The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-05-02
SECOND CONG'L
CHURCH HOLDS
ITS 83RD ANNUAL
600
Chapel Well Filled Despite I'm
favorable Weather
600
CHURCH MEMBERSHIP AIS
coo
After Business Meeting Was Ended
Social Hour Was Enjoyed-Mu.
sic and Refreshments
CHURCH MEMBERSHIP AIS
600

600
The eighty-third annual meeting of
the Second Congregational church
was held in the chapel Thursday eve-
ming, beginning at 730 o'clock. De-
spite the unfavorable weather, cne /
room was well filled with members of 1
the church and parish. gathered to J
hear the various reports, elect offic-
ers and have social good time. |
Mrs Caroline II. Bennett and Miss
Maude c. Belden, with the help of .
palms, ferns, etc, lent by Mrs. John /
S. Holden and Mrs c. W. Thatcher. !
and with the addition of some cut
flowers kindly contributed, decorated
the chapel with such fine taste that
the room never looked prettier, not
even in the day of its conservation
The people congregated for this
greatest church nisht in the year
seemed to have I've come to have an
enjoyable time" written in their faces.
for no more happy and interested
H.. /
The chairs were so arranged as to
prevent any appearance OF formality
and the people sat down as they
would have done in q big drawing
room, no two chairs being set on the
same angle. In front Of the platform
which was adorned with palms and
/ flowers stood the reception com
mittee, insisting of Rev. and Mrs
Mills. Mrs Holly A. Wfkinson Mis-
Hadar Wahlauis Mrs Philip t H
Pierson. Hiram i. Hall. Representing
the various organizations Of the
church.
For one-half hour the people went
forward to shake hands and exchange
greetings with the most cordial feel
ing. Among the concourse of people
! were a number Of young men just re-
turned from the service of their coun-
try. AT eight O'Clock the people
came to order and the moderator,
Rev. George S. Mills, invited the
audience to join heartily in singing
"Blest BE The Tie That Binds
This was followed by prayer, after
which the church clerks report was
read.
The church has a membership of
47S. there were twenty,six additions
during the year; seven were dis
missed by letter, and eight members
passed beyond. The absent list nun.
bers 1875; there are 250 families in the
parish Bibles had been presented to
eleven children at the last Children's S
Day service. There are fifty-six
names on the Honor Roll and to each
one was sent a friendly church letter
last December, in the name of the
church; some of these letters brought
responses and one of them was read
last evening. Special mention was
made of Harvey b. Davenport who
made the supreme sacrifice.
\ very successful Every Member
Canvass was made on the Afternoon
of Sunday December Sth, the resul
of which was much larger numbe
Of pledges both for church expense
and beneyolencies and large amour
of money raised for both objects
The pastor was granted leave of al
sence for six Sundays to enable hir
to go throughout the State in the il
terests of the Pilgrim Memorial Fun
of five million dollars. During thes
Sundays the pulpit has been supple
by some rather eminent clergymen.
A fine large class of young peopl
a 10 Co.,
day, most of them from the Churc
school, Special mention was made
Mrs. George w. Keesemans long an
faithful service as church organis
she having entered her forty.secon
year in that office, of continual ser
ice for the Second Congregation
church, a most unusual record. TT
treasurer, DR. l.. IT, Ross, read h
annual report, which showed that SSl
had been expended during the YET
for purely church and benevolent pl
poses, the large part of which was f
missions.
Miss Hildar Wahlquist, in the a
sence of the secretary. read the
port of the church school. The G
rollment is l79; average receipts p
Sunday, $3.50; average attendan
per Sunday, 30 plus; missionary
ferings S14S22; an average gain
IA per cent is noted for the pa
three months, over the same peri
Of 1918 The Guideboard Sund
school had an average attendance
twenty-one. a gain of two over ID
year. Si4.3S was raised by collection
an average Of 96c per Sunday.
Mrs. II. II. Webster reported for [
Woman's Missionary society; 70
teen meetings had been held with
average attendance OF eighteen.
also reported for the Mission Wo
ers who have held eleven meetin
over one hundred dollars was rails
by these two societies.
The Y. p. $. c. H.. reported throu
Miss Hazel Hawthorne, secretary,
had raised about S2l and given alb,
the same amount to missions. I
society is small but doing &c
work.
Mrs gamuel b Hawks rpportpd