Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-01-25

Fred Smith found himself dreanini
about that magnificent plan Of reli
gieas work. One morning., early n
May, 1910, Arnold walked iIito hi
chiefs office.
a want one more ohance'fo put thi!
idea OF minc up to the staff" he said
and I'D like it now -. - - -.
Smith SHOT glance AZ the tai
Young man and saw that he was ii
dead earnest So Smith pressed i
button, and when his secretary re
sponded, he said: "
'Lathrop, send word to the seere
taries TO meet in my office at once.
Starting the "Impossfkie."
I Soon these men began to file into
the room, and when all were seated
Smith motioRed to Arnold, who begar
an urgent plea for them to 90 head
with the idea that HAD become a life
passion with him.
/ If you refuse this time, he said II
tconclusion. "I shall. resign my position
on the international committee, AMI
so out singie-handed into the cities
Of America: enlisting an army of me.
who viii join me !"
There was a momens or silence
Then Fred Smith arose to his fest
Gentlemen" he said, we cannot take
the responsibility Of turning down this
proposition again. Arnold has thought
5 Il. over for months In spite OF our re
peated refusals, he still thinks II can
succeed. Frankly, 1t seems almost as
impossible to me now was when he first
suggested II. However, viii call q
Tneeting Of delegates representing all
brDtherhoods, clubs. and other men's
societies in Jhes other churches, and
let them decide. | win send out inYf
tations today, appointing this confer
icnce for May 1.-TWO weeks hence. "
II Arnold was jabilant, he did not
show it He merely said confidently.
The Brotherhood win take it Ap. The
nod scafions Of that meeting fer con
ference went flying out through the
mail as fast as they could be written.
and Smith was astopished at the Inn.
mediate responses, Then, aWeek b.
fore the meeting. Harry Arnold col
lapsed. And when the country had
become aroused with the spirit OF the
Men and Religion Forward Movement:
when ten thousand committee In
! The seventy-six largest cities were
working and planning: when neWspa.
pers through the whole Land were pub
liahfng pictures and artieseS Concern
hf Il. when the opening engagement
- Me- tAinp1f9fi was 1Eti1 Iiy Under
way in the city Of MinneaDoli Harry
Arnold was where he had been for q
year and q haif--at a sanitariHm In the
Adirondacks, with O hole IN his lungs.
The man whose dream has now come
true is having no part In the activities
that are gripping millions Of men For.
tunately, however, he recovered sosfar
that he was able to 90 from the AAiren-
daeks to Eoise, Idaho, where he ID
again gradually getting into the work
ofs3 Y. M. g. A. secretary.
Ifnfiediately after that meeting OF
brotherhood men in May; 1910, e1isued
three, months suf almost superhun1an
work On the part OF Fred B. Smith and
his staff. in the religious work depart
ment of the national Y. M. G. A. and
the following October a national con.
ference was called at Buffalo, Of men
representing practically every branch
of the Protestant church In Canada, as
!, well as in thes United States. Two
hundred and sixty-two delegates repre-.
scented seyenty-two cities in thirty
three states and provinces. They spent
days and nights In conference, and de-
sclded upon an enormous number OF de-
tails These delegates were men en-,
gagged in mercantile, financial, and
manufacturing enterprises. -
u They had dropped business RESPONSE
lSbilities and had travelled in some
cases thousands OF miles to attend the
conference, because they believed that
nothing could be of greater importance
10 our people and our country than to
arouse the spirit of sincere religion so
that men would conduct their daily af.
fairs in accordance with Ii. Thus was
fasTiy started this wholesale effort to
release practical Christianity from
cold storage and set il at work in the
community. As soon as possible after
ahis conference a national committee
of niuety-seyen was formed to conduct
The continental campaign as whole.
Members were chosen at every van
ltage.point in the continent Next, a
local committee of one hundred bust
ness and professional men was formed
in each of the seyenty-six great cities
in the United States and Canada.
where it was planned TO hold cam.
paigns Of eight days each. Then
each local committee was pledged to
interest actively the ministers and
laynlen of surrounding towns and vii
lagos, and from fifteen to thirty of
these auxiliary towns" as they are
called, were linked UP to each cam
paign center.
Campaign Well Organized.
Fred B. Smith, the campaign leader
in charge of the whole movement,
found it necessary to have q small,
compact staff of officers who we're
willing to give their entire time and
attention to it, if required. In similar
fashion, the chairmen and secretaries
in the campaign centers had to be as
! sisted, and Mr. Smith issued orders:
Rent suitable offices, hire clerks and
y.la IN oh a nj