Connecticut western news., 1912-03-28
NOTABLE GATHERING.
Union Brotherhood Supper an Inter-
 esting Event.

estng Event.
 The union supper of the church broth erhoods, held in Pilgrim church social rooms Friday evening, was the most remarkable gathering of brotherhood men ever held in thls town. One hun dred and ten men sat down to the supper efficiently served by the ladies of Pill grim church, and listened to more or less informal talks by several local speakers, and an intensely interesting and enlightenipg address by Rev. Charles J, Ryder, D. D., of New York, secretary of the American Missionary Association, who held the closest attention of his listeners for, more than an hour.
 Before the hour appointed for the serving of the feast, the guests, princi- pally comprising the members of the Pilgrim and Methodist brotherhoods, with several Episcopalians, mingled together in the church parlors, upstairs and down and enjcyinga brief season Of informal social conversation.
 Rev. E. o. Gillette officiated as toast master, with his usual tact. wit and grace. Five clergymen were present. Revs. Gillette, Cornford, Hanna, Tinker and Dr. Ryder.
 MT Cornford invoked blessing and the bountiful supper, served by the ladies, was greatly enjoyed. Following the supper MT. Gillette introduced MT. Louis E. Hester, of the Methodist broth erhood, who read an interesting state ment involving sort of history of the organization and of the'experience of its promoters in awakening the interest of the men in it.
 Mir. Walter King Stone, the artist, who recently became resident of this section, having purchased the Belden property on Belden street. spoke on the Boy Scout movement. Mir. Stone has had experience as a scout-master, and his talk was not only interesting but instructive, and conveyed 8 more ade- quate impression of what the Boy Scout movement means and is doing for the boys, than most of his listeners had ever received before. ..'' f .~
 Mir. Gillette next introduced Mir. D. l.. Peirce, referring to him as one Of our youngest men, in b heart and spirits. MT. Peirce gave a short but appropriate talk. and read the poem, "As to You" which is printed elsewhere in this issue.
 MT. G. Willis Parsons, chairman of the Methodist brotherhood committee. gave an outline of the plans and scope of the Men aud Religion forward move. ment and of It's progress in Canaan.
 The last and principal speaker was Dr. Ryder, whase address was masterful presentation of the problems, in race and religious patriotism, that confront the people of this country at the present time, and winch are hound to become more difficult of solution in the future ,Dr. Ryder, spoke for upwards of an hour, and held the company spellbound by his earnest eloquence, his irresistible humor and spontaneous flashes of wit. His Darration of personal experiences among the people of the Southern states and in our island possessions-particu- larly Hawaii and Porto Rico-was in. tensely interesting and his hearers would gladly have listened to him for still another hour.
 The affair was one in which the offic- ials and committees of the Brotherhoods and the ladies who played such an m portant part, may we'll take pride. and the announcement that similar union supper will soon be given in the banquet room of the Methodist church will be sufficient to guarantee the presence of every guest who had the privilege of attending last Friday nights affair,