The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1922-04-04
Girl Preacher Raps
Fads of Modern Women
Thirteen Year-Old Girl Gives Advice
To Ministers, Too.

To Ministers, Too.
TULSA. Okla.-Hard knocks are in
store for the Jazz fends, the wearers
of short skirts and peek-a-boo waists,
and the habitues OF the card room and
the dance hall.
Oreita Stoddard's going after them.
She has Just turned IS.
But her influence is mightier than
her years. For Oreita has just been
licensed by the Methodist Episcopal
church as a preacher. She is believed
to be the youngest girl preacher in
the country.
"I'll devote my life to denouncing
what | believe to be wrong, and to
pleading for the acceptance OF re-
ligion," she says.
Raps Short Skirts.
Oreita's attention was diverted by
woman, nattily attired in fashions
latest mode, who passed the porch on
which she was sitting.
ITS wrong for our women and
girls to wear such short skirts as they
are wearing today" she broke out.
Then she glanced down at her own
feet, swinging schoolgirl fashion I'M
der the porch railing on which she
was perched.
IT'S all right, of course, for little
girls" she added.
But the women of today don't
wear enough clothes to keep warm and
to protect their health. They go about
in short skirts, short sleeves and peek
a-boo waists and they take colds when
there is no sense in it.
Ruined Dress.
Il wouldn't be wearing such short
sleeves myself but for an accident at
the dinner table last night. My other
dress was ruined and had to put on
this one and she glanced APOLOGIZE
cally at her elbow-length sleeves.
Oreita doesn't look much like a
preacher. She looked very much like
the little girl that she is as she perch
ed on the rail, with a big black rib
bon tied at her neck, holding in the
blonde hair.
But her rapid flow OF words and
the shrewd look in her blue eyes as
she talked indicated an intelligence far
above that OF the usual child of her
age.
Dancing and card playing are
wrong" she said emphatically. Jesus
didn't do either, and | think we should
follow in His footsteps. | don't think
these things are wrong so much in
themselves, but they lead to other
things that are wrong.
The fast city life that modern girls
and boys are living is driving many
OF them to ruin. 1t is a crime for Off
Gals to allow petting parties and for
young boys and girls to go on Joy
rides at night in automobiles.
Fortunately, however, in every
town there is growing up alongside of
the Jazz followers and 'petting par
ty participants another group of
young people who are religiously in
clined and who will counteract the
foolish acts and the loose conduct of
the others"
None of Oreita's people, as far as
she knows, ever has been a preacher.
She is the youngest of eleven chill
dren and in her home is known as
the baby girl
wanted to become a preacher" she
says. My mind was made up after
/ had attended evangelistic services
dI MldIlll, my nome.
Pm only in the seventh grade at
school now, but I'm going to preach
while I'm finishing high school and
college, and then I'll either get a
church charge or become a mission
airy. l haven't decided which. p
Short Sermons.
The first time | preached | talked
for sixteen minutes. The longest SER
mon | preached was thirty-two min
utes. 1t didn't seem like any time.
think my brother, who timed me, in
cluded my invitation, and what | said
to the women who was converted at
the meeting.
Il don't memOrize my sermons. or
read them either. Audiences don't like
that. | pick my text from the Bible
and read OH it in the books in the
pastors library. Then | make an out
line and talk from that.
Il condense as much as possible.
Short sermons are better than long
ones. People don't ret tired and sleepy,
A preacher should never preach any
longer when his audience begins to
look tired"
Oreita is the daughter Of Mr.. and
Mrs. J P. Stoddard, OF Miami. Okla.
Don'ts by the girl preacher:
For Pastors-Don't preach long ser
mons. When your audience looks tir-
ed stop. Don't read your sermons
Don't memorize your sermons. Your
hearers don't like that kind.
For Women-Don't wear short
skirts, pek-a-boo waists and short
sleeves. Don't sacrifice health for
fashion. Don't permit "petting parties"
by your daughters.
PREVENTIVE MEDICINE.
The tendency OF medical science is