Camp-Meetings in the North Pacific Union Conference
By W. B. WHITE
These have been very precious seasons for our field, and God has blessed them to the good of many souls. The first of these gatherings was held in the Southern Idaho Conference at Caldwell, May 13-20. About eighty of our people camped on the ground in twenty-five tents. All the laborers of the conference were in attendance, and Elders H. W. Decker, and W. A. Spicer, Prof. M. E. Cady, and the writer from the outside. All departments of the work in which we are engaged as a people received attention, and an earnest spirit was prevalent in all the meetings. This conference had been organized only nine months at the time of this gathering; but it had supported its workers, and willingly gave a donation of five hundred dollars of its surplus tithe to the General Conference for work in other lands. An intermediate school is soon to be opened in this conference, being located about fourteen miles from Boise, the capital of the State. The same conference hopes to have this school in operation the coming fall, and it will, no doubt, be a great blessing to the cause in this young conference. Dr. J. E. Froom opened treatment rooms about a year ago in Boise, and they are having an excellent patronage. This conference includes the State of Idaho south of the forty-fifth parallel of latitude; also four counties on the eastern boundary of Oregon, and at present has about five hundred church-members. Idaho is being rapidly settled, and a goodly number of our people are moving in from Eastern conferences. No doubt this conference has a good future before it, and will develop rapidly. At the close of the meeting, Brother E. E. Smith was ordained to the gospel ministry. Elder W. W. Steward was re-elected president of the conference. The weather during the meeting was quite unfavorable, being cold and damp most of the time. But notwithstanding this, an excellent meeting was enjoyed, and all felt greatly strengthened as they went to their homes. The second camp-meeting of the season was held at Seattle, Wash., May 21-31, and was a large and enthusiastic gathering of our people. About six hundred were camped on the ground, besides a large number in rooms near by. The weather during the meeting was very unfavorable, but this condition did not dampen the ardor of the campers; nearly all the meetings were well attended notwithstanding the cold. At the this time it seems as if every advance movement in both home and foreign lands was fully discussed, and this we believe is as it should be; for how can our people be expected to lead out in plans for the prosecution of the work unless they are intelligent with reference to them? The membership of this conference is 1,516, an increase of seventy-three over a year ago. Its tithe the past year was $24,480.45, being an increase over the previous year of $2,804.70. Their tract society made a net gain of $797.84. The conference also voted to donate another two thousand dollars of its surplus funds to the General Conference for work in other lands. Two intermediate schools have been built up in this conference during the last few years, and a debt of nearly five thousand dollars had been incurred. This was practically canceled by pledges made at the meeting. Had the weather been favorable, we believe a large outside attendance would have been seen from the city; but as it was, the attendance from without was quite small. Elder W. A. Spicer was in attendance through nearly all the meetings; Elder W. A. Colcord was detained, but reached the ground to spend one day in camp. While this camp-meeting was in session, the great battle-ship fleet visited Seattle, and the city was thronged with visitors from all parts of the Northwest. But as far as we could discern this seemed to make but little difference at the camp-ground, as all the services were carried forward as usual, with the exception of a few hours one day, when all were given an opportunity to see the great ships. Elder F. M. Burg was re-elected president of the conference, with about the same committee as last year. The Western Oregon meeting was held in the above-named city on the grassy banks of the beautiful Willamette River, having about as pretty a location as we have ever seen for a camp-meeting. The membership of this conference is 1,618, having an increase the past year of seventy-seven. The tithe last year amounted to $25,094.75, a gain of $5,400 over the previous year. This conference has also recently donated two thousand dollars of its surplus tithe to the work in other lands. There are three intermediate schools in this conference, and improvements have been made on these the past year amounting to $3,564.05, and $2,500 more was raised at this time for further facilities. At the time of the camp-meeting about $752 was still due on the $150,000 fund. We believe, however, that this will soon be made up. A splendid spirit pervaded this meeting. The first of the week the weather