New Britain herald., 1928-01-13
B1iaias Committee Reports
 on New Home Of First Ckurch

" xuSI VUUJCH ments. These plans were then sub jected to careful study by the sub, committees and. at this stage. 1t Wa. decided to call in 2 consulting ad- visor to assist the subcommittee or parish house.
 After survey of the field an interview was held with Henry E. Tralle with the result that he has been engaged to advise with the committee and with the architect.
 Extensive study by MT. Scott's committee on the plans presented for the parish house, the conclusions of which were" confirmed by MT. Tralle. has indicated that some of the requirements for religious edu- cation. as laid down 8 year ago, should be revised. The new require ments differ sufficiently from the data originally presented to Mir. Brooks to indicate that his first lay out would not adequately meet the situation.
 There has not been sufficient time since MT. Tralle's last confer once with the architect to develop new studies to present to you at this meeting but I am pleased to state that two new studies are nearly ready to come before the executive committee for their further consid- eration.
 T think it only fair to state that the shape of the Lexington street lot, its size and the existing building restrictions present to the architect difficult problem as to how to work out plans for the church audi torium and for the quite compre- hensive requirements of religious education and social work. This difficulty is in no way lessened by the fact that the result must be sat- isfactory from an architectural as most important of all, come within our pocket-book.
 We are not going to attempt, at this meeting. to present details of the arrangement of the church or parish house, since these are still subject to many possible changes. We do, however. want to bring out few important points.
 Tn a report of a year ago, it was approved to provide a church audi toriy, {o ( now believes it would be wiser to plan for a seating capacity of $40, which is practically the same as in the present church, and would ask your approval. If this is done, the seating arrangement of the floor of the church will be the same as in the present building except that two rows of pews will be omitted to give more passage room at the front and rear and the middle bank of pews between the two main aisles will be reduced by one sitting in each pew. This will result in sittings on the main floor for 5G0, as com- pared to present of 672, in the side
 
 lery for 12o, making a total of S44.
 You will note that I have men tioned rear balcony. This is to be made possible by locating the or gan and choir at the front of the church in a space behind the pulpit which change we believe conforms to the majority of present day church arrangements
 eve hope that, later in the year, 1t will be possible to call a special meeting of the church and to pre- sent a set of plans which, as far as your building committee can esti- mate. will both meet the require- ments of the church and come with in the means of the church."
 Other reports submitted at the meeting follow:
 Report of the Pastor
 Just two years ago today, you in stalled me as pastor of the First Church of Christ in New Britain. and again I take my "typer" in hand to render you a brief report and ac- counting for my stewardship in the year of 1927, which has passed.
 As stated in our pastoral letter of September 1927, I believe that we can say with becoming modesty that thls, too, has been a year of progress within our church. At the annual meeting ill January 1927, our special parish committee of 30 presented the results of it's study into the needs Of this parish. and the problem of the removal and rebuilding of the church plant. That report was cheer fully and unanimously accepted, and representative building committee was later appointed to carry out the program. The sale of the property has been entrusted to one sub-com- mlttee, the selection of an architect to another, and the preliminary planning of the church and parish house to three more. In September, William y. Brooks of New Britain and Hartford was selected as the church architect He has made an lnlhal study of the needs and re- qulfements, met several times with the building committee, submitted one Set Of plans, which must now be changed the better to suit our re- qulrements and the necessities of the West Main-LeXington street lot. Be- fore May, 1928, the building com- inlttee hopes and expects to have some very definite and satisfactory set Of plans for the new church to submit to a special meeting of the church for its approval. I venture the assertion that probably no single step in the development of First