Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-09-27
ADOPT
NEW CONSTITUTION
Most Important Business Before
Baptist Convention in Half
a Century.

Richford, Sept. 25.-The Rev.. T. B..
Hughes OF Bristol was the first speaker
Mt the devotional service at this mornings
session of the Baptist State convention
which opened here last evening. At the
close of that service the Vermont Baptist
Historical society held its annual meeting
with former Governor w. w. Stickney Of
Ludlow, vice-president, presiding in the
absence of the president, the Rev. Henry
Crocker of Chester. An interesting paper
on the Rev. Benjamin Randall, the
original founder of the Free Baptist
Church. was given by the Rev. ]. W.
Burgin Of Lyndon Center. Officers were
elected as follows: President, the Rev.
Henry Croker of Chester; vice-president,
the Hon. w. w. Stickney Of Ludlow;
secretary-treasurer-librarian, the Rev. w.
H. Desjardine of Saxtons River; board of
managers. the Rev. II. B.. Rankin of New
port, the Rev. 1. H. Benedict of Mont
pelier, the Rev. George Z. Gould, d. D.,
of Groton, the Rev. j. S. Brown of Man.
chester, the Rev. c. Il. Gould of Lyndon
Center, J. A. Greenwood of Chester, the
Rev. J. w. Chesbro of Bellows Falls.
The business session opened shortly be-
fore ten o'clock, President ]. n. Barss of
Vergennes presiding. The Rev. F. S. Toll
man of st. Johnsbury is clerk of the
convention. This session was marked by
action upon the most important business
that has come before the convention in
half a century, the adoption Of a new
constitution which will revolutionize much
of the work Of the convention. The report
was presented by Chairman Henry Bond of
B~rattleboro, a prominent layman of
the Baptist denomination and who with
Col. S. A. Illsley of Middlebury made
~ nnccthlQ fnr nuar&y R1ntict n1nrrV-
man in the State to go to Boston last
December to hear Billy Sunday during
his campaign in that city and to at
ten an important meeting of
Vermont Baptists held at that
time. Mr.. Barss called on Mr.. Bond to
preside during the consideration of this
Important matter. After a lengthy dis
cussion and with the adoption of some
amendments the report was adopted
as presented. Serving with Mr.. Bond
on the committee were Ex-Governor
Stickney and DIR. w. A. Dawson Of
Burlington.
The Rev. Robert L. Webb. Phi. D., Of
Newton Center. Mass. gave an address
on 1.-THE Church and the Present
World Crisis" This afternoon a Sunday
school session was held. The Rev. c. A.
Boyd of Burlington. secretary of the
Vermont Sunday School association.
gave an address on Teacher Training:'
Mrs. F. L. Smith of Brattleboro spoke
on elementary Work :" and DR.. Frank
o. Erb of Philadelphia CAV an address
on The Teen-Age." DIR. Erb is editor
of the Teen-age periodicals of the
American Baptist Publication society.
The session this evening was held
at the Colonial theatre. The annual
corpnnp una nraanhed nv tho Raw
George w. Peck, Jr.. Of Rutland, and
an address was given by teh Rev. ].
Y. Atchison, D. D.. Of Boston. The
closing prayer was offered by h Rev.
DIR. J. g.. Braker of Burlington. who
also pronounced the benediction.
At the evening service an enjoyable
feature was the violin solo by Miss
Alma Wilcox, who played Kreisler's
1.-THE Old Refrain"