithfully
tried to do. He is not weary of this
duty. In fact he realizes that to part
with care is to lose friend, yet
ssome one else should occupy this
place, take note of its Importance
grasp its responsibility and be pre-
pared to meet the situation when the
present willing hand is no longer able
to fill the function.
This society has kept its faith fol-
more than half century in religion
of common sense. 1t is time to &C
forward and shed further its joyous
light. Others, loved and loving ones
exclude us. Let us continue to in
clude all in our hearts The new
movement now sweeping the land
shuts us out, perhaps because we are
men and have no need of any more