was not all that could be desired, but later on it was warm and pleasant. Brethren Spicer and Colcord were both present throughout the entire meeting. A number of splendid revivals were held upon the ground, both in the large tent and among the young people. This was also seen in the camp-meeting at Seattle. An earnest spirit of consecration for service was seen in both camps. Meetings were also held among the Germans and Scandinavians, the children and young people not being forgotten. During the camp-meeting at St. Johns, the precinct in which the meeting was20held was waging a terrible conflict with the open saloon. The last Sunday afternoon of the meeting a temperance rally was held in the large pavilion, and was addressed by speakers from different parts of Oregon. The encampment did all it could to put itself on the right side of this important question. We are glad to say that on the day of election the precinct voted the saloons out, and they must close their doors. Nearly all lines of work received careful attention at this meeting. Elder C. W. Flaiz, who came to this field from the Minnesota Conference about a year ago, was elected president with about the same committee as served last year. Brother Flaiz's health is much improved, and he feels that he will be able to carry forward the work. We trust the Lord will bless him abundantly as he takes these new responsibilities. The Upper Columbia meeting was held in the city of Spokane, June 4-14, and was one of the largest which has been held this season in the North Pacific Union. It was beautifully located in a pine grove on the edge of the city, and was accessible from all points. We presume there were eight hundred persons camped upon the ground, and a large number roomed in homes near by. Elders Spicer and Colcord were in attendance throughout at this meeting, and we might say that Elder E. E. Andross, president of the Columbia Union Conference, spent a few days at all of our large meetings, and his help was greatly appreciated. Three new churches were admitted at the opening of the conference, having been raised up the last year. The membership of this conference is now 1,475; about five hundred members have left the organization the past year, having been formed into the Southern Idaho Conference. But although this new conference has been formed from its territory and membership, the Upper Columbia Conference has now more Sabbath-schools and Young People's societies than before the division occurred. Two hundred eighteen members were added during the year and one hundred eighty-five persons have been baptized. The tract society made a gain of $710.87 over the previous year. The year before the division occurred, the conference paid in tithe $23,327.13, but this past year, since the division, it paid $25,676.53, making $2,350 more tithe than was paid before the Southern Idaho Conference was organized. At the Union Conference session last spring this conference had a surplus tithe of a little over four thousand dollars above what it needed for its workers. At this time it gave four thousand dollars to the General Conference for work in other fields. At the recent conference in Spokane, steps were taken to erect, during the coming year, three intermediate schools, one at Wenatchee, Wash.; another at North Yakima, and another somewhere in the vicinity of Spokane. A large number of young people must be trained for service in this field, and our schools must be utilized for this work. During the last year this conference had one hundred fifty young people in Walla Walla College. The $150,000 fund has been completed in this field some months ago, and the Upper Columbia Conference was the first one of the North Pacific Union to have a star to its credit. There are two sanitariums in this conference, one at College Place, Wash., owned and conducted by the Upper Columbia Conference, with Dr. W. H. Warner in charge; another at North Yakima, owned and conducted by Dr. F. M. Rossiter. Both are having a reasonable patronage. The camp-meeting at Spokane was characterized by unity, harmony, and brotherly love, and was one of the best that we have held in the union this season. The weather throughout the meeting was excellent, and our brethren and sisters went to their homes greatly encouraged to live out the truth, and be faithful to the message. Elder G. E. Langdon was re-elected president of the conference. The labors of Brethren Spicer and Colcord, who were sent to our field by the General Conference, have been greatly appreciated, and Brother Spicer's talks on the spread of the work in other lands were inspiring indeed. A meeting was appointed in northern Montana following the camp-meeting in Spokane, but the great floods in that State prevented its being held, and it was postponed until later in the season. Surely these camp-meetings are a mighty uplift to the work of the third angel's message in these fields, and God is greatly blessing them to the upbuilding of his people.