Newspapers / Africo-American Presbyterian (Wilmington, N.C.) / Dec. 24, 1936, edition 1 / Page 2
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The Africo - American Presbyterian REV H. L. McCROREY, D.D., LL.D., W. E. HILL, Associate Editor WILLIAM S. ANDERSON, Business Manager Devoted to the Educational, Mate rial, Moral and Religious interests of our people in the South, and pub lished at Charlotte, N. C., every Thursday. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION Single copy, one year ....... .$1.50 Six months .75 Three months ...50 Entered at the Post Office at Char lotte, N. C., as second-class matter. THURSDAY, DEC. 24, 1936 CHRISTMAS (From Supreme Council, 33rd De gree Bulletin.) The earthly ministry of the Man of Galilee was very brief, but it is indeed doubtful if any other individual in the history of the world ever crowded into the short span of three years so much actual benefit to hu manity as did Jesus the Christ. The Nazarene was a mature man ere he embarked upon his great mission of preaching the Gospel; healing and regenerat ing those who were sorely in need of his ministrations. It is generally conceded that Jesus was well prepared, through years of consecrated study, through a life that was free from any taint, through a divine understanding of man’s rela tionship to the Heavenly Fath er, to take up his divinely ap pointed work at the age of thirty—a work that was to change radically the thoughts and actions of men and nations. No truer words were ever spoken than those uttered by Editor the way-shower, iney nave been regarded in all ages as gems of thought. Their appli cability to humanity of every age cannot be questioned. They are as potent &nd stirring to day as when first uttered by one whom the world acknowledges to be the world’s greatest Teacher. A man of peace, as was foretold by Mary’s heaven ly visitant, the Master admon ished his followers to “love one another.” “Put up thy sword,” he commanded the impetuous disciple. “Sin no more,” he gently advised the repentant woman. “Thy faith hath made thee whole,” he told an erstwhile sufferer. These brief expres sions contain volumes of mean ing. He cast out the devils of fear, disease, anger, dementia. He strongly condemned Pharisaical hypocrisy; he assailed greed and avarice; he exposed the false gods before whom many bowed in complete subjection; he unmasked the pride and ar rogance of those in high office. Indeed, the three years were filled with astounding and mi raculous acts on the part of this humble, selfless man who ever pointed the Way of Life to err ing, suffering humanity. And what was the reward meted out to this Holy Man of God? Ignominious execution. A public spectacle of disgrace on Calvary. Manifest hatred for the Christ Truth he taught and daily lived. But his physical death on the Cross did not put an end to his mighty works, (as cunning en emies had hoped it would) for today, almost two thousand years after that all too brief ministry of Jesus, his name is revered by millions of people in every part of the globe. He is variously regarded as the Mes siah, the True Exemplar, the Perfect Man, the Greatest Teacher, the Divine Wayshow er. Thus on the eve of Decem ber 25th, all Christendom will unite to pay homage to the memory of that tiny Babe, ly ing in a rude manger in Bethle hem—the Christ Child who was destined to become the Prince of Peace, the Counsellor upon whose shoulder rests the gov ernment. The Wise Men of today will bring gifts, like the Magi of old, to honor that Babe—gifts of good will to all men express ed in many practical forms, such as giving to the poor, aid ing and comforting the widow, remembering the orphan, bring ing gladness to the sick and in firm, cheering the aged, causing the prisoner to forget momen tarily the stone walls and steel bars, spreading sunshine and joy into darkened lives—per forming all of these good deeds in his name.—L. W. TO OUR READERS In keeping with a custom that has obtained for more than half a century, the office force of the Africo-American Presbyterian will be given next week off, and the next issue of the paper will bear date, Jan. 6, 1937. As we come to the end of an other year we would pause to acknowledge the blessings and mercies of a gracious Heavenly Father, and to express our gratitude to Him for the privi lege of serving the Church and humanity through the medium of this newspaper. We are not unmindful of its shortcomings, and it shall be our earnest and constant endeavor as the days come and go to make it more serviceable in the dissemination of truth and more potent in its influence for good. We are grateful also to our friends