A Council of Young People’s Society Secretaries by M. E. Ellis

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 3, 1907

A Council of Young People’s Society Secretaries

By M. E. Ellis

FROM Thursday, November 29, until Monday, Dec. 3, 1906, the State secretaries of young people’s work in the Central Union Conference were in council at College View, Neb. There were present, besides M. E. Kern and C. L. Benson, secretary and assistant of the young people’s work in the Central Union, H. M. Hiatt, the Kansas secretary; Miss Nora Hough, of Missouri; M. A. Farnsworth, of Nebraska; T. J. Wilbur, of Iowa; and Meade MacGuire, of Colorado.

The program prepared was a broad one, and took into consideration almost every subject that vitally concerns this line of work. All subjects were fully and openly discussed, with the result that every one present received some new ideas that were worth putting into practice, and got rid of some others that were not so practical.

During the meeting a series of twenty-five recommendations was passed, from which we select a few as indicative of the character of all:—

“We recommend, That the Chair appoint a committee of five to prepare a prayer cycle to be used by our young people throughout the Central Union

Conference in observing the morning devotional period.

“That we be not satisfied with setting our young people to work, but that we endeavor, where there is no missionary society of the church, to revive through the Young People’s Society the missionary spirit in the whole church.

“That we suggest to the General Conference the advisability of including in the plans for the week of prayer for 1907, one day to be devoted to the consideration of the young people’s work and the part they are to act in this message.

“That we ask the Young People’s Department of the General Conference to provide a name for the organized young people of this denomination.

“That we urge upon our secretaries the duty of more faithfully reporting, and that we encourage them by definite suggestions as to how to gather reports from the members.

“That we at once gather the names of our young people who are attending the high schools of the world, and as union and State secretaries do what we can to interest these young people in Christian education.”

The papers read at this council, the gist of the discussions, the recommendations in full, and suggestions for camp-meeting work, etc., are to be published in a double number of the Educational Messenger, bearing date of Jan. 1, 1907. This will be a paper bristling with good ideas and helpful suggestions for missionary and young people’s workers, and will be sent for five cents a copy; twenty-five or more copies to one address, three cents each. Orders should be sent to the Educational Messenger, College View, Neb.

From this council the State secretaries returned to their fields with renewed courage, stronger determination to push the young people’s work, and a better understanding of how to do it. As a result of this council, which, I believe, has the distinction of being the first one of its kind ever held in the denomination, we expect to see more systematic efforts made, and therefore much more accomplished for and by the great army of Seventh-day Adventist young people in the central West. M. E. ELLIS.

College View, Neb.