The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1920-11-13
ANNUAL MEETING
OF OLDER BOYS
OcaIa HonOred by the Presence Of a
Couple of Hundred Budding
Citizens

and many home folks, is doing a fine
thing in entertaining the third annual
Florida Older Boys Conference,
which is now in session in this city.
These conferences are projects of the
Florida State Y. NJ. C. A. and are
part of the vital work they are doing
for Florida's younger manhood. The
0cala conference is arranged for the
benefit of boys in the section from
Tampa to Jacksonville. inclusive.
Other similar conferences are sched-
uled for Miami and DeFuniak
Springs.
The ocala gathering is an unquali-
fed success. The attendance was
limited by those in charge to 200 dele
gates and the boys are on hand. Reg
istrations began early Friday after
noon at the Baptist church in charge
of Mr.. w. T. Gary, Mrs. George w.
Martin, Mrs. Charles S. Cullen and
Mr. Mel Ferguson.
One lao delegates had registered
before the opening session Friday
night and many delegations came in
arrived this morning. st. Petersburg
was here early with a delegation of
20 fellows and their adult leader. De-
Land is here % strong with their
leader, Prof. B. F. Ezell. Orlando
had three carloads here last night and
three more cars came in today Tam
pa,, Plant City and other Hillsborough
night and expected to go to 80 or
more today. Palatka had good
crowd led by Prof. Cassels. formerly
of 1Ocala.
Winter Haven, New Smyrna, Day.
tona, Frostproof, Lake Wales and
several other towns had good crowds.
jacksonville has one of the best dele
cations. The Tampa crowd had some
car trouble on the way and part of
them were late in arriving.
Y. NJ. C. A. leaders, of the state
present include, Messrs. Will F. Nc
Canless of Jacksonville; o. e. Maple
and L. F. Cilley. both of Jacksonville;
A. F. Turner and G. H.. Brown, Tam
la; L. R. Reynolds, Datyona; Secre-
tary Milan of Orlando and others.
The out-of-state speakers are DIR. j.
l.. Kessler, of Nashville. and E. J.
Simonds, general secretary of the Y
at Havana, Cuba.
Conference Officers
The delegates in attendance elected
their own officers at the first session,
which was held in the First Baptist
church last night Keen rivalry mark
ed the several contests and the non-
mating speeches were of the peppiest
sort. The election resulted as fol-
lows:
President, Ray Priest, ocala, who
defeated Richard Powers of st. Pc
tersburg.
/ First vice president, Norman New
SON. Tampa.
Second vice president, Ray Grain,
iiOrlando.
Third vice president, Chandler
Smith, DeLAnd.
Secretary, Ira Thornton, Winter
Garden.
Following the election. President
Ray Priest presided at the session last
might. Each vice president will be in
charge during one session.
The auditorium Of the Baptist
church was filled at the opening ses-
sion, local people showing a fine in
terest in the conference and the visit
ing delegations making a fine show
ing. Addresses wer made by VIII r.
McC cCanless, who conducted the opening
part of the session. and L. F. Cilley,
state Y secretary in charge of county
organizations.
The principal address of the eve
nning was given by DIR. J. L. Kessler,
of Nashville. Taking as his subject,
'.The Upward Climb" DR.. Kessler de-
lighted every hearer The boys heard
him with the keenest interst, and be ii
known that it takes some speaker to
hold the attention of big bunch OF
boys. The eminent speaker is a mas
ter of the art of public speaking. His
delivery is easy, graceful and ef'ec-
tive. He couched a mass of big
Thoughts in the choicest language
Igiying a great message to a great
laudienee. He urged that, in the Cup
ward Climb of Life," his hearers dc
three things-take time, take the
fright road and keep on.
/ The session this morning was held
in the Presbyterian church. It was
made up of group conferences, papers
by visiting boys and addresses by
Alex Lynn. Jacksonville; Hy-Y in oul
School, Hubert Weeks. Tampa; anC
tDr. Kessler.
| This afternoon the football game
lbetween 0cala and DeLand was Z
feature beginning at 2:30 and tn,
great chicken purlo supper anG
1speech-making at Silver Springs is Il
lsolIow this evening. Cars are provid
led to carry the whole crowd to th'
isprings Out there, the speech
iInaking viii be participated in R. I
Anderson Jr., mayor of Ocala. Ma
Mayo, SummerieId. and NormaI
Newsom, Tampa.
Tonight's session win be held il
i<ha Methodist eh11T-eS, and Il 0YaoT, I,