Duties of the Secretaries after a Committee Meeting.

6. By strict attention to order and regularity, the whole of this business may be considered and arranged at the primary meeting of the Committee; but should any difficulty arise, the immediate subject of discussion may be referred to a SubCommittee, and the General Committee should adjourn to receive their report. This is the more important, as the alteration of one part of the regulations now submitted will frequently require a corresponding alteration in others, which it will be difficult to make without deranging some important portion of the system.

Immediately after the meeting of the Committee, the Minute Secretary should send copies of the several Resolutions to the individuals whom they respectively concern, as suggested in the Ixth Observation, Section III., annexing his signature, officially, to each; and a form of the Monthly District Report (see Specimen, Section V.) to each District Secretary. The notices of the next meeting should be sent to the members, at least two or three days previous to that on which the Committee are to meet.-The Minutes of the first meeting should be transcribed into the "Fair Minute Book;" in the first page of which the names of the members should be entered, with columns to denote their attendance, as recommended in the Specimen, Section V.; and an Agenda* be prepared, to lay before the Chairman at the next meeting of the Committee.

7. The regular business of the Second Meeting is embraced by the following Minutes. It will be perceived they are numbered successively after those of the first committee meeting, the last resolution of which was 14;-by this plan of continuing the numbers consecutively throughout the book, any Minute is easily referred to, and much valuable time saved.t

At every Committee Meeting, the Minutes should be first read connectively; and, when confirmed, the business arising out of each should be successively considered. It is the Chairman's duty to prevent the introduction of any other business until that immediately before the Committee is disposed of, and a Minute regularly adopted, and entered by the secretary.

• See Specimen, p. 10.

↑ If two or three pages at the end of the Minute Book be used as an index to the Minutes, the facility of reference will be still greater.

And those Members whose names are marked off in the list.

The Minutes of the last Meeting having been read, it was RESOLVED→ 15. That the said Minutes be confirmed. *

16. The Minute Secretary reported, that the latter part of the 1st Minute had been complied with; and that Copies of the By-Laws were now on the table, for the supply of any of the members who had not received those intended for them.

17. The Minute Secretary reported, that the requisite account-books, forms of reports, and other papers, had been procured, pursuant to the 2d Minute. And that he had sent to the secretary of each District Committee a ruled collecting-book, forms of the District Monthly Report, and a supply of printed papers for circulation, pursuant to the 5th Minute.

18. The Minute Secretary reported, that the 7th Minute had been complied with, and that copies of the Rules and Regulations were on the table, for those members who wished for a further supply.

19. The Cash Secretary reported, that the 8th Minute had been complied with.

20. The Cash Secretary produced an acknowledgment signed by the Accountant of the Parent Society, for the sum of £.——, on Moiety account, voted by the 9th Minute; and reported, that he had entered the same to the Debit of the British and Foreign Bible Society, and to the Credit of the Treasurer.

21. B. A., on behalf of the Sub-Committee appointed by the 10th Minute, presented the following Report; viz.

5 We, your Sub-Committee, appointed to examine and report relative to the most suitable place for establishing a depository, and the most eligible person to act as collector, have made particular inquiries relative to both subjects, and unanimously recommend Y.Z. of No. Street, who

has tendered his services as gratuitous Depositary. The same individual offers to engage as Collector, at an allowance of 4 per cent. on the donations and annual subscriptions received by him; and proposes the security of O. N, and Q.P. for the trust reposed in him. He will be in attendance this even ing, to give any further explanation which the Committee may require.

The said Report having been twice read, and considered, it was RESOLVED→ 22. That the recommendation of the Sub-Committee be adopted; and that Y. Z. be hereby appointed Depositary and Collector of this society, on his handing to the Minute Secretary the requisite security.

• Unless any correction be necessary; in which case the Minute requiring alteration must be excepted. For instance; if any change in the appointment of one of the District Committees be requisite, the 15th Minute should be thus expressed: "That the said Minutes be confirmed, with the exception of the 4th:" and the necessary correction is made when the three preceding Minutes are disposed of.

Proceedings of the Second Committee Meeting.

23. That the Bible Secretary arrange with the Depositary the mode of keeping the Bibles and Testaments, and the accounts of receipts and deliveries.

24. That the Cash Secretary furnish the Depositary with a list of the subscribers entitled to purchase Bibles and Testaments at the reduced prices, specifying their respective extent of privilege.

25. The Bible Secretary reported, that the 11th Minute was complied with. 26. The Minute Secretary reported, that the 12th Minute was complied with; and that 200 copies of the last number of the Monthly Extracts of Correspondence" were now on the table.

