Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1931-11-05
SPEAKER TELLS OF
REFORMATION BEFORE
ASKOV AUDIENCE

A large audience was present Sun
day evening at the Young Peoples
Society meeting, in the church base
ment, to hear Supt. S. G. Skaaland
of Sandstone. Mr.. Skaaland substi-
tuted for Supt. Grafelman who was
unable to be present. Mr.. Skaaland
gave an interesting and instructive
lecture on the Reformation, having
selected that subject because the
original date of Martin Luther's pro-
test was Oct. 81, 1917.
The speaker reviewed briefly the
history of the Catholic church from
the time it was divided equally under
five bishops, how three of them were
practically eliminated by invading
tribes against Christians, and how the
bishop at Constantinople gradually re-
| linquished his power to the bishop
at Rome who finally set himself up
as the Pope of the Roman Catholic
church. There were many who OBJ
jected to some of the dictates and
teachings of this faith and through
the years the opposition grew until
finally Martin Luther nailed his
"scrap of paper" the IS thesis, on
the door of the Castle church in Wit
tenberg, Germany, on Oct. 81, 1917.
With that event the Reformation
started and grew rapidly throughout
Germany and up into the the Scandi-
navian countries. In Wittenberg the
Castle church still stands, and the 95
thesis are now inscribed on metal
door instead of being nailed to the
original wooden door.
Decide to Repair Assembly Hall.
The chairman thanked Mr.. Skaa-
land for his very interesting lecture
before he departed. After few min
utes intermission the business ses-
sion of the meeting was opened with
report, by Hans Mosbak, from the
building committee consisting of A.
Henriksen, Hans Mosbak and Carl
Larsen. The report revealed that the
cost of temporary or partial new
structure would be entirely too high
for present means, and for that rea-
son the committee had abandoned the
idea. Instead of that project, the
majority (the two former named) of
the committee submitted a plan for
repairing the old assembly hall and
building a 16 foot extension to the
south end to be used as a stage and
dressing rooms. With considerable
labor to be donated this project could
be carried through for $500 accord
ing to figures submitted by the report.
Of this amount 5000 are available in
the society's new building" fund, ap-
proximately 1925 had been subscribed
as donations for the project and it
was thought this could be increased
to $500; and A. Henriksen offered to
secure the rest of the funds neces-
sary at SO interest on a five year
note. A lively discussion was in
dulged in between those who held out
for repairs only and those who wanted
repairs plus the stage and dressing
rooms. And peculiarly enough there
were very few supporters for the
original decision of tearing down the
old hall, even though that was the
original decision and had a majority
at the last meeting according to the
rulings of the chairman, although it
was not put to vote at that meet
ing. 1t was finally decided to take
vote of the members present to as
certain how the sentiment stood that
evening. The vote showed II in favor
of repairs with the building of a stage
and voted for the repairs without
the stage. Hence the battle" is over
and some of those who originally were
so much against repairs of any kind
are now enthused over the repair and
stage project and are busy helping
with the work which was started
Tuesday morning. The building COM
mittee named above were renamed
as the committee in charge of the
repair job and stage construction pro-
ject. They are accepting donations,
small or large, toward defraying the
expenses. Anyone wishing to contri-
butte can get in touch with the COM
mittee.