OF THE

NEW-YORK

SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION SOCIETY,

FORMED ON THE 26th FEBRUARY, 1816.

ALSO,

THE RULES

TO BE OBSERVED IN THE INSTITUTION,

AND

MANAGEMENT OF THE SCHOOLS.

PUBLISHED BY ORDER OF THE SOCIETY.

1816.

ARTICLE I.

THIS Association shall be denominated The NewYork Sunday School Union Society.

II.

The objects of this Society shall be, to encourage and assist those engaged in the superintendence and instruction of Sunday Schools; to promote the establishment of new Schools; to improve the methods of teaching, and to unite the Christian feelings, the counsels, and labours, of persons of different religious denominations, in these benevolent undertakings.

III.

The Society shall consist of subscribers to its funds of not less than one dollar per annum. Donors of fifteen dollars, or more, shall be members for life.

IV.

The concerns of this Society shall be managed by a President, four Vice-Presidents, a Treasurer, a Secretary, and a Committee of thirteen, to be chosen annually, on the last Monday in February.

V.

It shall be the duty of the Committee, with the President, Vice-Presidents, Treasurer, and Secretary, in carrying into effect the objects of this Society, to provide the necessary spelling-books, and other elementary books, blank books, and tickets, and, as far as practicable, copies of the Scriptures, for the gratuitous use of all schools instituted and conducted by subscribers to this Union; and also, as far as the funds will admit, to pay the incidental expenses of each school.

5220

195

New York

3

VI.

Any five subscribers, or a larger number, disposed to open a school to be benefited by the funds, shall choose suitable persons to be superintendents and teachers of the intended school; which persons, being thus chosen, and acting together as a Committee, shall apply to the Officers of the Society for such books and monies as their school requires; and shall also choose additional superintendents and teachers when necessary, and at the end of the year appoint their successors.

VII.

The Committee shall provide a place of deposit for the Society's books, whence the Committees or Managers of the particular schools may obtain them by an order signed by the Secretary of the Society, and accompanied by a statement of the quantity and description of articles wanted. Applications for money to defray the expense of rooms, fuel, &c. shall be made to the Officers and Committee, at their quarterly meetings.

VIII.

Quarterly meetings of the Officers and Committee of the Society, shall be held on the first Monday in the months of May, August, November, and February, for the purposes of business, and of inquiry and consultation relative to the interests of the Union, and the best means of promoting them: which meetings the superintendents and teachers of the different schools shall be requested to attend, to make a report of their proceedings during the preceding quarter, and of the number, age, and progress in learning, of the scholars under their care; and also to relate such instances of usefulness as may have resulted from their labours; to propose improved methods of instruction; and to communicate whatever information may tend to promote the objects of the Society, or of the schools.

IX.

The Officers and Committee shall have power to esta

blish schools, and appoint gratuitous superintendents and teachers of them, in districts of the city where the objects of this Society are not otherwise carried into effect; and also to appoint visitors of all the schools patronised by the Society, whenever such a measure shall appear to them expedient.

X.

It shall be the duty of the Members of this Society to make inquiry, especially in their immediate neighbourhoods, as to the necessity and practicability of establishing Sunday Schools, and to report on this subject to the Secretary.

XI.

Special meetings of the Society shall be called by the Secretary, if requested by five members of the Committee, with the consent of the President; every meeting shall be opened and closed with prayer; and at the anniversary a report from the Committee shall be read. XII.

This Constitution may be amended at any regular meeting of the Society, with the concurrence of two thirds of the members then present.

RULES, &c.

The Society, deeply solicitous for the prosperity of the schools, and sensible that their welfare and usefulness must depend very much on their internal management and regulations, agree on the following Rules to be observed by those employed in the organization, government, and instruction of every school patronised by

this Union.

1. That the objects of the school shall be to teach boys, or male adults, or both, as circumstances may be, to read the Holy Scriptures, and to give them other religious instruction.

2. That indigent boys of 6 years of age or upwards,