who have helped us in the performance of our task by words of appreciation and en couragement, and by their con tribution of church news and other articles. We hope these friends and all of our readers will have the most joyous holi day season they have ever ex perienced, and that the new year will be one of signal pros perity and happiness for them. TOPICS FOR THE WEEK OF PRAYER, Jan. 4-10, 1937 (Copied from the Bulletin of the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America) General Subject, “The Gos pel of God.” Monday, January 4th. “The Reality of God.” Tuesday, January 5th. “The Wisdom of God.” Wednesday, January 6th. “The Love of God.” Thursday, January 7th. “The Sufficiency of God.” Friday, January 8th. “The Saviourhood of God.” Saturday, January 9th. “The Comradeship of God.” Sunday, January 10th. “The Kingdom of God.” CENTENNIAL SERMON CONTEST (From Monday Morning) To secure additional material for the use of pastors in preach ing Centennial sermons in Oc tober, 1937, the Board of Foreign Missions announces to the pastors the following: Fori the best sermon on Foreign Mis sions submitted by a minister of our Church, an honorarium of $150; for the next best ser-j mon, $75; for the third sermon, $25; for the fourth sermon, $10; for the succeeding six sermons, a copy of “One Hundred Years,” by Dr. Arthur J. Brown. The conditions on which the sermons may be submitted are as follows: (1) The sermon must be on the subject of Foreign Missions. (2) The ser mon must have been preached to an actual congregation. (3) It should be typed, preferably, although handwritten messages will be welcomed, but, typed or written, the subject matter must be on one side of the pa per. (4) It should be sent to the Centennial Council, Room 913, 156 Fifth Ave., New York, N. Y. (5) The name and ad dress of the writer should be clipped to the sermon on a sep arate slip or sheet of paper. This should bear the theme and text of the sermon, for identifica tion. (6) All sermons must be in the hands of the Centennial Council by April 1, 1937. (7) Sermons awarded recognition will be retained for publication in a booklet to be available on and after the 1937 General As sembly. A special committee consist ing of a pastor, an elder, and a woman member of the Board will select the sermbns. An nouncements of awards will be made May 1, 1937. GIDEON CO-FOUNDER DIES (From The Supreme Council, 33rd Degree Bulletin.) Mr. Samuel E. Hill, age six ty-eight, one of the two travel ing salesmen who was a co founder of the Gideons—the In ternational Christian Commer cial Men’s Association—passed away at Beloit, Wis., November 11, 1936. The other co-foun<Jer, Mr. John H. Nicholson, is still liv ing. Hill and Nicholson,^ respect ively, were termed by the In ternational Chaplain, Samuel A. Fulton of Milwaukee, Wis., as “Gideon No. 1” arid “Gideon No. 2.” . The two men met late one night in the Central House, Boscobel, Wis. Hill had regis tered and had retired to his room. Later Nicholson applied for a room, but was told all rooms had been taken. The clerk suggested to Nicholson that Hill might share his room with him; it was agreed. Before re tiring, Nicholson took from his grip a Bible, with the statement to Hill that it was his custom to read from it each night. Hill responded: “I, too, am a Chris tian. Let’s have our devotions together.” They read the 15th Chapter of the Gospel of St. John and knelt in prayer. Breakfasting together, they discussed the value of prayer and Bible-reading, and deplored the absence of the Sacred Book in guests’ rooms of hotels. Some months later, upon the in vitation of Hill and Nicholson, several traveling men met, and the details of an organization resulted. Over 1,330,000 Gideon Bibles have been placed in guests’ rooms of many hotels and in penal institutions and hospitals of the world. THE FACULTY FORtFM OF JOHNSON C. SMITH UNIVERSITY By Prof. W. G. Morgan The first meeting for the school session 1936-37 of the Faculty Forum occurred on Fri day evening, December 18th, in the parlors of Carter Hall. An interesting program was pre sented and an appetizing menu was served at the conclusion. The speakers for the evening were President H. L. McCrorey, Acting Dean M. E. Thomasson, and Professor R. L. Douglass. President McCrorey outlined for the group the program and discussions of the meeting held on December 9th and 10th at Duke University and at the Uni versity of North Carolina on graduate, professional, and vo cational study provisions for Negroes in North Carolina. Dr. McCrorey presented the pur poses of the meeting and gave some of the highlights of the discussions. He reported that a commission