Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-12-07
CANDIDATES HERE
PLAN ORGANIZATION
Rousing Meeting At First Metho-
dist Church Last Night.
Fifty Present
SOCIAL AND LITERARY

An effort to provide an organiza-
tion for the candidates for the Naval
Academy who are sojourning in An
napolis. made a most auspicious be-
ginning last evening in the lecture
room OF the First Methodist Episcopal
Church of this city, where about fifty
of these young men gathered. upon
the invitation of Harry G. Gossard, an
instructor at the Academy, who con-
ducts a Bible class for candidates in
connection with the Sunday School of
that church
However the proposed organization
for candidates is by no means limited
TO those who attend this church and
Sunday School One of its main pur-
poses is to encourage attendance upon
some church and other religious serv-
ices. but the effort will be to urge
young men TO attend the services of
the churches to which they have beel
attached and as their parents would
wish. The work is not intended to end
here, but it is hoped that it will af-
ford such social and intellectual bene-
fit to the young men as their time and
situation affords.
I Mr.. Gossard, DR.. Burgan and Major
Riley spoke briefly last night on what
was hoped for the new movement, and
many of the candidates expressed their
views upon the subject All favored
the plans in a most hearty way, and
spoke freely of the kind of organiza-
ton would most meet their needs In
this connection several of them spoke
of the several problems which con-
fronted them in Annapolis A few
thought that the people of Annapolis
\ as whole, were inclined to be un-
! friendly towards them and to blame
them too harshly for everything that
happened. The older speakers al
luded to this feeling, and assured the
young men that such feeling was not
/ general, and that individuals among
the candidates and town people we're
really to blame for such a state of af-
fairs. They were assured that the
great majority of Annapolitans we're
anxious to be friendly and to help
them in every way they could
A committee, consisting of repre-
sentatives from the different schools.
was appointed to draft a general plan
for the organization, and it will hold
a meeting, which will take place at Mr..
Gossard's residence, at West Annapo-
lis, at 4 o'clock next Tuesday after
noon. 1t is likely that there will be a
meeting about semi-monthly, and
there will be both social and literary
features, such as debates and papers.
1t is felt that something of this sort
would be excellent, to prevent the
candidates from getting too much into
grooves.
The meeting last night was a most
pleasant one in itself. A big feature
was an indoor field meet. 1t was
astonishing what laughable stunts
were pulled off in the small space, and
Mr.. Gossard proved himself a genius in
the arrangement of this kind of en-
tertainment. Another very enjoyable
feature was the singing, led by Wal
ter f. Shenton, with Mrs Shenton at
the piano. and, finally, the serving of
refreshments. Undoubtedly, the plans
of the promoters to furnish the means
by which the candidates and the peo-
pie of Annapolis should get better ac-
quainted, and that wholesome enter
tainment should be furnished these
youthful visitors, got a splendid start
last evening.
The candidates will meet again next
Friday evening, at o'clock, in the
lecture roof of the First Methodist
Episcopal Church, and will receive the
report of the Committee. 1t is al
most certain that the organization will
then be formed in a definite way.