Extracts from the minutes of the yearly meeting of Friends held in Philadelphia, 1922, Part 1

Author: Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends
Publication date: 1922
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: E. Robt. Stackhouse Co., 1922
Number of Pages: 162


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EXTRACTS


FROM THE


MINUTES


OF THE


Yearly Meeting of Friends


HELD IN PHILADELPHIA


By adjournments, from the twenty-seventh of the Third Month to the thirty-first of the same inclusive


1922


in


FRIENDS FREE


5


LIBRARY - Printed by E Robt. Stackhouse Co 61I No. 15th Street Philadelphia


EXTRACTS


FROM THE


MINUTES


OF THE


Yearly Meeting of Friends


HELD IN PHILADELPHIA


By adjournments, from the twenty-seventh of the Third Month to the thirty-first of the same inclusive


1922


FRIENDS FREE


Printed by E. Robt. Stackhouse Co. 611: No. 15th Street Philadelphia


3


EXTRACTS


At a Yearly Meeting of Friends, held in Philadelphia, by adjournments, from the twenty-seventh of the Third Month to the thirty-first of the same, inclusive, 1922.


The Meeting assembled in joint session Second-day morn- ing, the 27th. The representatives from the Quarterly Meet- ings were called (in number 129), all but ten of these responded, for the absence of most of those not present reasons were assigned.


The Minutes of the Representative Meeting were pre- sented. This body has given much attention during the year to the various matters with which it is charged.


The numerous Sub-committees gave their annual reports which were read and approved.


The Committee appointed last year to nominate addi- tional members to the Representative Meeting, having offered the names of four Friends a year ago, and these having been appointed at that time, now proposed the addi- tional six, these were separately considered, and being united with, were appointed. They are:


HENRY W. COMFORT GEORGE VAUX, JR.


SARAH W. ELKINTON


CHARLES D. BARTON


J. EDGAR RHOADS HENRY TATNALL BROWN


The Nominating Committee had been further requested to consider whether in the future the appointments to the Representative Meeting should be made for a limited period or whether the old ruling should continue.


In their report the Committee stated that "the Repre- sentative Meeting, acting as it does for the Yearly Meeting between its sessions, occupies a field of service which calls for a strong and well-balanced body and for the consecrated talents of its members." In view of this the Committee


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recommended that the personnel of the Representative Meet- ing be periodically reviewed. In line with this they recom- mended certain changes in our Rules of Discipline; these upon due consideration were approved by the Meeting and the Book Committee is directed to have the changes made in the Book of Discipline. Said charges occur on pages 63 and 64.


On page 63, line 7 "changed in 1915 to twenty" shall read "changed in 1921 to thirty." On the same page, near the end of line 27 insert a new clause as follows: "Appoint- ments to the Representative Meeting shall be for the term of six years. In order that not more than half of its membership shall be changed at any one time, the Represen- tative Meeting is directed as soon as practicable after the adoption of this rule to divide into two equal groups the representatives of the Yearly Meeting and of each Quarterly Meeting, then under appointment. The first of these groups shall serve for six years, and the second for three years from that time, and at the expiration of these periods new appointments shall be made to serve for the full term of six years." On page 64, line 1, for the word "twelve" the word "twenty" is substituted. In line 15 add "for the remainder of the unexpired term." Lines 16, 17 and 18 are to be expunged, and in line 19 for the word "Quarterly" insert the word "the."


It is understood that the new ruling goes into effect this present year, 1922, the next general reappointment to occur in 1925 and thereafter until otherwise ordered every third year.


At the Yearly Meeting a year ago there was introduced a Minute recommending certain changes in our Book of Discipline under the heading, "Marriages." The subject at that time claimed the thoughtful attention of this Meeting; but it was felt that the wisest course was to commit it to the Representative Meeting that it might receive a more deliberate investigation.


Growing out of that, the Representative Meeting reported that it had received the care of a small sub-committee of their Meeting and had more than once been under consider-


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ation by the body at large. The suggestion, approved by the Representative Meeting was now offered, that there be inserted on page 107 in place of paragraph beginning, “It is directed," etc., the following: "It is directed that mar- riages be accomplished in meetings for worship held on week-days but not at the time of business meetings.


