USA > New York > Kings County > Brooklyn > Manual of Plymouth Church, Brooklyn, N.Y. > Part 3
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RULE 37. Duties of the Clerk .- It is the duty of the stated Clerk :
1. To keep full minutes of the transactions of the church at its business meetings;
2. To keep two registers of all the members of the church, one chronological, and the other alphabetical, in order:
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3. To keep a record of the names of all children of church members baptized, with the date of their baptism and of their birth, and the names of their parents;
4. To keep a record of the admission, dismission, or death of members of the church, showing the date of the event, and to note the same briefly on the registers;
5. To enter all reports accepted by the church, in full, in a book to be specially kept for that purpose;
6. To keep the Covenant, Confession of Faith, Form of Admis- sion, and Ecclesiastical Principles and Rules, recorded in a place by themselves;
7. To notify officers, delegates, etc., of their appointment;
8. To issue letters of dismission and recommendation, pursuant to rule 6;
9. To give reasonable notice of the meetings of the church, and to give notice of the annual meeting on each of the two preceding Sundays;
10. To call special meetings, when required to do so under rule 17;
11. To conduct the correspondence of the church;
12. To present, at the aunnal meeting, a written report on the state of the church, giving its history for the preceding year, and an account of the members received, dismissed, and deceased; which report must be previously submitted to the Examining Com- mittee for revision:
13. To conduct the prosecution of accusations before the Ex- amining Committee and the church.
RULE 38. Duties of Assistant Clerk .- It is the duty of the Assistant Clerk to assist the Clerk in the performance of his duties, and, during his absence or disability, to take his place.
RULE 39. Duties of the Treasurer .- It is the duty of the Treasurer:
1. To receive the proceeds of all collections other than for the poor of the church;
2. To keep an account thereof, stating the object for which each collection was taken up;
3. To pay money specially collected for the benefit of an organ- ized society to the proper officer of such society only;
4. To pay out money otherwise collected only upon the written order of at least three of the deacons, and then only to the cause
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for which the money was collected, unless otherwise ordered by a two-thirds vote of the church at a regular meeting;
5. To present a written report at the annual meeting, showing in detail all his receipts and payments.
RULE 40. Duties of Auditors .- It is the duty of the Auditors to andit the accounts of the Treasurer, and to report thereon at the annual meeting.
ROLE 41. Quorum .- Three members of the Board of Deacons, or of any Committee respectively, shall constitute a quorum for the transac. tion of business.
VII. COLLECTIONS.
RULE 42. Monthly Collections .- A collection must be taken up in the church, on the last Sunday of each month, for the following benevolent objects; but the order and time for such collections may be changed by the Board of Deacons:
January-City Mission and Tract Society.
February-Home Missionary Society.
March -- American Missionary Association.
April-Seamen's Friend Society.
May-Industrial School Assoc'n and Home for Destitute Children. June-American Congregational Union.
July-Sunday-Schools.
August-Temperance.
September-City Bible Society.
October-Brooklyn Orphan Asyhun ..
November-Amer'n Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. December-Western Colleges.
RULE 43. Collections for Poor .- A collection must be taken up after each communion, unless otherwise directed by the Board of Deacons, for the benefit of the poor of the church. The proceeds of such collec- tions are to be administered by the Board of Deacons.
RULE 44. Thanksgiving Collection .- A collection must be taken up on Thanksgiving Day, for such purposes as may be directed by the Board of Deacons, or by vote of the church.
VIII. MISCELLANEOUS.
RULE 45. Delegates .- Members of the church appointed as delegates to other churches, or to conneils, must attend as such, if possible, but
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if they cannot do so, may appoint substitutes with the approval of the Pastor or any two Deacons, giving prompt notice to the Clerk. Dele- gates must report the action of councils attended by them, at the next regnlar business meeting of the church after their return.