has been appoint ed to draw up a plan for provid ing graduate, professional, and vocational instruction for Ne groes in North Carolina to be presented to the North Carolina Assembly when it convenes. The meeting was held under fhe auspices of the Division of Co operation in Education and Race Relations of which the State Department of Public Instruc tion, the University of North Carolina, and Duke University are the cooperating organiza tions. Dr. Thomasson gave a brief summary of the highlights of the meeting of the Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools for Negroes held at Virginia State College, Novem ber 12th and 13th. Dr. Douglass outlined as briefly as possible some of the main features of the Social Se curity Act. Dr. Douglass pre sented the outline in his usual clear-cut, practical way, mak ing his discussion both interest ing and enlightening to his listeners. The talks by all three of the speakers evoked discussion, but the discussion of the Social Se curity Act developed the most heated and enlightening rebut tals. After the discussions the forty persons present gathered around tables in groups of four to partake of the delicious re past of chicken salad, tomato aspic, potato chips, buttered rolls, and hot cocoa. The pleas antries and joviality that be gan at the tables were conclud ed around the punch bowl. The Faculty Forum was or ganized some years ago and is composed of the members of the University staff and their wives. Its purpose is to provide a means of getting together at frequent intervals in a sociable way to discuss educational and general topics. DR. WEST TO PREACH AT SMITH UNIVERSITY CHURCH Other school activities have been suspended until Jan. 4th, but the Sunday morning service at Smith University church will be held during the holiday sea son as at other times. Next Sun day, Dec. 27, Dr. L. B. West, Field Representative of the Board of National Missions, will be the preacher. The public is cordially invited to attend the service and hear him. THE THEME SONG OF UFE By E. FRENCH TYSON, M. D. (An address delivered at the 1936 Foot-ball Banquet at Johnson C. Smith University on the evening of December 14.) Mr. loastmaster, Members of the Faculty, Ladies, Visiting Friends and Fellows: If I were a king to-night and had to choose between Love and Empire, loving as I do to hold up my hands in abject horror at any thought of making a public speech, I, too, would ab dicate on the side of Love, but not in a “Fury.” I would select the classic, “A Horse! A Horse! My Kingdom for a Horse!” Then I would .forthwith get into high gear, and, asking Divine guid ance, would seek the habila ments of an Elijah of old, raise my wings and leave this earth in sustained flight, lest, per chance, the red herring of pub lic speech be dragged once more across my pathway. Yet, on this particular occasion, I am not come with bated breath and whispering humbleness and fear and trembling, but I am come courageously with a mes sage to foot-ball men. To see foot-ball men—He-Men, two fisted, courageous, with intesti nal fortitude, with honor, in tegrity, high character, clean hearts, minds and lives, know ing what it means by esprit-de corps, the sportsmanlike give and take of hard but clean play, and, if you please, reverence for deserving seniority any where they see it, it does me proud to be able to come before you tonight and give you the encouragement and inspiration I got a quarter of a century ago when I took off my togs, hung up my tack and began this terrible business of making good in life. With Tennysonian persuasion I am looking back a quarter of a century upon the lines: “Tears, idle tears; I know not what they mean! Tears from the depth of some Divine Des pair gather to the eye in look ing o’er the happy autumn fields and thinking of the days that are no more.” Twenty-five years ago, using your college campus vernacular now, during the “pig-meat” plasticity of my youth, it was my privilege to enjoy the el bow-touch of a great and glo rious galaxy of good men—men who were destined to show me The Light—the straight gate, if you please, of entry into this business called The Making of a Profitable Life. A quarter of a century ago, I say, these were they who showed me by their sterling character, their clean living, their religious devotion to hard work, their honesty and steadfastness of purpose that there is such a thing in life as the length’ning shadow of a personality that does project it self into the hearts and lives of men. Listen to this great gal axy of good men whose elbow touch I enjoyed a quarter of a century ago: Dr. McCrorey, Dr. Shute, Dr. A. A. Wyche, Mr. Thad