Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-10-31
LAYMEN TO MEET
IN CITY NOV. II
Hundreds Expected to Attend
Will Convene for Two Days
-Banquet a Feature.

Definite progress is being made to
ward organization for the work pre-
liminary TO the coming great tri-city
laymen's missionary convention to be
held in Rock Island Nov. II, IS and IS.
New committees to care for the numer-
ous details for such a large meeting /
have been and are still being arrang-
&c for and the executive committee, !
headed by E. B. McKown, is nearly I
ready for the definite pre-convention
( campaign.
4 1t will be of interest to readers Of
! The Argus to know a little about this
1 great movement Although it origi-
mated but five years ago, it has al
ready held many great conventions IN
/ the different parts of the United
States and Canada, which have been
attended by thousands of registered
and accredited delegates and this
seems the more remarkable when it
is understood that the conventions
are for men only and solely in the
interests of missions.
About forty other conventions are
to be held in different parts of the
United States between now and May l,
1913, but the tri-city convention is the
only one to be held in this part of
Illinois or Iowa.
The movement is national in its
scope and Observation-Disclosures and
educational in character. 1t is not TO
increase the number of organizations
: in the church but to make more eff
!. fective those which already exist. 1t
is inspirational rather than admins
, trative 1t collects no funds and sends
out no missionaries, cooperating with
the regular missionary agencies of the
churches. It's purpose is to educate
and inspire church men in America
to an appreciation of the urgency and
obligation of the missionary task.
AS a result, in the churches of dis
, tricts where conventions have been
| held, the offerings to missions have
] almost without exception doubled A
recent striking illustration of this is
, seen in Waterloo, where a convention
: was held Oct. 20 to %. One
church there whose offering to for
j. already secured over 500 more easily
i. than they secured the s256 last year.
o The movement has the heartiest en-.
q dorsement of all the missionary
boards and representatives from a
n great majority of them generally ap
, pear on the convention programs.
n The tri-city convention will begin
y. Sunday afternoon, Nov. II, with a
q great meeting for men and the two
i, following days will be occupied with
. convention sessions. Monday morn
= ing will be given. up to a session fol
>. the pastors of the tri-cities and visit
:, ing pastors from the outside territory
= included. 1t will close with a banquet
to which 1t is expected 1000 men viii
sit down
The convention is not an end in it
self, but is the nucleus of an educa
tional campaign preliminary to anC
: following thf convention itself; thu
most vital of all being the followul
work.
The executive committee hearth.
invites all churches in southeast low
n and northwest Illinois to send dele
I gates to the convention. There is n
= limit to the number that may be sent
L is suggested that the churches out
side of the tri-cities be represented b
y their pastor and as many laymen a
possible. The only way for eac
church to get the best out of the cor
vention is to be well represented at a
Tany of the sessions as possible, an
particularly at the supper on the clio!
e ing evening. The convention will b
W. self-entertaining, charge of 81 bein
= made to meet the necessary expenses
Executive Secretary Clapp arrive
ct this morning from Waterloo wher
n he has been spending the past fer
IS days in followup work there, and froI
~ this time will give his entire attentio
= to arranging for the tri-city CONVEX
he ton. The Office of the movement
re pa Safety building where all inqui
d, les will be answered and to whic
ou place correspondence should be d