RULE 46. Suspension of Rules .- Rules 3, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 22, 23, 12, 13, H and 45, may be ar pended in partien. ar indances, in whole " in part, by the vode of tw meeting
Rotas 1. Alteration of Rules. The Confession of Faith, Covenants, Form of Admission, and Ecclesiastical Principles and Rules shall not be altered or suspended, except as hereinbefore prescribed, or at an annual meeting, by a vote of two-thirds of the members of the church present and voting; nor can they be altered even in such case, unless a notice containing the substance of the alteration has been presented to the church in writing at another business meeting within one month previ- ously, or at a session of the same annual meeting held not less than one week before final action. But an alteration adopted at an annual meet- ing may be rescinded at the next regular business meeting, if notice of an intention to move for such rescission is presented to the church in writing at such annual meeting.
[The foregoing rules, having been revised by the Committee which prepared this Man- ual, were adopted as they now stand, at the annual meeting of 1873-4- 1
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RULES OF ORDER FOR BUSINESS MEETINGS.
1. It is the duty of the Clerk to call the meeting to order at the time appointed, and when a Moderator has been nominated, to put the question upon the choice. . In the absence of the Clerk, any member may call the meeting to order, nominate a Moderator, and put the question. A Clerk pro tem. should then be chosen. If the meeting is adjourned to another day, the same Moderator presides.
2. Every motion must be reduced to writing, if required by any member.
3. When a motion is made and seconded, it should be read or stated by the Moderator, and is then before the meeting for consideration; and, until it is disposed of, no other business is in order. It may be with- drawn by the mover at any time, if no vote has been taken on it or an amendment of it.
4. Several amendments may be moved to a proposition.
5. A motion to amend an amendment may be made, but not to amend the second amendment.
6. A motion to strike out all the words after "resolved," and to substitute a new proposition on the same subject, is in order.
7. Privileged motions may be made at any time. They are: (1) to adjourn, () to lay on the table, (3) the previous question, (4) to refer to a committee, (5) to postpone to a time fixed.
The first three are not debatable.
8. If the previous question is carried, no further debate is in order, and the pending motion, with amendments offered, must be inne- diately put to vote. The refusal of the previous question has no other effect than to allow debate to proceed for the time.
9. Motions to amend are to be put in inverse order.
10. In filling a blank, if several sums are proposed, the largest is put to the question first, and of several times the longest.
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11. When a vote is to be taken, the Moderator, after stating the question to be decided, calls first upon those who are in favor of the motion, and then upon those who are opposed, to rise, or raise their hands, and annonces his decision. Any member may, before another motion is made, call for a count, when the Moderator must call first upon the "ayes," and then upon the "noes," to rise and stand until connted. Upon the demand of twenty members, the names of members voting must be recorded by yeas and nays upon the minutes.
12. While a vote is being taken, debate is out of order.
13. When two or more resolutions are offered at once, any member has a right to demand a division of the question, so as to take a vote apon each separately; but in other cases a division of the question can. not be demanded as of right.
14. A member, who voted with the majority, may, during the same or the next meeting, move a reconsideration of the vote, which motion opens the subject again to debate.
15. While a member has the floor, no motion can be made without his consent.
16. The Moderator is bound to confine debate to the point under discussion.
17. If a point of order is raised during debate, it must be decided by the Moderator, subject to an appeal to the meeting, before the debate proceeds.
18. An appeal to the meeting may be taken from any decision of the Moderator. On such appeal the appellant and the Moderator may each make a brief argument, and no other debate is in order.
19. Debate is not in order unless there is a motion before the meet- ing; but one who makes a motion may preface it with remarks.
20. If the floor is claimed by more than one member, the Moderator decides who is entitled to it.
21. The question before the meeting must be stated by the Modera- tor on the request of any member.
22. A vote to accept a report is not equivalent to its adoption, but simply directs the paper to be received for consideration and placed on file
23. A vote to adopt the report of a committee makes the action of the committee, as stated in the report, the action of the meeting.
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BASIS OF UNION
BETWEEN THE CHURCH AND THE SOCIETY.
