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2 THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA THE PRESIDENT AND HIS FLYING SQUADRON Augusta, Ga., December 31, 1919. To the Officers and Members of the Association: As this is the initial number of the Catholic Lay men’s Association of Georgia Bulletin, I feel it incum bent as your president to inform you that immediately after the adjournment of the convention held in Au gusta, September 28th, the Executive, or Finance Com mittees, decided that, instead of assessing each city according to its Catholic population as heretofore, we would go before the Catholics of Georgia, asking them to subscribe an amount to expand and enlarge our work. Following out their instructions, Our Right Reverend Bishop, Mr. James J. Farrell and Miss Mary Helen Hynes, Mr. J. B. McCallum and your president, visited Atlanta Sunday, October I 9th, and had the pleasure of addressing one of the largest Cath olic assemblages ever held in that city outside of the churches. Under the splendid leadership of that won derful and successful organizer, our first vice-presi dent, Mr. James J. Haverty, they put on a drive for funds the following Sunday and raised the magnificent sum of $23,004,000 to be paid within two years. The following Sunday we visited Savannah, Ga., and through the co-operation of the local pastors and that splendid leader, Mr. M. A. O’Byrne, had a splen did meeting, and while no collection was taken up, within a few minutes after the meeting, voluntary subscription amounting to $3,700.00 was received. I feel that Savannah will show up equally as well as in Atlanta when they finish their campaign. Our next visit was to Macon, Ga., Sunday, November 2d, and with the assistance of the good pastor and the Catholics of that city, a most successful meeting was held, and 1 have the assurance from their officers that we can count on between six and seven thousand dollars from that city. Sunday, November 16th, we visited Brunswick and Waycross, and have been as sured that Brunswick will give us at least $1,500.00, and Waycross between $800.00 and $1,000.00. Monday, November 1 7th, Mr. Farrell and Secretary John B. McCallum visited Albany, which has already sent in signed pledges amounting to $2,300.00. Our Miss Hynes, of the Publicity Committee, and Mr. George Poche, vice-president, at Washington, put on a drive in which seventeen subscribers gave $1,050.00, over half of which is in cash. Columbus was visited Sunday, December 7th, and we have reason to believe that they will raise between $4,000.00 and $5,000.00. The vice-presidents for the Missionary Districts for North, Middle and South Georgia, will reach their sections by correspondence, and I look for good re sponses from them. In all cities and town visited we formed branches of the Association, which will look after the work in their respective localities. The responses in every case have been most generous, and I see no reason with the amount raised why we will not be able to carry on the work of our Association for the next three or four years without having to call upon the Catholics of Georgia. At the request of the Right Reverend Wm. T. Russell, of South Carolina, Mr. Benedict Elder, Mr. James J. Farrell, Miss Mary Helen Hynes, and your president, visited Charleston, S. C., Wednesday, De cember 3d, and addressed the Priests of the Diocese, as well as Lay Delegates from every section of the State, on the work being done by your Association in th is State. They at once organized an Association in that State following up our plans and rules. As Georgia Catholics we should feel proud, as our line of work is destined to become not only national but international. The Catholics of Georgia have imposed upon the State and local officers in the different cities a big re sponsibility, so I appeal to them to be faithful to your trusts, become active in your work, and where you hear and know of non-Catholics seeking Catholic in formation, or where you hear of attacks on the Church or any of its doctrines, at once get in touch with the publicity manager. Let us all work actively, intelli gently, and make the year 1920 the banner year in the history of our Association. P. H. RICE, State President. CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S DUTIES (Written for The Bulletin by a Layman.) “I forbid the Catholic laity to be inactive,” said the great Leo XIII., writing, in 1896, to the Bishop of Terragona. Again, writing in the same year to Cardinal Langenieux, he emphatically enjoined the Catholic faithful "to show themselves the steadfast defenders and enlightened champions of the eternal principles of justice and Christian civilization.” But useful and enlightened activity must be rooted in right knowledge, be quickened by right motives, and be directed to right ends. Here, then, are three par-