66

27. The Treasurer presented his monthly report, by which it appeared, that the balance now in his hands is £.——.

28. The depository.not being yet opened, no report was presented from the Depositary.

29. The reports of the District Committees having been called for, in regular order, were severally presented and read: when it was resolvedThat the said reports be received.

30. The Cash Secretary reported, that the amount paid in by the respective District Committees at the present meeting, is as follows:

31. That the said sum of 3221. 16s. be paid over to the treasurer. 32. The Third District Committee having reported, that there is a favora

* When any District Committee omit to present a report, the following Resolution should be adopted, and a copy sent to the district secretary: "The District Committee, having omitted to present a report this month, the members are earnestly requested to be more circumspect in future, as the welfare of the society depends on a strict adherence to the rules."

Proceedings after the Committee Meeting.

ble opening for the establishment of a Bible Association in their district; it

was RESOLVED,

That R. S., T. V., and W. X., who have kindly offered their services, be added to the Third District Committee, until this desirable object be accomplished;-that the District Secretary arrange an early day of meeting with his colleagues, and give notice to the secretaries ;-and that the Minute Secretary supply the Third District Committee with an adequate number of copies of the " Advantages," ," and such other papers, explanatory of the

design, as may appear necessary.

33. The Cash Secretary presented the following bills :—

M. N. for expenses of fitting up Town-hall for the
General Meeting

O. P. for printing and advertising

Cash Secretary, for postage and incidental expenses The said bills were referred to the auditors.

34. That the Treasurer be requested to remit British and Foreign Bible Society the sum of £.35. That this Committee adjourn to the — of ·

£.5 3 6

2 16 4

1 2 8

to the Treasurer of the
on Moiety account.
at - o'clock precisely.

8. Before the resolution of adjournment is moved, the Minute Secretary should distribute the "Monthly Extracts" and other papers laid on the table. It will also save considerable time and trouble, if the members of District and SubCommittees avail themselves of the opportunities afforded, monthly, to make their arrangements for meeting, to carry into effect the objects of their appointment. At the close of the Committee, the auditors may make any requisite inquiry of the secretaries, &c. relative to bills referred to them: and, as the collector is generally in attendance on these occasions, any necessary instructions may be given to him.

9. After every Committee Meeting, the Minute Secretary proceeds according to the suggestions contained in the 6th division of this section. The Cash Secretary takes charge of the treasurer's report, and the reports of the District Committees; and after making the requisite entries in his books, marks each as "entered," and returns them to the Minute Secretary, by whom they are pasted in the Guard-book, in which the Depositary's reports are also preserved. As all these reports are placed in their order of date, the greatest facility of reference is attained. It will be recollected, that, by the XIVth By-Law, the secretaries are ex-officio members of all Sub-Committees, and consequently of the respective District Committees; their occasional attendance at which has been, in numerous instances, of considerable advantage. It may not, however, be improper to observe, that this attendance should never supersede the diligent discharge of

• See Appendix, No. VII.

Minute-Book, and Observations thereon.

their more immediate official duties, on which the welfare of the society so materially depends: but prompt and systematic attention will leave many hours of leisure unemployed by these duties, which may be profitably appropriated to the more local details of the society. The secretaries of a Bible Society should always exhibit a practical illustration of that maxim, "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might."

As the society may be considered as completely organized at the Second Meeting of the Committee, it is unnecessary to follow it through the subsequent stages. The specimen of the Minute Book, in Section V. of this Chapter, contains the requisite Minutes in reference to an anniversary meeting of the society; and any additional observations which are considered necessary will be submitted in Section VII.

SECTION V.

THE FORMS OF THE BOOKS AND PAPERS, AND THE MODE of KEEPING THE ACCOUNTS.

In all the Specimens contained in this Section, the entries in Italics are to be considered as Manuscript.

NO. I.-MINUTE BOOK.

1. The Rough Minute Book requires no particular observation, it being designed only to insure the neatness and regularity of the Fair Minute Book, into which the proceedings of the Committee are transcribed immediately after every meeting.

2. The most convenient size for the "Fair Minute Book" is large post quarto; and if it contain four quires of paper, ruled with faint lines, it will serve for several years. It should be bound in stout calf, and lettered. Six or eight pages at the beginning may be ruled, according to the following Specimen, to contain a register of the attendance of the members: viz.

NAMES, 1821. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

p.

p. p.

p. p.

p. μ.

p.

p. p.

p. p.

p. p.

p.

p. p.

p.

p. p. p.

p. p. p. p.

p. p.

p. p. p.

p.

p.

p.

p.