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6 German Y. M. C. A. Students in Convention By MARVIN F. BEESON, Carnegie Exchange Teacher, Potsdam. Every year just after the summer vacation, begins there gathers in the beautiful little mountain city of Wernigerode in the Hiarz, an assemb ly of some five hundred students for the annual conference of the German Y. M. C. A. While this movement, owing to the slight interest shown by the students here to religion in gen eral, is much smaller than the cor responding one in America, still it has grown more rapidly in the last years and has become a factor, however small, in the German academic life. The Y. M. C. A. in most of the Ger man universities numbers some fif teen to forty men, though the organi zation at Tubingen is considerably larger. While in America these student con ferences are divided into two sections, one for the north and one for the south, the latter meeting near Ashe ville in the mountains of North Car olina, here there is only one central conference for all Germany. This little town at which it meets, the seat of the government of the Prince of Stolberg-Wernigerode, is situated ©n the slope of the Harz mountains, and is noted as a city of flowers, tourists and girls’ schools. The students who attend usually take advantage of the opportunity and make a tour through the Hiarz as soon as the ceonfernce is ov©r. The conference began every morn ing at half past nine by a paper fol lowed by a general discussion. The first of these was written by Prof. Paul Gruner, a well known scientist of the University of Berne, his subject being, “Man in His Struggle With Nature.” Others were Dr. Hein’s, from Halle, A. S., lecture on “Peace with God,” and a paper by the famous Leipziger theologian, Prof. Ihmels, on “Answered Prayer.” The afternoons were devoted to various walks and re ports on various subjects, the most in teresting of which was a report of the well known Berliner social worker, Dr. Paul Le Seur, on the “Inter national Student Conference” at Lake Mohonk, U. S. A., in wlrch he show ed many sharp observations of Amer ican life and institutions in general. Also the report of the young Dr. Sieg mund-Schultze on his social settle ment work in Berlin, and the lecture of the noted American missionary, Dr. Zwemer, from Cairo, on the “Mohammedan World”, the latter held, however, through an interpreter, were interesting events. German and American Students—The Difference. There are several chief differences between the American Conference at Asheville and this one. Since the German Y. M. C. A., is so small, and is more or less disregarded by other students, the members seem to be really more in earnest, and men of far deeper spirituality than the mem bers in America where tradition, the influence of members, and the general pietfstic tendencies play such a part. Again, the American thinks little of the inward life, of a harmonious sys tem of practical philosophy, while the philosophically inclined German Christian student shows in his con duct -andi character, that he had not simply accepted a svstem of formu las workpd out by oP'er? b-t t’'%f he NEWS FROM THE WORKERS THE GOLDEN AGE FOR WEEK OF SEPT. 18 had gone through the inward strug gle and found satisfaction, that he has “worked out his own salvation with fear and trembling.” In America athletics, college colors, pennants and yells play an important part in the organization and Confer ences of the Y. M. C. A., but in Ger many this is unknown. None of this is included in the aim of the German organization, so there is no fear of these occupations being put first. Also the form of organization is much looser here than in America. There is a President, but he holds much the same place and position as the other members and is rarely heard from. Too much is done in America by ap pealing to the “college spirit” and to the American gift for oratory, and for organizing while in Germany everything that is accomplished by the society is done wholly by the direct appeal to the religious interest and spiritual life. There are no traps and “catchy melthods” here, no great assembly halls, nor attractive music, and consequently those men who at tend the meetings are usually earnest and sincere in their search for the true Christian life, while in America the Y. M. C. A., is too often a society for the promotion of a “college spirit” and athletics with relig : ous motives apparently in the background. Through Forests of Beauty After leaving Wernigerode, I am spending several weeks in the Harz. The Harz railroad leads from there through vast forests of firs and box trees, gradually ascending green hill sides dotted now and then by herds of cattle, the music of whose tinkl ing bells penetrate even through the car windows. This railroad ends at the top of the Brocken or the Blocks berg of Goethe’s “Faust.” The bleak, but w’ld and rocky summit has given rise to many an old legend to German folk-lore which one can easily justify after seeing the many fantastic forms of the great rocks about which graze a few haggard looking goats on the desert slopes. It is here that the witches hold their mid-night carou sels in the “Walpurgisnacht”, the first of May. Here they come riding on their broomsticks or black cats from all directions to hold their high court and brew their magic potions. Woe to the unfortunate wanderer who errs, or as Faust, is led into these parts on this night. In general the Harz is a beautiful, idyllic spot on the north central part of Germany, the woods and hills of which offer rest and recreation to thousands of people every summer who are bound/ by their profession to the city life in this thickly populated country. In winter it is even more attractive. The young people come in throngs at Christmas bring’ng their sleds, sleighs and skis, for the fascinating winter sport. True, the restful music of the mellow-toned cow bells of the Harz so noted and loved Is hushed, but in its stead the “merry jingle of the bells, sleigh bells, and the joyous laughter of the crowds of children and young people awaken the hearts to new thrills of delight. The German notion is happy in hav ing such a play ground in its center. Sam Monroe’s Remarkable Chart Matl |PLANNED... SHARE [ | T E MPEHANCE tX . Iw Vo l| PuBUSMEO •» \ W s - D -^ oni -° e A „ —._ < Igjl BIRMINGHAM Leather \x, I goodness<x>J hM 21 PAPER aPR \ y n g „\ [J OY--PEACE «| MISbIIONS M IRON. STEEL&RR. \ U 7? 