"It is strongly recommended that all meetings for the solemnization of marriages be held in Friends' Meeting Houses. .


"When persons making proposals of marriage to a Monthly Meeting consider the conditions such as to justify the appointment of a special meeting, they shall lay the matter before the Monthly Meeting, which, if the circum- stances warrant it, may appoint a meeting for Divine wor- ship at such time and place as may be suitable for the accomplishment of the marriage." It is proposed to strike out on page 107, beginning on 10th line, the words, "A member of our Religious Society" and on page 109, 3rd line, strike out the words "between members."


Two forms of marriage certificates are authorized :


Form A is to be used where marriages are accomplished in the regular manner in public meetings for worship as now appears in the Book of Discipline.


Form B is to be used when marriages are accomplished in appointed meetings; under these circumstances, the words "appeared in an appointed meeting held at


under the oversight of Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends" shall be substituted in the marriage certificate for the words "appeared in a public meeting of the Religious Society of Friends." In other ways, the wording of this certificate shall conform to Form A.


The foregoing suggested alterations were now endorsed by the Yearly Meeting.


The recommendation of the Trustees of the Yearly Meet- ing in regard to the income of the Anna Cresson funds, being approved by the Representative Meeting as appears by their Minutes, the Yearly Meeting now confirmed their action.


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Early in the year a message had been received from the Philadelphia Federation of Churches asking that we co- operate with them in an effort for the uplift of community. A committee to give attention to this was appointed. They have given much thought to the object of their appointment and offered a full report which was incorporated in the Minutes of the Representative Meeting. As the specific work in hand referred chiefly to the city of Philadelphia, it seemed to the Representative Meeting, that it could better be handled by Philadelphia and Abington Quarterly Meet- ings than by itself.


The scope of the work is broad and general, and very much of it is such as Friends have always been committed to. The Yearly Meeting would encourage our Meetings whenever they see an open door for service and know a real call of duty, to embrace the opportunity and to heed the call; where this can be done most effectively by assisting organizations already in the field, we encourage Friends to do their full measure, an opportunity being thus afforded, we believe, to extend the Master's Kingdom in the earth, and if we are faithful to what we profess, to advance His precious cause among the people.


At our Meeting a year ago the subject of Associate and Birth-right membership claimed our attention and this Minute was adopted at that time, to wit: "Concerning the question of membership in our Society, the matter called forth sufficient interest to warrant the hope that through some of the Quarterly Meetings or all of them, may come up a suggestive treatment of the subject to our Yearly Meeting next year."


During the year we believe this subject has received much thought on the part of many of our members. It appears from reports that three of the Quarterly Meetings have had the subject before them in Meeting capacity. They are a unit in the judgment that no change be contemplated at this time in the Discipline as it relates to membership in our Religious Society.


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One of the Quarterly Meetings held a conference at Woodbury, N. J. on which occasion prepared addresses were given, followed by a helpful discussion on the part of several present.


The Committee in charge of this conference reported to their Quarterly Meeting; their report is a suggestive one and among others statements contains the following: "As birthright members, we are privileged to enjoy the expe- rience of those who have gone before, and those of our own fellow members, and we have the opportunity of receiving an education for self-development. In return for these privileges we are under obligation to render whole-hearted service to our Meeting. The danger has been pointed out, that having obtained membership without any cost, some may rely upon the form rather than upon conviction of heart and spirit. If, however, meetings should drop these nominal members from their lists, there is need of our Saviour's caution that in "rooting out the tares we may root out the wheat also."


From a Quarterly Meeting which has a large member- ship of Young Friends and which has felt a sensitive con- cern toward the subject now under review, we have this Minute, "Religious development and character development are in many children gradual, first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear, little children are often just as truly Christian in attitude as are adults, only less developed. Birth-right membership should meet the need of such chil- dren well, furnishing a constant Christian atmosphere and environment, and the educational method of developing them. In our Friends' families we may hope they would find such conscientious training and personal care, as also in our schools (day schools and First-day schools) and in the meeting, that their Christian development would be unbroken and complete.