Tate, Dr. Tommy Long, Dr. J. Ward Seabrook, Dr. R. L. Douglas, Dr. Partee, Dr. P. W. Russell, Dr. Yorke Jones, Dr. G. E. Davis. Some of them the boys called ‘Hystami;” some others they called “Flink,” but they all were Sweet Papas to me. There were others, of course, but these are they whose elbow touch I enjoyed most fre quently. Then it was that I first saw The Light. At that same time it was my privilege to have hegemony, su pervision and leadership, if you please, of successive groups of young athletes, then students of this University. I saw it my duty to become analyst or in terpreter of the psychology, the trends, the influences, the tra ditions, the motif and potential ities of campus life as it affect ed both faculty and students. I say, I saw The Light and I took that light, held it aloft, and, while absorbing, assimilating and appropriating the plans and purposes entertained by a sin cere and solicitous faculty group, striving with the winter of discontent of an unsophisti cated, plastic, ambitious, loyal and enthusiastic group of stu dents, I tried my utmost in my humble way to pass that torch along to successive groups of students making it the more re splendency to burn for having been rekindled, at each passing, by the lengthened shadow of personality. In short, I tried to teach my students what it was all about —this new business (it was new at that time) of dovetailing the clean and enduring potentiali ties of an athletic dispensation into a scholastic idea. Please indulge me a moment as I pass in review for you my parade of another galaxy of good men who have enjoyed the elbow touch of their president, their faculty, their coach, their fel lows and Life, and yea, verily, I am almost tempted to say that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. There, dignified and stepping majestically with ben efit of clergy, marches Robeson; then, on his way to his reward, goes Darden: then step out Mayberry, Wood, Worth Will iams, Roy Johnson, the Blue boys, Len Harris, Sumter Davis, the Hilton boys, the Downings, the Martins, “Tuf Mut” Williams, Blackwood, Fleming, Liggon, Perk Will iams, Sullivan and C. W. Fran cis. They all have made good in life. Now let’s turn around and think back. Look at C. W. Francis, emerging from a mud dy, rain-soaked football field, ragged, dirty, reeking in per spiration, without benefit of clergy or deodorant, actually crying like a new-born baby be cause, with his game already won, he had made only three touchdowns instead of six. Dar den was but a boy, who, though dressed from neck to toe-nail in a brand-new uniform, would lit erally run himself ragged in his insatiable desire to bring home the bacon. Every time I think of Robeson, Lewis Downing, Sullivan, Mayberry, Francis, Perk Williams and “Crip” Hil ton I think of the strong sChd impressive language of Senti mental Santayana in “The Last Puritan” when he says, “They stood out from the crowd like a popinjay among a million crows.” Mayberry reminds me now of the choice word and the measured phrase in the exqui site language of Bliss Perry, erstwhile editor of the Atlantic Monthly, Professor of Compar ative Literature in three cele brated New England Colleges and author of “And Gladly Teach,” when he says that So and So “had all the Christian virtues except resignation.” Mayberry never quit. His is the most outstanding example of intestinal fortitude in the an nals of Smith University ath letics. He won a tight game for us one day by reason of having remained in the game a full fifteen minutes before he would tell anybody he had sustained a broken collar-bone. And now for my Theme Song of Life. If Professor Long will indulge me in a little pleasantry, I shall tell you that this song doesn’t have many staccato notes, but few adagio move ments and some courageous forte, but it does have in lavish profusion much of his celebrat ed and subdued Pianissimo— Please pardon my Southern ac cent. My song has but four stanzas, j The first stanza begins and ends | with these words: Gratitude is the fairest flower that sheds its perfume in the human heart; it is a story about a Per sian Philosopher. The second stanza is a story about a Moth er’s Love; the third stanza be gins: My Latest Acquisition; the fourth stanza is Morituri Salutamus. As a Persian philosopher was walking about his estate one day, he reached down and pick ed up a handful of dirt, smelled it and found that it was sweet. He said to the dirt: “Oh bit of dirt! It is so unusual to find a mere bit of earth smelling so sweet. Where did you get your sweetness?” The dirt respond ed: “Sir, I was once in a bar ren field; plucked out of that field, I was