Evidently the white-ribboners believe not only in "praying," but in "watching" also, for in 1884 Mrs. Burt was presented with a beautiful gold watch as a testimonial of her years of service, first as recording secretary, then as corresponding secretary, and after that as president. In 1886 Miss Julia Colman was "watched" in the same manner, this being the tenth anniversary of her superintendency of the Literature Department; and in 1888, at Binghamton, the convention "set a watch" upon Mrs. G.M. Gardenier, the recording secretary. An elegant gold chain was added by the executive committee. These facts show on the "face" of them that all "hands" approve of "watchfulness."
In 1888 a handbook was prepared by a committee composed of Mrs. Ella A. Boole, Mrs. Helen L. Bullock, and Mrs. E.H. Griffith, which proved very helpful to the workers. The following year it was revised and enlarged, thus making it applicable to other states.
At Auburn two receptions were given the convention—one by the Young Men's Christian Association, and one in the historic home of William H. Seward.
In Elmira the convention was invited to visit the art gallery of Mr. M.H. Arnot.
While the twenty-first annual convention does not properly belong to a twenty-years history, still we feel it is fitting to mention here that we celebrated our majority by "going home" to Chautauqua county, the meeting being held at Jamestown; and while it is not the intention to report that meeting here, we desire to record the fact that, by vote of this convention, New York State claims as its own the honor of the first crusade, and of the first Woman's Christian Temperance Union ever organized. Never have we been more royally entertained than in Jamestown. The Woman's and Young Woman's Christian Associations, the Political Equality Club, and the Woman's Relief Corps gave us an elegant reception the first day, and on the day following the close of the convention, through the generosity of the local Woman's Christian Temperance Union, we were taken up the lake on a steamer to the far-famed Chautauqua Assembly grounds, the place from which was issued the "crusade call" to the women of the country to convene at Cleveland, Ohio, in November, 1874.
NATIONAL BANNERS.
In 1887 New York State received, through the president, a handsome banner presented by the national union at Nashville as a reward for the largest membership of any state in the Union, and in 1890 we received the beautiful prize banner awarded by Miss Willard at Atlanta to the state making the largest increase in membership, New York being first in the Middle States. At the Denver convention, in 1892, New York was again awarded the national prize banner for the largest percentage of increase in membership.
In 1893 our state received two other national banners—one from Miss Lucia F. Kimball, national superintendent of Sunday-school Work, for returning the largest number of signed autograph pledge cards for the World's Fair, and the other from Mrs. Mary H. Hunt, national superintendent of the Department of Scientific Temperance Instruction, for having the largest number of local superintendents of this department of any State in the Union.
STATE BANNERS.
In 1889 Mrs. Ella C. Viele, publisher of our state paper, Woman's Temperance Work, presented a banner to the county having the largest subscription list from January to September. Dutchess county captured the prize, holding it until 1892, when Steuben received it; but in 1893 Dutchess county came to the front and again claimed it for its own.