THE CONVENTION STORY THEME: "THE OPEN BIBLE AND THE UPLIFTED CROSS” TUESDAY, JUNE 20 MORNING, AFTERNOON, EVENING Tuesday, the opening day of the Convention, was designated as "Home Mission Day." Conferences, presided over by Mr. George G. Wallace, of Omaha, Neb., Chairman of the International Missionary Committee, but planned by Rev. Wm. A. Brown, International Missionary Superintendent, were conducted in the Coliseum, which was beautifullly decorated with flags and banners. High up back of the platform was a beautiful scenic banner nearly two hundred feet long with the picture of the Goddess of Liberty in New York Harbor, at one end and the Ferry building in San Francisco at the other and these words on a streamer between the two, "Westward the Star of Bethlehem takes its Way," and "We have seen His Star in the East and are come to Worship Him." The morning and afternoon conferences were participated in by the home missionaries from fields west of the Rocky Mountains; officials of the denominational Home Mission Boards and the Missionary Department of the International Sunday-school Association; and by Missionary leaders of State and Provincial Associations. At the afternoon session five hundred and sixty-seven Chinese, Japanese and Koreans, in native costume, from many different Sundayschools around the Bay, were seated on the platform and sang several Gospel songs in their own languages. An In the evening a great Home Mission mass-meeting was held. abridged report of the addresses of the entire day will be found in this book beginning with page 379. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21 MORNING AND AFTERNOON Wednesday morning and afternoon were given over to six Departmental Conferences: Elementary, reported on page 223; Secondary, page 268; Adult, page 297; Teacher Training, page 329; Home, page 367; Visitation, page 360. Each of these Conferences was intensely interesting and practically helpful. WEDNESDAY EVENING, JUNE 21 Mr. A. B. McCrillis, Vice-President, was in the chair. The audience repeated the 23rd Psalm and "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name": was sung. Prayer was offered by Rev. George A. Hough, Ph. D., San Francisco, Pastor Grace Methodist Episcopal Church. MR. MARION LAWRANCE: King George is to be crowned tomorrow, and the Canadian delegates will meet at the end of the platform at the close of this service to arrange a suitable exercise. The following committee on resolutions was appointed: Chairman, Alexander Henry, Pennsylvania; W. C. Hall, Indiana; A. L. Phillips, Virginia; Theron Gibson, Toronto, Canada; C. C. Chapman, California; Philip E. Howard, Pennsylvania, and H. L. Baker, Louisiana. The following constitute the Nominating Committee: Alberta, A. Butchart. British Columbia, C. E. Mahon. District of Columbia, James W. Florida, William Rogers. Iowa, Rev. I. T. Underwood. Kansas, J. H. Engle. Louisiana, Thos V. Ellzey. Mexico, C. Scott Williams. Minnesota, A. M. Locker. Missouri, D. P. Gribben. Montana, E. M. Yearian. MR. A. B. McCRILLIS: No one here can regret more than I do the fact that our honored president, Judge Stites, of Louisville, Ky., is unable to be present, so that in the natural order of succession, and because of the fact that your Dr. Bell is otherwise employed during the evening, it devolves upon me to try to fill his place. REV. H. H. BELL, D. D., Chairman San Francisco Local Committee: In behalf of our general committee, Mr. President, I am authorized to present to the presiding officer of the convention this gavel made from the redwood of California. I take pleasure in handing it to you. MR. MCCRILLIS: I accept this as a symbol of authority. It confers no authority. Authority is not needed here. We are all of us brethren, but I accept it as your recognition of the fact that I am to be your servant this evening. Thank you, Dr. Bell. It is now my privilege to introduce to you, as the representative of the Governor, the Hon. A. E. Boynton, the presiding officer of your State Senate, who will represent the Governor in welcoming this great Convention to this great city of San Francisco. ADDRESSES OF WELCOME In Behalf of the State HON. A. E. BOYNTON Mr. Chairman, Sunday-school Workers of America, Ladies and Gentlemen: His Excellency, the Governor of the State of California, has delegated to me the very pleasant task of extending to you a hearty welcome to California. Governor Johnson sincerely regrets his inability to be present on this very happy occasion to encourage you in your wonderful work, a work that is most important to the welfare and happiness of the civilized world, for it is in the Sunday-school that the seeds of Christianity are planted. If the seed takes root and grows, the result is almost sure to be a good Christian man or woman, "God's noblest product," and every State composed of such men and women is bound to withstand the political storms of the ages. Therefore, the State is and must be tremendously interested in the results of your work. Let us hope that this Convention held on the western slope of the American continent may be a successful one in every sense. When your labors are ended tarry with us long enough to learn something of our great commonwealth, this unpeopled empire which nature has decreed shall be the garden spot of the world, an empire filled to overflowing with natural resources, with sparkling streams, limpid lakes and magnificent mountains. Let friendships be here formed that will last as long as life itself, and when you shall have returned to that place which you call home, it is our earnest wish you may carry with you pleasant thoughts that will always be treasured in memory's storehouse. And sọ, on behalf of his Excellency, the Governor, and in the name of the people of this great State, I welcome you, yes, thrice welcome you, to our own California. In Behalf of San Francisco HON. P. H. MCCARTHY, MAYOR Mr. Chairman and Delegates to this Great International Sunday-school Convention, Ladies and Gentlemen: To say that I am pleased with being here this evening in order to welcome you in behalf of the people of this great city of San Francisco, is putting it very mildly. It is indeed more than a pleasure to look into the countenances of these delegates who are gathered here for the purpose of doing good, to uplift humanity and to make better men and better women, and as a result better citizenship the world over. You have paid us the compliment of coming to our city, which has been more sorely stricken than any other city under the sun by the ravages of fire and a very mild tremble of the earth's surface. Despite that, you agreed to hold your magnificent convention in this city. I say to you, my friends, that San Francisco and her people welcome you in a manner calculated to exceed any welcome you have ever received from any people anywhere. We hope you will enjoy yourselves here in connection with the great work which you have in hand, and we trust that while you are not busily engaged with your work that you will take the time to look over San Francisco and see what we have done to rehabilitate ourselves since that devastation by fire on the 18th day of April, 1906. A great deal has been said and written about the people of this city, but let me say to you, my friends, that no better people live in the world and no more God-fearing or God-loving people can be found anywhere than in San Francisco and in California. We hope and pray that your coming here will help us to become better. We feel that no people anywhere are at any time so good that they cannot be better. May God bless your work and make your organization a credit to the States and Provinces to which you belong. |