[ADOPTED JUNE 11, 1847.]
1. The Society shall hold the property, and receive the income, and make all peenniary engagements, appropriations and payments.
2. In calling a Pastor, the Society and Church will act as concur- rent bodies-a majority of each being necessary to constitute a call : the Church nominating, and the Society confirming or rejecting the nomination.
3. The Church will provide for the supply of the pulpit when there is no settled Pastor, make the necessary arrangements for singing, and, in general, for the orderly celebration of religious worship ; and the Society will liquidate all reasonable expenses thereby incurred.
Order of Business at the Annual Meeting of the Society.
1. Reading the call of the Meeting, duly certified.
2. Treasurer's Report.
3. Election of Trustees and other Officers.
4. Appointment of Auditor for the ensuing year.
5. Other Business.
RENTING OF PEWS.
The Pews, and half the Aisle Seats (the others being free), are pub- licly rented on the Tuesday evening succeeding the first Sunday in January of each year. This renting is never postponed on account of the weather.
Each Pew and Aisle Seat has a fixed valuation, and the choice of any in the house, without any reservation for previous occupants, is offered to the person who will bid the highest premium above the val- nation.
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MISCELLANEOUS,
BUSINESS MEETINGS.
1 .- The annual meeting of the society, for the election of Trustees, and other business, is held on the Thursday evening succeeding the first Sunday in January.
11 .- The annual meeting of the church, for the election of officers and other business, is held on the second Friday evening of December.
III .- A regular meeting of the church, for the transaction of busi- ness, is held on the Friday evening succeeding the last Sunday of each month.
RELIGIOUS MEETINGS.
I .- Preaching on Sunday at 10} A. M. and 23 P. M.
II .- Social Prayer Meeting, on Tuesday evening.
III .- Prayer Meeting of the church, on Friday evening.
ADMISSION INTO THE CHURCH.
The Examining Committee meets, as a rule, at the close of every Friday night prayer meeting, except in July, August and September, and except also on the Friday succeeding the last Sunday of each month.
Every one desiring to unite with the church, whether on profession or by letter, must appear in person before the Committee for that pur- pose. No person is received, even upon a letter of recommendation, without examination as to his present faith and manner of life.
DISMISSION FROM THE CHURCH.
Applications for letters of dismission should be made in writing, giving the address to which the letter is to be sent. Such applications should always be made to the Clerk of the church, and not to the Pastor.
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Laws of New York Concerning Religious Corporations.
AN ACT to provide for the incorporation of religious societies. [Passed April 5, 1813.] As amended, April 23, 1867 .*
Be it enacted by the People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly :
[Sections 1 and 2 are immaterial. ]
$ 3. And be it further enacted, That it shall be lawful for the per- sons of full age, belonging to any other church, congregation or relig- ious society, now or hereafter to be established in this State, and not already incorporated, to assemble at the church, meeting house or other place where they statedly attend for Divine worship, and, by plurality of voices, to elect any number of discreet persons of their church, con- gregation or society, not less than three nor exceeding nine in number, as trustees, to take the charge of the estate and property belonging thereto, and to transaet all affairs relative to the temporalities thereof ; and that at such election, every person of full age, who has statedly worshipped with such church, congregation or society, and has formerly been considered as belonging thereto, shall be entitled to vote, and the said election shall be conducted as follows : The minister of such church, congregation or society, or in case of his death or absence, one of the elders or deacons, churchwardens or vestrymen thereof, and for want of sneh officers, any other person being a member or a stated hearer in such church, congregation or society, shall publicly notify the con- gregation of the time when, and place where the said election shall be held, at least fifteen days before the day of election : that the said notification shall be given for two successive Sabbaths. or days on which such church, congregation or society shall statedly meet for public worship, preceding the day of election; that
* The amendments struck out the word "male," so as to enable female members to vote.