27 ■ LOVE P S 3 [ LUMBER .MfR. . Xffl ■ V ~ 34 “""VcfficLK" iwH 'Wes — > r ID THER \\\ I ; feSSmft j 6 T IBM X~~ \ > 4 Z MfER I \V>r JK UKUOrX OBWKNCE «nu» F f \S : FAITH meb.it j | NC-EMPLOYEQTOL|HWg)OOOCffI | uNßCticr katc isxrew ’ls I® Is I- If 104 ° |sobed|cnce uwa, if h II Sir II S i 43>| ‘■ YINC I ■ z 080 858 720 p ROI-ANITV t , a, | Z Hill sin’-amuse. e , I IMPURITY COVETOUSNESS n»i> | SsZ. / , A rAru£<* 11 iii 'z' [ GAMBLING aMjJ HWIH] La | MURDER | \ ~~ or DEATH X* I DRUNKENESS ' £ MIIIB&hBp J UST for the sake of putting something good in the way of Christian workers, es pecially those who work in Sunday Schools and with young peo ple “every day and Sunday, too,” we are giving herewith a cut of Sam D. Monroe’s remarkable chart which we partly introduced to our readers some months ago. The maker of this chart is well Georgia Sunday School Association The Executive Committee of the Georgia Sunday School Association held an important meeting at the o-_ce of the Association at 613 Tem ple Court Bldg., Atlanta, Monday, September Sth. The following mem bers were present: Mr. J. J. Cobb, Macon, Chairman; Mr. Frank L. Mai lary, Macon; Rev. Troy Beatty, Athens; Mr. T. M. Furlow, Americus; Mrs. W. M. Wilcox, Elberton; Rev. W. C. Schaeffer, Dr. Jos. Broughton, Mr. A. B. Caldwell, Dr. Marion McH. Hull, and Mr. J. V. Wellborn,, Mr. D. W. Sims, of Atlanta. Several important items of business were transacted. Among other things it was voted to employ an Elementary Superintend ent, and a sub committee consisting of the President, Dr. Jos. Broughton, the Chairman of the Executive Com mittee, Mr. J. J. Cobb, and the Gen eral Secretary, Mr. D. W. Sims, were appointed to name the person and salary. On motion a vote of congratulations was extended to the officers of Ca toosa, Newton and Hancock County School Association for their splendid work in bringing these counties up to the Banner Standard.. On motion Mr. T. S. Lowry, Sr., of Macon, was elected as a member of the Executive Committee to take the place of Rev. S. Y. Jameson, who had moved from the state, and Mr. Asa G. CnndP-r, Sr., of Atlanta, was elect- Unique Help to Teachers Everywhere known to the Editor of The Golden Age who personally rejoices in all the good things he is hearing of the golden fruitage which the chart is bearing. Many wayward boys have been converted as a result of talks and sermons built by laymen as well as preachers around the “10 Step Chart.’ Congressman Hobson, one of the greatest prohibition orators and mor al leaders in America, says: “Sam D. Monroe’s ‘lO Steps’ chart ought to be in every school, church, society and home in the land.” The author joyiously tells this story: “One of our Birmingham young men, with a wife and tw r o sweet chil dren, was fast going the inebriate route. He stepped into a printing office in May and picked up a Gospel Post Card that was being printed from the cut on the last page of this folder and ridiculed it at first, but it gripped him, and a few days later he volunteered the testimony that it had lead his conversion, and never again would he touch liqour. Verily, what simple little things our Lard sometimes uses to arrest the way ward and bring joy and gladness to the hearts and lives of wives and children. This incident was not in tended to reach the writer but 1 am glad it did.” This chart is 18x38 inches and when hung on the wall can be plain ly seen all over the church or school room. The price has been reduced from 50c to 25c. Write to Rev. Sam D. Monroe, Birmingham, Ala., and get one of these charts to hold up be fore the eyes of the boys and girls of the community. ed to take the place of Dr. J. H Dickey, of Oxford, resigned l . The report of the General Secre tary, Mr. D. W. Sims, showed that in the four months since the state con vention he had traveled $263 miles, worked in 34 counties, delivered 154 addresses in 44 regular meetings, and helped in 27 regular co«fernces. His report also Showed that there are now about 70 counties organized in the state, and that 21 County School Con ventions have been held in the past four months, and definite dates are already arranged for 16 others'. In the Hall County Convention, which was the first convention held in that county, they had 26 Sunday Schools represented by six pastors, ten Superintendents, and 44 Sunday School teachers, besides a large num ber of Sunday School workers. A number of (other conventions have been held that were nearly as good as this one. The General Secretary’s report also brought to light some Interesting facts. For example, he helped in a meeting in one church that had 270 members, and only 12 of these wore enrolled in the Sunday Sehnot In an other convention only two of the Sun day Schools represented run twelve months in the year. The Georgia Sunday School Asso ciation through its workers are push ing better methods of Sunday Schoo! (Continued on page 7, Column 34