transplanted here, beside the purest and most un sullied rose-bush that ever grew and I imbibed my sweetness from this rose.” I say that in the plasticity of my youth I was plucked out of a barren field of scholastic endeavor and trans planted here beside the rose bush of the personalities of Dr. McCrorey, Dr. Shute, Dr. Long, Dr. Douglass and the rest whose names I have already called, and I, too, imbibed some sweetness from the contact. My theme song to-night is dedicated to them, for “They Made Me What I Am To-day And I Hope They Are Satisfied.” My second stanza: A Mother’s Love. The Great Master one day raised a window whence droppeth the gentle rain from Heaven upon the place beneath. He called to his side an angel and said to the angel: “I want you to go down yonder to Moth er Earth, spend ten hundred years, search diligently and bring back to the Glory Seat seven of the most precious things you can find.” The an gel departed. After he had seen ten hundred Novembers blanket the hillsides with snow; after he had seen ten hundred Junes carpet the meadows and farm lands with a verdant green; after having seen grapes grow purple under the amorous kisses of ten hundred Septem ber suns, the angel started back to the Glory Seat, with seven of the most precious things he had found on Earth. Here’s what he had found: a beautiful flower, a rain-drop, a bar of bright gold, a marble statue of an Athenian boy, a pomegran ate, a piece of purple cloth and a Mother’s Love. On his jour ney to the Glory Seat he rode in a chariot that was more beautiful than pearl and swift er than the flaming, scintillat ing tresses of a comet. Arriv ing at the Glory Seat amid the trumpetings of seven archan gels, he reached down with what my pronunciation francais says —Legerdemain—I mean celes tial prestidigitation, for the seven most precious things. But alas! as John Keats would say: that “thing of beauty and joy forever,” the wondrous flower, had withered and died; the rain drop had evaporated; the bar of bright gold had crumbled to dust; the marble statue of the Greek boy was shattered; the pomegran ate had dried up; the purple cloth was faded and torn; and it was only a Mother’s Love that had withstood the buffet ings of the journey and had en dured throughout all the ages. A Mother’s Love, at home or abroad—the love of an Alma Mater for its get, will “Make you fellows what you should be some day, then she will be sat isfied.” Third stanza: My Latest Ac quisition. Fellows: your latest acquisi tion tonight is a Letter In Foot ball—an honor bestowed upon you by your Alma Mater as an incentive to cleaner sportsman ship and cleaner living. As Polonius is now telling it to Laertes I’m telling it to you— “grapple it to your bosoms with hoops of steel” for, “If will make you what you ought to be some day; then we will be sat isfied.” My last stanza is Morituri Salutamps. This is a story about Henry Wadsworth Long fellow. As an octogenarian, in his gray years, at a time in his life when Father Time was ploughing cruel furrows across his brow; at a time when his step was being robbed of its elasticity, and the buoyancy was being taken out of his life, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow went back to Bowdoin, his Alma Mater, and delivered the Commencement address—Mori turi Salutamus—“We being | about to die salute you.” It is classic language; it is the hand of Esau but the voice of Jacob, for it is none other to us to-night than “You made me what I am to-day and I hope you’re satisfied.” But Longfel low did use some language which Shakespeare would have called language “of great pith and moment, when he said: “Let him not boast who puts his armor on as he who takes it off—the battle won.” My song, fellows, is ended. I hope it has melody that will linger on. I have told you that gratitude is the fairest flower that sheds its perfume in the human heart. If you would succeed in life use gratitude. I have told you that therd is such a thing in life as the length ’ning shadow of a personality that can project itself into men’s lives for good. I have told you that a mother’s love, whether at the fireside or an institution, is the most potent, dynamic and enduring influence in the busi ness of making a profitable life. I have told you that the honors accruing to you as you pass through life should be regarded as “brand new” and should be protected at any cost. And I have told you that it is not time to boast until you have received that final honor which is but the realization that the very best (Continued on Page 3)
Africo-American Presbyterian (Wilmington, N.C.)
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