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on the said day of election, two of the elders or churchwardens, and if there be no such officers, then two of the members of the said church, congregation or society, to be nominated by a majority of the members present, shall preside at such election, receive the votes of the electors. be the judges of the qualifications of such electors, and the officers 10 return the names of the persons who, by plurality of voices, shall be elected to serve as trustees for the said church, congregation or society; and the said returning officers shall immediately thereafter certify, under their hands and seals, the names of the persons elected to serve as trus- tees of such church, congregation or society, in which certificate the name or title by which the said trustees and their successors shall forever thereafter be called and known, shall be particularly mentioned and described; which said certificate, being proved or acknowledged as above directed, shall be recorded as aforesaid; and such trustees and their successors shall also thereupon, by virtue of this act, be a body corporate, by the name or title expressed in such certificate; and the clerk of every county, for recording every certificate of incorporation by virtue of this act, shall be entitled to seventy-five cents, and no more.
$ 4. And be it further enacted, That the trustees of every church, congregation or society, herein above mentioned, and their successors, shall respectively have and use a common seal, and may renew and alter the same at their pleasure, and are hereby authorized and empow- ered to take into their possession and custody all the temporalities belonging to such church, congregation or society, whether the same consist of real or personal estate, and whether the same shall have been given, granted or devised, directly to such church, congregation or society, or to any other person for their use; and also by their cor- porate name or title to sue and be sued in all courts of law or equity, and to recover, hold and enjoy all the debts, demands, rights and priv- ileges, and all churches, meeting-houses, parsonages and burying places, with the appurtenances, and all estates belonging to such church, congregation or society, in whatsoever manner the same may have been acquired, or in whose name soever the same may be held, as fully and amply as if the right or title thereto had originally been vested in the said trustees; and also to purchase and hold other real and personal estate, and to demise, lease and improve the sune, for the use of such church, congregation or society, or other pious uses, so as the whole real and personal estate of any such church, congregation or society, other than the corporation of the minister, elders and deacons of the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of the City of New York,
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and the First Presbyterian Church of the City of New York, and the rector, churchwardens and vestrymen of St. George's Church in the City of New York, and of the minister, elders and deacons of the Re- formed Dutch Church in the City of Albany, shall not exceed the an- nual value or income of three thousand dollars ; and of the said cor- poration of the minister, elders and deacons of the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of the City of New York, the annual value or income of nine thousand dollars ; and of the said First Presbyterian Church of the city of New York the annual value or income of six thousand dollars ; and of the said rector, churchwardens and vestry- men of St. George's Church in the City of New York the annual value or income of six thousand dollars, and of the minister, elders and dea- cons of the Reformed Dutch Church in the City of Albany, the annual value or income of ten thousand dollars ; and also to repair and alter their churches or meeting-houses, and to erect others if necessary, and to erect dwelling houses for the use of their ministers and school houses and other buildings for the use of such church, congregation or society ; and such trustees shall also have power to make rules and orders for managing the temporal affairs of such church, congregation or society, and to dispose of all moneys belonging thereto, and to regu- late and order the renting the pews in their churches and meeting- houses, and the perquisites for the breaking of the ground in the ceme- tery or churchyards, and in the said churches and meeting-houses for the burial of the dead, and all other matters relating to the temporal concerns and revenues of such church, congregation or society ; and to appoint a Clerk and Treasurer of their Board, and a Collector to collect and receive the said rents and revenues, and to regulate the fees to be allowed to such Clerk, Treasurer and Collector, and them or either of them to remove at pleasure, and appoint others in their stead ; and such ('lerk shall enter all rules and orders made by such trustees, and pay- ments ordered by them, in a book to be provided by them for that pur- pose.
$ 5. And be it further enacted, That it shall be lawful for any two of such trustees, other than the trustees mentioned in the first section of this act, or their successors, at any time to call a meeting of such trustees, and that a majority of the trustees of any church, congregation or society, mentioned in this act, being lawfully convened, shall be con- petent to do and perform all matters and things which such trustees are authorized or required to do and perform, and that all questions arising at any such meetings shall be determined by a majority of the trustees
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present, and, in case of an equal division, the presiding trustee shall have a casting vote.
