Welcome: Guest (Login/Register) |
Recruiting at this time had already noticeably slowed. A number of new Toronto units were trying to bring up their numbers, and an active recruiting campaign across the city had targeted theatres, the workplace, city streets, and churches. There was some controversy over recruiting in churches. Although local politicians did not want to say anything that would be deemed "un-patriotic" some had noted, as reported in the Star, that recruiting might not been appropriate inside a church, particularly when the recruiter asked all eligible men to raise their hands, thus singling them out. After some debate, the plan to recruit through the churches went forward, but with poor results.
Dated:
RECRUITING METHODS FAIL IN CHURCHES
109th Made Appeal Again in 22 Churches, But Got Few Recruits.
The 109th regiment's overseas battalion, the 169th, commences its second week of recruiting over 600 strong. But its campaign in the churches last evening was a flat failure. Officers spoke in 22 churches. The motor cars were in waiting. But only four recruits were secured and only half a dozen names of prospective ones. The reason is not that the men in the churches didn't respond, but that there were no men in the churches. Lt.-Col. J. G. Wright had the list of churches published on Saturday in order to have the men turn out in goodly numbers. The effect was absolutely the reverse. One after another, the officers who spoke returned to the 109th armories last night, and each said:
"I addressed a congregation of women and elderly men."
It is not likely that the 109th will have the opportunity, or, indeed, the need, of holding any more Sunday meetings, as they will be up to strength by the end of this week. but, if they do, the churches will be paid surprise visits, says the senior officers.
Yesterday nineteen recruits were attested and accepted into the battalion, and forty-three were rejected. the great majority of these came from the theatre meetings. The Star Theater sent 11, La Plaza 10, the Hippodrome 6, Loew's 5, the Park 4. In all, sixty-two called at the Armories. The strength of the new battalion is now 602, which puts it in a class with the two older battalions, the Highlanders and Queen's Own.
Transcribed by: M. I. Pirie