Norwich bulletin., 1917-05-21
Ex-PRESIDENT TAFT VISITS NORWICH
Was Principal Speaker Y NJ C. A. Anniversary Service
Sunday Evening-Seventeen Hundred People Thronged
Davis Theatre Hear Former Head of U. S. Govern
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greatest number. While all the classes
have maintained their usual interest.
the class for business men has been
unusually enthusiastic during most of
the season, and this is certainly a
healthy indication: more and more the
business and professional men are
realizing the need which the associa-
ton gymnasium supplies.
The social life of the associa ton has
never been more constant than during
the year just c-osed and our young
men are coming to make the building a
social center to meet and greet their
have been greatly enjoyed by large
numbers, the aim being to reach diff
ferent classes.
The members course of entertain
ments was perhaps the most popular
ever held in the building, the pa troiage
being very gratifying to all.
The Boys Department.
No department is more important
than the work for boys, and the past
year has seen splendid results among
the younger element in our member
ship While we have taken good care
Of the social and physical nature of
the boy. the efforts put forth for his
moral and spiritual development have
been wei directed and we feel conf
dent that lasting impressions have
been made on the lives of those who
are yet in the plastic period.
While we do not underestimate the
results accomplished in this most i'm
portant department, we realize that we
are laboring under Il real handicap
because of the fact that we have no
distinctly separate rooms for the boys
work, and this condition can only be
brought about by the securing of a
new and up-to-date building, and when
this is accomplished the work for boys
will be greatly increased in quantity
and quality
Our educational work has not been
large, but with the increase of men
coming to the city we will doubt -ess
be able to enlarge this department dur
ing the coming year.
One of the encouraging feature of
the work of the past year has been
the success of the dormitory. Never
before have the rooms been so con-
stantly occupied: indeed. they have
the time, and we have been obliged to
say mo rooms vacant" to fully 200
men during the past Il months This
certainly shows the great need Of e
ing rooms, but this is impossible of
course in the present building. The
receipts from the dormitory have been
the largest in our history.
The Woman's Auxiliary.
Again it is a real pleasure to speak
of the splendid and unseIfsh service
OF our Woman'S auxiliary without
which our work would certainly suffer-
Every call has been met with a hearty
response, and when the appeal was
made for their financial assistance for
current expenses they measured fully
up to the call, and a few weeks since.
when their cooperation was sought
for the new building enterprise. their
interest took the form OF a pledge Of
$1,000.
With full hearts we say: God bless
the women of the auxiliary.
We are now confronted with great
task. that of prosecuting a campo ign
for new building, and the task calls
for tn enthusiastic support of every
one VINO has any interest whatever in
cur glorious work for young mea and
boys. This is a day of great things.
and in order to accomplish these great
Things there must be in our hearts a
royal spirit of sacrifice. and I verify
large measure. God has wrought mar
vels through his faithful children, and
He is still on His throne, and will
prove in the coming days as in the
past that He is bigger than any prob
lem, and still able to do exceedingly
abundantly above all that we ask or
think
The Bass Clef double quartette rem
dered selection and then President
Case introduced Mayor Allyn /.
Brown, who welcomed Mr. Taft to the
city in behalf of the people,
Mr.. Taft as he arose to speak re-
ce1Ved big ovation. Everyone stood
up and paid their respects to the for
mer chief executive of the country.
MIR. Taft's Former Visit
Mr.. Taft referred to the pleasure
that it was to meet the people of Nor
witch again The first time that he
was here was during the 250th ami
versary and it was when he was
president Of the United States. He
said he was glad TO be here again. es-
pecially on an occasion of this kind
The Y. NJ. c. A. in my judgment is
the greatest instru~lentality, excepting
the church, to promote Christianity
throughout the world, he saE Your
association is not denomination and
your ministrations are for men of
every creed and race Mr.. Taft refer
red to his observation on the work of
the Y. NJ c. A. while in the Philip
pines. When a young man goes from
this city, this country or these neigh
borhood surroundings into the far
Orient he meets many temptations.