Friday, May 14, 1920

Overcast cool, rainy, damp day. Arose 7:15 A.M. To college 7:45 to 9 A.M. Home. Helped father. To college 11-12 A.M. Home in P.M. Took nap. Studied. To Epworth League annual meeting, banquet and election of officers. 70 out. Fine time. Rev. Ellenwood spoke. Hanford elected President. Walked around with D.S.R. All family came. Bowled etc. 12:45 P.M.

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The Epworth League was a very important youth group in the Methodist Church from 1890 to 1940. Here is an excerpt from the Epworth Herald that explains a little of what the groups did:

What did Epworth League members do?

Members believed in the Wesleyan philosophy that “the world is my parish,” and they worked to establish education that provided both academic study and practical training. The Epworth League’s efforts helped establish Clark College (today part of the Atlanta University Center); they supported literacy efforts in Appalachia and helped connect college students through religious and social engagements on campus.

Epworth League chapters were known for their zealous fundraising and serious involvement in mission work. The 1924 Epworth League Handbook notes that between 1919 and 1924, the Epworth League raised $380,000 for mission work in Africa, a sum that would be worth millions today. Local mission work was also important, and often a young Epworth League member would accompany a Deaconness in her rounds to the hospital, orphanage or retirement home.

In the early 20th century, Epworth League chapter meetings explored such issues as women’s right to vote, racial violence (taking a stand as early as the 1920s against the Ku Klux Klan and its practice of lynching), and public assistance to the disadvantaged.