The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-05-17

be double that number in the next
three years Seventy-nine meetings
were held. Four thousand and
eighty-one boys attended the seven
ty-one boys meetings, an average
of GA plus.
Work of Bible Class.
During the winter of 1909-10, it
seemed almost an impossbility to
organize Bible class, either in the
building or at the Commercial col
lege Attempts failed 1901 had
some better results. About forty
five men enrolled with an average
attendance of twenty, in two classes,
taught by Revs. c. B. Osgood and
r. w. Hobbs. This work formed
the nucleus of the larger class this
past year. About dozen or fifteen
men formed themselves into COM
mittee to see that Bible study was
placed on the map. AS a result
this years class broke all records,
not only locally, but / know of no
association Bible class anywhere, en-
rolling as many men or having
such a large average attendance
The extension work, now being
so successfully done through the
Men and Religion Movement com
mittee, is a piece of work the as
ISOLATION should have been doing.
1t was one of the things in mind,
when the farmers institutes were
held. More about this a little later
No missions study class exists in
this association. A group of men
should be making a study of the
mission fields, its needs, advances,
etc, and spreading the information.
Funds should be raised here each
year toward the support of the
the churches raise funds for their
particular UNCONVENTIONAL work. the
association needs TO do something of
this kind to keep itself alive and
awake. These are few sugges-
tons of what has been in the mind
of your secretary, regarding the
religious work.
The educational work has limited
itself largely to club work and some
educational lectures. The Civic club,
organized by the educational COM
mittee, with J. M. Mcconnell as
chairman, two winters ago., has been
most successful club. The first
winter it had eight meetings with
do of
winter eleven sessions with an at
tendance of 40, this winter it had
thirteen meetings with 1919 attend
ance. A notable increase. The av-
erage for the three years has been
fourteen plus. Splendid papers, on
interesting and educative subjects
were presented.
The Glee club might naturally
come under this heading. Three
years of successful work has been
done by this club. The member
ship during the first two years was
approximately twenty. This year
twenty-eight, among them the best
male singers of Mankato, held mem
bership in the club At wind-up
dinner on Monday evening May G.,
at which twenty-five persons were
present, the club organized on
permanent basis, officers were
elected, an executive committee ap.
pointed and the club will be ready
for business in the fall There are
tremendous possibilities for such
club. 1t is a big publicity organi-
Nation for the association.
I'm this connection | want to speak
of the farmers institute, which was
started some time ago. The thought
in mind was, that the association
might serve those living near the
city and do a sort of county work,
such as is done in two or three
points in this state and much more
extensively in others. Some sixty
persons attended one of the morn
ing and a hundred an afternoon ses-
sion of an institute, at which there
was a great deal of interest shown.
Through these it was hoped to show
the farming community that the
association would be glad to serve
them in any way possible. 1t
would acquaint them with the as
ISOLATION, be the means of securing
rural memberships, open the way
for such work as is now being
done on Sundays. also for social
gatherings in school houses, etc., and
for athletic contests and meets. In
a very large way it could touch the
rural community, in time. This is
being successfully done elsewhere.
The Social Features.
During the year numerous social
events were staged. On Oct, 10 al
banquet was given by the ladies
auxiliary to the boys. Eighty-four
were present On October 1, seven
ty attended a Halloween affair. On
October 10, a reception was given
the Mankato Commercial college
boys and a hundred were present.
Another was given on January 15
with one hundred and fifty present.
The Thanksgiving dinner was at
tended by sixty-four boys away from
home and the evening entertain |
ment by hundred and twenty-five.
New Years Day the building was
open to the men and in the evening
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