Norwich bulletin., 1917-01-19
CHURCHES HOLD ANNUAI MEETINGS
Live Reports Presented and Officers Elected at Annual Cath erinss of Central Baptist Members-F. J. Leavens Again Treasurer of Broadway Chuch-Fourth Quarter ly Conference at Methodist Church.

Two churches of the city. Centrs
 Baptist and Broadway Congregations
 held their annual meetings on Thurs
 day evening and the fourth ouarterl Icopaf church was held at that churc q Thursday evening also.
 Il At the Central Baptist church tn evening opened with the annual churc
 supper served at 6.30 o'clock. Tn
 menu follows:
 I Clam Chowder
 IS Meat Loaf Cold Tongue
 Potato Salad Pickles, Roll I Tee Cream.
 The business meeting was called t order by the pastor. Rev. Joel B. Slo lcum. D. D.. and after the openinl hymn the first matter was the read ing of the minutes of the previou meeting by Church Clerk Allyn L Brown. The minutes were accepted a read. The matter or reports wa next taken up. The reports were cir culated in booklet form and after be 1 Ing read were accepted as a whole. Smith showed a substantial balance or i! Trustees Ninth Report | The ninth annual report of the trus- 1 tees, A. Thatcher Otis, Charles w | Gale and Henry E. Church. was next
 heard. It showed the trust funds in excellent condition.
 The deacons' report signed by Chas R. Gallup, secretary, was as follows: Although we have had no revival or year 1916. yet there have been twenty eight additions to the church by bap- tism and thirteen by letter and ex- perience. The work has been done in way, and God has blessed the prayers and efforts of His people.
 The vote of the church to adopt the hve-year program, as suggested by the Northern Baptist Convention, we hope may prove blessing to each in dividual member. 1t will give us something to work for, even if the out line is not carried out in full.
 We have met our apportionment and paid our church beneficiaries for the past year.
 Through their president, Charles D. Moves, the board of managers report ed as follows:
 The past year has been rather quiet and uneventful. Five meetings have been held. Attendance has been good and deep interest in the business af- fairs of the church has been clearly manifested.
 The various committees of the board have handled matters entrusted to them with good judgment and marked ability, and the year ended with all bills paid and a balance in the church treasury.
 The church auditorium is in fine condition.
 No mistake was made when you voted that the trusses supporting the roof of the church should be thorough 1y reconstructed. Careful inspection shows that the work then done was a perfect success and that the roof is now absolutely tight for the first time ~, work involved quite a large expendi- ture and added very materially to the expense of renovation and decoration, which was carried through at the same time.
 Three Year Pledges.
 The three-year pledges. with which these costs are expected to be paid within that time, have now been in eff feet for one year, and the record shows. that a substantial amount of the debt has been extinguished. We will have to do better however, for the next two years, or this object will not be fully attained within the three-year period A little more effort on the desirable result. Is it not well worth trying for?
 The changes in the seating of the church auditorium, due to widening of and widening and strengthening of aisles, rendered obsolete the old plan I of the seating, making it practically useless. The church is under obliga- tion to Mir. Raymond Grant. who vol unteered to make a new plan in ac- cordance with changed conditions. The work is complete and the diagram is in use.
 This was happy thought on the part of our brother and has saved the church from quite a bill of expense.
 It is pleasing to note that the trust funds are increasing in a substantial manner. The objects of these funds are without doubt carried deeply in the minds of many of our members and further increase may be confl- dently looked for in coming years.
 Pledges for 1917 expenses are not fully received, but are expected to at least equal those of last year.
 Let us pray for a substantial in crease which will enable the church to further broaden its work and greatly advance the cause of the Master.
 Other encouraging reports were heard from the following departments:
 Baptist Young Peoples Union, Miss Mildred A. Smith, secretary; The Vine yard Workers. Miss Helen B. Moore Ladies Benevolent Union, Susan W. Sevin. secretary: Progress | sive Missionary club, Mrs. John H. l Ford, secretary; Farther Lights so- ciety, Freda E. Moves. secretary.
 Marked Interest in Italian Work.
 Joseph W. Carlevale, Italian mis- read his report as follows:
 The Italian work during the past l 7ear has been conducted with marked 1 interest: Devotional services have l ,een held every Sunday morning in | Bushnell chapel, at 10.45 8. m, and | rave been largely attended by tha Ital- ans connected with the mission.
 The missionary has made many calls l mong his people residing in the city, | whether or not they have been con lected with his department
 1o fIo | ng the English language has been continued during the year with an av- rage attendance of eight. It has 'een very interesting to see the prog ess that has been made by the mem 'ers of this department who have attended its sessions during 1 he past three years
 It is gratifying to report that sev- | ral of our members have accepted esus Christ as a personal Saviour, | nd three of our young men have been aptized and joined the church.
 We ask your prayers for this branch | f the work during the year 1917.
 As superintendent of the Sunday