$ 6. And be it further enacted, That the trustees first chosen accord- ing to the third section of this act, shall continue in office for three years from the day of their election, and immediately after such election the said trustees shall be divided by lot into three classes, numbered one, two and three, and the seats of the members of the first class shall be va- cated at the expiration of the first year, of the members of the second class at the expiration of the second year, and the members of the third class at the expiration of the third year, to the end that the third part of the whole munber of trustees, as nearly as possible, may be annually chosen ; and the said trustees, or a majority of them, shall, at least one month before the expiration of the office of any of the said trustees, notify the same in writing to the minister, or in case of his death or absence, to the elders or churchwardens, and in case there shall be no elders or churchwardens, then to the deacons or vestrymen of any such church, con- gregation or society, specifying the names of the trustees, whose terms will expire, and the said minister, or in case of his death or absence, one of the said elders or churchwardens, or deacons or vestrymen shall, in manner aforesaid, proceed to notify the members of the said church, congregation or society, of such vacancies, and appoint the time and place for the election of new trustees to fill up the same, which election shall be held at least six days before such vacancies shall happen, and all such subsequent elections shall be held and conducted by the same persons, and in the manner above directed, and the result thereof certi- fied by them, and such certificate shall entitle the persons elected to act as trustees, and in case any trustee shall die or refuse to act, or remove within the year, notice thereof shall be given by the trustees as afore- said, and a new election appointed and held, and another trustee be elected in his stead, in manner aforesaid.
$ 7. And be it further enacted, That no person belonging to any church, congregation or society, intended by the third section of this act, shall be entitled to vote at any election succeeding the first, until such person shall have been a stated attendant on divine worship in the said church, congregation or society, at least one year before such elec- tion, and shall have contributed to the support of the said church, con- gregation or society, according to the nsages and customs thereof, and that the clerk to the said trustees shall keep a register of the names of all such persons as shall desire to become stated hearers in said church,
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congregation or society, and shall therein note the time when such request was made, and the said clerk shall attend all such subsequent elections, in order to test the qualifications of such electors, in case the same should be questioned.
$ 8. And be it further enacted, That nothing in this act contained shall be construed or taken to give to any trustees of any church, con- gregation or society, the power to fix or ascertain any salary to be paid to any minister thereof, but the same shall be ascertained by a majority of persons entitled to elect trustees, at a meeting to be called for that purpose, and such salaries, when fixed, shall be ratified by the said trustees; or a majority of them, by an instrument in writing under their common seal, which salary shall thereupon be paid by the said trustees out of the revenues of such church, congregation or society.
$ 9. And be it further enacted, That whenever any religious corpo- ration within this State, other than the chartered corporations, shall deem it necessary and for the interest of such religious corporation to reduce or to increase the number of trustees, that it shall and may be lawful for any such religious corporation to reduce or to increase their number of trustees at any annual meeting: Provided, That such reduc- tion or increase shall not be such as to have a less number than three, or a larger number than nine, trustees in any one of the said religious corporations; Provided, That a notice of at least two weeks shall be given, at a regular meeting of such society, of the time and place of holding any meeting at which any such reduction or increase may be proposed .- [As amended, Lais 1866, ch. 414. ]
$ 10. [Immaterial. ]
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$ 11. And be it further enacted, That it shall be lawful for the Chan- cellor of this State, " upon the application of any religious corporation, in case he shall deem it proper, to make an order for the sale of any real estate belonging to such corporation, and to direct the application of the moneys arising therefrom by the said corporation to such uses as the same corporation, with the consent and approbation of the Chancellor, * shall conceive to be most for the interest of the society to which the real estate so sold did belong : Provided, That this act shall not extend to any of the lands granted by the State for the support of the Gospel.
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