The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-06-18
123d Annual Convention of
Episcopal Diocese of Ver-
mont Meets in Barre
MANY CLERGYMEN
AND LAYMEN ATTEND
Last Evening a Welcoming
Reception Was Held at F.
G. Howland's Residence

The one hundred and twenty third an
! nual convention of the Protestant Epis
: copal Diocese of Vermont formally wa,
opened at the Church OF the Good Shep.
herd this forenoon at o o'clock by Rt
Rev Arthur c. A. Hall in the presence
of some forty clergy of the diocese and
a hundred or more lay delegates. A
short business session was followed by
a celebration OF the holy communion
and at IL O'Clock the bishop delivered
his annual address
Many of the clergymen arrived on aft
ernoon trains yesterday and with rep
resentation of the laity they were at
the church last evening for evening
Eprayer. which was said by Rev. A. &.
Wilson, rector OF Emmanuel church, Bel
lows Falls. Afterwards reception to
the clergy and laymen was rendered at
the home of Mr.. and Mrs. Frank q.
Rowland 24 French street. Delegates
continued to arrive during the forenoon
to-day and by early afternoon the con-
vention had seated delegates from near
| ~ every parish and mission in the dio-
cese.
/ The business session continued through
the afternoon and the gathering this
evening will be given over chiefly to
consideration OF the missionary work
of the diocese. which is under the direc-
ton Of the bishop coadjutor. Rt Rev.
| William Farrar Weeks, and the diocesan
missionary, Rev. David l.. Sanford. The
convention will continue through to-
morrow. Lay delegates and the clergy
are being entertained in different homes
! b T.. a E, taIz
the sessions are in progress. meals are
served in the basement of the Univer
salist church.
Bishop Hall called the convention to
order at 2 o'clock and the secretary
Rev Walter G. Bernard, rector Of ST.
Luke's church, Chester, read the roll
call for both the clergy and laymen.
Certificates from the delegates from All
Saints church Shoreham, and Trinity
church. Milton, which had been signe-.
rregularly were accepted on motion
from the floor after the delegates from
the two towns had explained the error.
As committee on credentials, the bish-
op appointed the secretary and Rev.
A. G. Wilson.
At $3.50 O'Clock came the first service
of the convention after its formal open
ing, when the bishop, assisted by sew
eral OF the clergy celebrated the holy |
communion. All of the clergy present |
appeared at the service in vestments and |
occupied seats in the chancel. Bishop |
Hall was the celebrant and he was as
sisted by Rev. George Y. Bliss OF st. |
Paul's church, Burlington, and the bish
Dp coadjutor.
Bishop Halls Sermon.
The bishops yearly pastoral was de-
livered with clearness, and friends OF the
diocesan head We're agreebly greeted with
a stirring charge, in the delivery OF
which the bishop lacked none OF his old
time yigor. His address dealt principally
with diocesan affairs and some of the
needs which are particularly pressing
at the present time. The problem OF inn
proving the conditions among the noun
tain dwelers in the diocese was the sub
lect of considerable portion of Bishop
Halls discourse, and in that connection
he urged the clergy to extend their work
beyond the borders of their own charges
wherever possible. Certain missions are
The beneficiaries of diocesan grants. and in
such fields he asked that the work be
pushed as far afield as possible
Upon the newly elected coadjutor bish- !
,p he said, had devolved a certain degree ,
ii responsibility in the missionary work. !
md in addressing his remarks to the /
he appealed for the hearty 5
of every layman. 4
Referring again 10 the missionary !
the bishop declared the cir {
made it incumbent for /
he missioner to rely upon secular halls I
md the friendly loan on the part of 9
,ther church societies of .their buildings 7
or occasional services. The rich oppor- J
unity for missionary work incidentally +
'ffered clergymen chance TO relieve
themselves of the tedium and restric-
ions attending work in a settled and
parish.
Touching upon the campaign against \
he social evil, Bishop Hall reminded his
earers that the church was ever fore
most in the struggle against this pecu-
iarly pernicious form of vice but he de- :
Jared that back OF every piece of legis- n
alton in this direction was the eternal N
all for plain teaching of the moral law, /,
With the assistance of Christian grace.
lie cautioned against assuming neu- s.
raj attitude in the campaign, however. n
Latterly the bishop talked at some G.
sngth on the opening of Bishop Hop "
ins hall az Rock Point after a suspen- K
ion of sessions which has covered y
eriod of thirteen years. He spoke of 4
he loyal efforts on the part Of many q
gain to open the school and said that p
he duty Of the diocese was now plain. :
he school must be supported and for le
: support it depended a good deal on
he hearty cooperation of the diocese at oi
Irrc Its object, he said. was to pro- A
Iote the education Of girls and 10 up OF
old the high standard Of Christian wom- p
nhood. He paid a passing tribute to oi
le newly selected principal, Miss Ellen u
eton Ogden. and other members OF the r
aching staff. n
In dealing with the finances Of the 2,
ocese. the bishop declared that be was q
uly ashamed that his episeopate had
sen marked by a gain commensurately n
rger in dollars and cents than in men ID
n women. He Acknowledged progress.
,wever. and said that the c5urch's con q
nued purpose should BE- 70 promote d.
val and consistent churchmznship fr