Missionary Volunteer Convention at Fernando, Cal.
By E. S. Ballenger
This convention was well attended. A good spirit prevailed, and we believe it means advance for the Volunteer work in this conference. The gathering at Fernando was a union of the Missionary Volunteer societies of our conference and a council of the secretaries of the Pacific Union Conference. The time of the convention, March 2-7, was fixed so as to accommodate Prof. M. E. Kern on his tour of the Western conferences. About one hundred fifty delegates were present, and they were all entertained by the Fernando Academy and church. The first meeting was held Tuesday evening, and over seventy-five of the delegates were present. The Fernando Academy suspended all work, except some of the early morning classes, and the entire school joined the delegates, making a company of nearly three hundred young people. Prof. I. C. Colcord represented Northern California, and Miss Maggie Fletcher the Utah Conference. Elder H. G. Thurston, of Arizona, expected to be present, but he was detained to watch the progress of the Sunday law before the Territorial legislature. We were favored with the help of the two Bible teachers, Elders E. J. Hibbard, of Fernando Academy, and R. S. Owen, of Loma Linda medical school. Elder Luther Warren and Prof. M. E. Kern, together with Brother J. N. Anderson and Miss Ida Thompson, of China; N. Z. Town, of South America; and Prof. Clifford Howell, of the Cumberland Industrial School of Daylight, Tenn., afforded a very pleasing and profitable variety of instruction. No small portion of the time was given to the consideration of the foreign fields, and a lively interest was manifested by the young people in the opening doors in fields abroad. More than a score of the young people are making definite preparation to enter the foreign fields. The delegates were encouraged to learn that nearly one fourth of all members of the reading course in the United States were in Southern California. In addition to this18to this, over one thousand are reading the Bible through this year. Among the leading themes was Personal Work and How to Do It. In addition to the usual presentation of the subject by talk and paper, a more effective presentation was by actual personal work. Revival services were held each day with good results. The young people reported good results from the use of the Missionary Volunteer Bulletin, which this conference published last fall as an assistance to more thorough study of the Bible, and a help to memorizing gems of Scripture. Quite an amount of time was spent by the council in considering the plan of organization. It developed that the societies of Southern California had not given much attention to organization, but had directed their energies to getting all to work. There was some division of opinion regarding the admission of young people to membership who were not members of the church. Among the definite actions of the council was one positively against the practise of having our children sell our literature on the streets of cities and towns. The council advised the publication by the general department of a vest-pocket manual, or bulletin, to assist in the study of the cardinal points of our faith and in memorizing Scripture. The Pacific Union Recorder gave nearly the whole of one issue to the proceedings of the council and convention. E. S. BALLENGER,
Retiring Secretary.