The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-12-29
REV. ID. E. TROUT RESIGNS.
CONTINUED from Page L.

II years ago, when that church merged
with the Highland Baptist church. 1t
raised $4,000 at the time of the million
dollar drive The membership has dou-
bled during DIR. Rice's pastorate and now
numbers between $50 and 400. The sal
airy is considerably larger than is paid
here.
With one exception Rev. Mr. Trout has
been in Brattleboro longer than any other
of the present pastors. Besides his work
here he has had charge of the churches in
Vernon and Guilford Center. preaching
afternoons in those places on alternate
Sundays part of each year.
His work here has been of the construc-
tive kind that has left its impress in
many fields of activity and has made him
deServedly popular with all classes, espe-
cially the young people. His preaching is
logical and forceful, of a type which has
led to frequent calls for public addresses
both here and elsewhere. Two occasions
which he is pleased to recall, on which
he gave addresses, were the dedication of
the soldiers memorial tablet at the foot
of Main street and the welcome service in
the Auditorium after the soldiers returned
Rev. Mr.. Trout was born in Springfield
Ohio, Nov. i, 1881, a son of Aaron p and
Mabel (Farr) Trout. His early educa-
ton was obtained in the Springfield gram
mar and high schools, and for three years
he attended Wittenberg college in that
city. In 1903 he entered Tufts Divinity
school in Medford, Mass. where in the
following year he received the degree of
Bachelor of Arts and from which institu-
ton he graduated in 1907. receiving the
degree of Bachelor of Divinity, also the
degree of Master of Arts in sociology. He
was chosen representative of the divinity
school for the Tufts commencement exer-
cises. delivering an Grafton.
While In Wittenberg he became mem
a n M %. !
participated in athletics, including base
ball and basketball. In the high school
he was on the star football team At
Tufts he belonged to the Musical club
playing mandolin, and for two years he
was violin soloist with the Tufts Divinity
Concert company.
Immediately after his graduation in
1907 he came to Brattleboro as resident
pastor of the First UniversaliSt church
which extended him a call in March of
that year. Since then about $50 persons
have been received into the church mem
bership, which now has an active mem
bership Of BIT. The church has attained
leading place among the Universalist
churches of the state in activity and in
1uence. During the million-dollar drive
last year this church subscribed not only
its quota of $4,000 but 81 800 in addition.
ana all OF 1t was given to the general
cause, none of it being retained for home
work, which was record that but few
churches made. The pastors salary has
been more than doubled.
During Rev. Mr.. Trouts pastorate the
Sunday school has been fully reorgan-
lied. this and all the other church organ
IZatlons are on a sound working basis.
i he Sunday school has an active member
ship of 179. which is as large as il ever
has been, and there are 10 in the primary
department. The Y. =. c. L. is in a flour
fishing condition with a membership of
90; the Daughters Circle, composed of
young women, has been organized under
the present passionate and has about 40
members: the Mission Circle and the
Ladies' Circle are active branches of the
church work; and the Boy Scouts troop
organized in 1915 has been in continuous
existence. This was the first church i'm
town to institute a series of evening illus
trated lectures, beginning in 1909.
Since he began his pastorate here Rev.
Mr.. Trout has received letters from more
than % churches, some Of them in large
cities, asking if he would consider calls.
In the state work Rev. Mr.. Trout has