The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-11-13
Tn a n k $ giving Naca-
ton Used for Spirit
ual Conference
STATE Y. NJ. c. A.
ARRANGES MEET
More Than 1000 Ex-
pected At Kalamazoo
Convention

To make the Thanksgiving vaca-
tion the occasion for a great state
wide roundup OF 20i2 boys whose
moral aud spiritual weitarc IL an
openly advertised theme Is some
thing OF an achievement Even hye
years ago such a thing would have
been practically impossible, but
today it is being accomplished in
Michigan. where, undcr auspices
and guidance Of the Michigan
. Young Mems Christian association,
Older boys from every town and
county gather for a day conference.
The big conference this year viii
&c take place az Kalamazoo,
Nowhere in the United States
has there been such large and
SIGNIFICANT meeting of the youth OF
a great state a. took place during
the 1914 Thanksgiving vacation az
Ann ~Arbor. These 5000 hoys, 10
years and over came together there
IN thFee-day conference sitting IN
Judgment on their own standards
of personal conduct and Christian
service and carrying out a program
which william Bryan declared,
after personally witnessing H. 70 be
one OF the most Inspiring sights OF
his life
n ISN'T the usual thing 20 pay
much attention 20 gathering OF
rovs Generally there Is a lot OF
hip-hurrah aud zi.s-boom-ah. with
a generous skriuklng of songs and
cav calls
But here Is something quite diff
f,rcnt from The average annual con
veuiou OF young people In the first
place. Il Is enormous in its propot
tions-w which gives It power much
broader and more effective ihan
otherwise would be the result In
the second place, It is tremendous
I'm n boys life. once he has been
stirred by the deep significance be
hind all these felloss OF his own
age.
We never have had conference
where the response was 20 quick
and the results 40 satisfactory
said ]. a. Van Dis boys work sec
rotary for the Michigan Y NJ, c. a.
The effect Of the conference was
statewide shortly after u took
place. Thousands Of boys have
caught the Christian vision OF SER
vice for the FIRST time; some OF
Them arc going into reffgt0uB or r
NJ c. A. work as a result
The result OF Mr.. Bryan's visit to,
and speech. before the conference
WAS that more than 10000 persons
In the state OF Michigan, a great
majority Of them boys and young
men, signed the total abstinence
pledge. n the pledge means the
same sort OF protection TO Them
that Mr.. Bryan says il has meant
20 him. the direct and indirect re.
suits OF that bne conference will be
tremendous in the manhood OF the
state throughout the years 10 come.
Busy mon and women arc apt to
forget the tremendous boy power
wrapped up in the youth Of state,
II is an energy that Is next 20 i'm
possible 10 impede once 1t is put
into motion. These boys OF the
adolescent period do things, and
they do them because Of that little
-~nart-sf- -ef4iee-ef- -elfsaeFiAeA-eF
altruism that lodges within them
during the progress OF one of these
conferences
In the fact that the boys do the
thing themselves, without the aid
OF their elders, lies the power and
the inspiration of the annual boys
conference. Their own hands,
brains and legs have entered into
the success of the big event-and
that Is a bis thing to boy. having
his part i'm II all Tho encouraging
feature of the conference is that so
many boys can be attracted from
every part of big state TO engage
IT. a thrce-daV discussion OF thelr
moral spiritual and life-worlt prob
lens. AZ least that is one of tho
hip impressions that comes 10 an
onlookcr
Mr. Van Dis SAYS Boys
work Is safety first campaign
We are helping boys 10 save them
selves so We won't have To ,worry
with tho manhood of the state We
think Ct H. much more business Ike
10 form character than 10 reform F.
g.. rho biggest crop IN Michigan is /
her 25o.o00 boys between twelve
aud tysutl- Tho thing we arc after
Sc 90 rot hold ~ tho O. boys ion some
way 80 We can interest them i'm 'hc /
better things Of life The boys /
conference Is ono ~ 'hcm and ~ |
Is the most successful" I