Norwich bulletin., 1915-05-14

convention at the $50. annual session
held in the Church of the Good Shop
herd. Morning and afternoon sessions
were held on Thursday, the convention
having been, adjourned from Wednes-
day evening, and the morning session
was preceded by a conference meeting
in the conference room with Herbert
f. Belden of Hartford presiding.
Ideals VS.. Accomplishments.
The conference opened at $50 o'clock
with the singing of Love Divine. with
Miss Carrie Champlin at the piano.
Mr.. Belden read the scripture and
prayer was offered by Rev Joseph F.
Cobb. The subject upon which Mr..
Belden spoke was Ideals VS.. Accom-
plishments. Mr.. Belden said we need
some of the Billy Sunday inspiration
to awaken US to a realization OF our
shortcomings and inspire US to greater
Christian effort. Where would your
business be if you let it slide as you do
your church? How much secular edu-
cation would your children get if you
thought as little of their attending day
| school as you do of their attending
Sunday school? Oh for a Jonah, even
though in the past he may have been
| asleep under a gourd vine, who would
| come among us and preach as that
prophet of old did to the people of
| Ninevah.
What can this present convention
| mean for the churches of our state?
! How would it be possible for an in
| f1uence to start from this very days
| proceedings, that might revitalize our
| several parishes, leavening them with
| the true leaven that comes from heav
| en-, making them power plants from
| which radiate into the hearts and
homes of all their members the vital
| izing, refreshing, uplifting influences
| of the Masters gospel of love and
good cheer, instead of our continuing
| to let them remain houses of rest,
where we may possibly go on sunday,
| if we are unable to think of or plan
| for nothing that can take US away;
| there to enjoy one day of rest. Is it
| any wonder that we are not growing?
| That many of our churches are dead?
| That ministers are few and that men
| to. manage the business end Of our
| churches as they manage their factor
i les, stores or offices are not. to be
! found, to say nothing of deacons for
| our churches and teachers and super
| intends for our Sunday schools
| What will we do with our ideals?
Hold them like a light under bushel,
| or set them up on the candlestick
| which we have planted in our several
towns, which candlesticks we call our
| churches where the ideals may shed
forth a brilliance and radiance that
! shall tighten all the dark and gloomy
corners of mems hearts, filling the
world with a warmth of love, that
| shall melt all the enmities and preju-
| dices with which the world is filled,
welding the human race into world
brotherhood where love and not hate,
| cooperation and not antagonisn, help
| fulness and not harmfulness, have be-
| come our ruling passions.
Millennium Would Be Here.
Would there then be any controver-
| sy between our ideals and our accom-
| plishments? No, the millennium would
| be here, for we would then be truly
| living the life of the great universal
| brotherhood, of which the Great Je-
| hovah, our Heavenly Father, is the
Lord and Master, and of which our
elder brother, the gentle yet mighty
Jesus, was the perfect example. We
| should then find our churches had be-
come real centers of helpful and re-
| genera ting influences, pulsing with life
| and love- and even stricing to improve
| and strengthen the bands that bind US
as brothers of our Father into the
universal family of the Almighty.
| And it will come, for we as Univer-
| salists believe in the final consumna-
ton of good. How much we really
believe in that wonderful universal
| salvation will be shown by the way we
| attack the problems presented by their
| corn erstOne, by which we do when we
| which we become in men and women
more than we have attained so far.
The morning session was presided
over by President Charles A. Lincoln
OF ddfIIOfd ana the minutes were kept
! by Rev. T. A. Fischer of New Haven,
| while Rev Joseph F. Cobb was session
clerk.
Gain of 81 Members.
The secretary reported on the meet
ing held Wednesday evening and sew
| eraI of the committee chairmen, includ-
| ing those on social service and fellow
| ship, reported. The statistical report
was laid over and the secretary was
authorized to have the report printed.
| The secretary reported that there was
a gain of 81 members in the churches
this year over last year. Greetings
from the cradle roll department were
presented by Mrs. Fischer and she ex-
pressed the hope that the Importance
of this department would be more fully
realized.
Recommendations.
In his report Rev. F. A. Dillingham;
of the official reports committee touch
ed on the depreciation of the income
of the invested funds and the fact that
the treasurer's report showed the usual
balance, Notwithstanding The report
commended the efforts made in Water
bury and New Britain and the clerks
of the parishes were urged to keep
accurate accounts and to render these
accounts to the convention. It was
recommended that the president Of the
Woman's auxiliary make annual re-
ports to the state convention. 1t was
|
conferences and to invoke the agency
of the superintendent to secure new
| pastors and for other matters.
Other recomm endations were that
the treasurer when he sends out his
notices to call attention to the bylaws
with reference to the requiring OF
yearly contributions from every par
ish in accordance with its ability; that
the convention continue to give its
support to the several organizations
and that the executive board of the
Y. P. c. .. appoint a speaker for the
state convention.
It was voted that the money ex-
pended for missionary work should be
for the propagation of the faith OF
Universalism.
, 1t was announced by the secretary
that the biennial general convention
and general Sunday school convention
| is to be held in Pasadena ond Los An
geles during July and it was voted that
the following represent Connecticut in
the general convention:
Mrs Emma Howe, Miss Marjory
Howe, Miss Belle c. Davis, Miss Grace
Davis, Hartford; Mrs. Augusta Fich-
er, Miss T. A. Fisher, New Haven:
Mrs Doolittle, Meriden: Wallace A