New Britain herald., 1915-01-15
F1rst Congregational Church
 Sh0Ws Gam 1n Wembershib
More Men Than Women Join During Past Year Bringing Total of Males to High Mark - Church Financially
 Successfu--Postpone Election of Officers.

The membership of the First Con-
 gregational church passed the thou
 sand mark during 1914. At the begin l ming of the year there were 9SS menl- ! bers, an increase of fifty-three over l the preceding year The past year
 saw an increase of fifty two, making g 1 the total 1,04O. This report was made 1 by w. C. Hungerford, clerk of the j church, at the annual meeting held 1 last evening in the chapel. 1 One of the features in the growth
 of mem mbership attributed to the work l of Rev. H. w. Maier, the pastor, since
 he assumed charge almost eight years l ago, is the increase in the number of
 men, While the membership now
 consists of 6S5 women and 415 men, | the difference was far greater some I years ago and has gradually been re- | duced This year the membership of | the men was increased by thirty-tWo 1 compared to twenty women and last year thirty-five men were added and 1 eighteen women. Financially the church was also suc- cessful. The most interesting fea- 1 ture of Treasurer F. B. Stanley's re- 1 port was the fact that the pledges l last year totalled $3,442.19, which was within $3O of being the largest amount received in this manner in the | history of the church. 1 Rev. Maier, although expressing 1 satisfaction with the result of the present system of pledging suggested 1 a method of more efficiently canvas l sing the members of the congregation He asked the members to consider 2 plan of having a visiting squad Of l about a hundred call on the different l families. Rev. Maier also asked that each one of the squad to be responsi-- , ble for the pledges of two or three 1 families. Rev. Maier also saked that l the matter of having the seats in the l church absolutely free be considered. Postpone Election of Deacon. One if the interesting matters of | business scheduled to come before the | annual meeting was the election of a deacon to succeed A. Tyson Hancock whose term expired and who, ac- l cording to the order of procedure, is | note eligible for one year. The result l of an informal ballot without nomina- l tion gave Herbert D. Litchfield a 1 plurality of the votes cast. MT. Litch- | field, however, announced that he l could not accept the office and it WAS; 1 voted to postpone the election of a i deacon until the regular prayer meet i ing two weeks hence. The report of the nominating com ] mittee, consisting of E. c. Goodwin, ! Dr. F. w. Peck, and H. S. Blake, did 1 not change the officers, except that 1 A. Tyson Hancock was made a mem Der of the standing committee for 1 three years. The report was approved l and adopted as follows: Clerk and Register-W. c. Hung l erford.
 Corresponding Secretary-Miss JeD- 1 ne l.. Haugh. Treasurer-Philip Stanley Member of standing committee for thrcc years-A. Tyson Hancock. Missionary Committee-F. G. Platt Mrs. C. F.. Mitchell, Mrs. Marcus White, Miss Bertha Chamberlain, A N. Lewis.
 Sunday School Officers. The committee appointed to nomi- nate officers for the Sunday school chose the following, who were elected: General Superintendent and Super intendent of the Adult Department
 E. T. Thienes. General Secretary-Herbert D. , Litchfield. General Treasurer-W. E. Ingham. Assistant Ralph Clapr. Assistant Trea Felt. Classification Secretary-Niss Elsie
 Hess.
 Superintendent Boys Dept-A. T. Hancock.
 Superintendent Junior Dept.-E G. Bradley.
 Assistant, Junior Dept.-Miss Edith 1 Bradley.
 Secretary Junior Dept.-Miss F. 1 Bottomly.
 Superintendent Primary Dept
 Mrs. w. T. Wells. Assistant, Primary Dept.-Mrs w.
 F.. Parker.
 Secretary Primary Dept-Miss c.
 F.. Bentley.
 Superintendent Beginners Dept
 Miss Bertha Chamberlain
 !. Assistant, Beginners Dept-Miss
 Cornelia Chamberlain.
 Superintendent Cradle Roll-Miss
 Mary Whittlesey.
 Superintendent Home Dept-Mrs
 Secretary of Home Dept-Mrs. B.
 O. Choose.
 Treasurer of Home Dept-Mrs. E.
 c. Bradley.
 Librarian-LeWis B. Gibson
 Assista n ts-W. A. Weiant, Howard
 Smith, Francis Deschenes
 Assistant Librarian, Boys Dept
 Leon Bradley.
 Library Committee-Rev. H. W.
 Maier, L. B. Gibson, Mrs. Bennett, F.
 G. Platt, Mrs M. White, Miss Addie
 Ranister, Mrs. Pasco, Mrs. Clary