"On the other hand many young people of somewhat dif- ferent type feel the need of religious expression at some time in their lives. It seems not improbable that from this type which has the instinct for vocal expression of religious impulses, the vocal ministry is most likely in future years to


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come. This, therefore, should be called for and cherished. To help such as these in their expression, we might well provide ways for them to reaffirm their birth-right member- ship at some time (without specifying any age) when they have become conscious of a maturing of their spiritual growth and an impulse to Christian service. They might then indicate that their membership has become a member- ship of Christian convincement."


The report just referred to contains the suggestion that the Yearly Meeting consider the advisability of issuing a minute of advice to subordinate meetings encouraging them to take action along right lines in this matter, as Best Wis- dom may direct.


The Meeting did not feel prepared to appoint such a Com- mittee, but would encourage the four remaining Quarterly Meetings to give consideration to the subject, and if way opens for it, to present reports to our meeting a year hence.


The following were appointed to audit the accounts of Wm. T. Elkinton, Treasurer, to examine the securities in his custody belonging to the Yearly Meeting, to consider the appropriations to be granted to the Yearly Meeting and its various Committees, to propose a sum to be raised for the Meeting the coming year, and in conjunction with him to give any other needed attention to the financial interests of the Yearly Meeting.


Committee :


GEORGE VAUX, JR., and others.


Our attention was called to the fact that there are several persons still held as political prisoners in Federal peniten- tiaries or other places of confinement in our country. The Meeting was brought under a weight of exercise on this account and the following were appointed to confer together, and if way opened for it, to propose to a future session of the Yearly Meeting, some plan for urging Execu- tive Clemency toward them.


Committee :


GEORGE VAUX, JR., and others.


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The following letter addressed to President Harding was now presented. It met with the Meeting's full approval and endorsement. It was directed that it be signed by the Clerks and Correspondent and forwarded. The letter is as follows:


"Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of Friends, Held at Fourth and Arch Streets, Philadelphia Pa., Third Month 27, 1922.


To PRESIDENT WARREN G. HARDING:


"Dear Friend :- The Religious Society of Friends, through its Yearly Meeting now in session, sends greeting to Presi- dent Harding.


"We wish to express to him and to his associates our grati- tude for their work for peace in the recent Conference on Limitation of Armaments. Realizing how much is yet to be done in educating public opinion, we earnestly desire that the Administration may continue the work so well begun, and that our Government shall not shrink from the task of shaping an international policy based upon justice linked with generosity and good will.


"Let us cease the appeal to arms and give full play to those spiritual forces which have their highest sanction in the Christian religion and by whose exercise we may yet achieve a lasting peace."


The Representatives were asked to meet at the close of the session to propose Friends to serve the two Meetings as Clerks and Assistant Clerks for the current year.


Then adjourned to two o'clock tomorrow afternoon.


Third of the Week and Twenty-eighth of the Month.


The Meeting assembled in joint session at the time agreed upon.


Report was made by the Representatives to Men's Meet- ing that they were united in proposing that Davis H. Forsythe act as Clerk to the Meeting and that John D. Carter and Francis R. Taylor be appointed assistant clerks.


The Representatives to Women's Meeting proposed the names of Mary R. Williams as Clerk and Sarah Emlen Moore and Elizabeth B. Jones as Assistant Clerks. These


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names were separately considered and united with by the respective meetings, and the Friends accordingly appointed for the present year.


The report of the Committee on Christian labor in foreign lands was read. The report reviews briefly the list of our members now engaged in Christian service in Japan, China and Egypt. It calls our attention to the fact that some of the outstanding periods of Christian history have been epochs of missionary expansion; that the early Quaker movement of the 17th century was one of these, and that during the late war this same sense of missionary spirit has been signally revived. For report see page 43.


The Committee has been stirred with the desire that our Yearly Meeting may grasp the importance of the present situation and, in view of this, suggests that a committee of the Yearly Meeting be appointed to be charged with all the interests of foreign missionary activities of the members of the Yearly Meeting, and that the present members of the Committee be released.


These activities have for many years been admirably administered by the Friends' Foreign Missionary Associa- tion of Philadelphia; a paper from that organization was now read stating that the above suggestion met with the approval of their body. The following is their letter:


CHELTENHAM, PENNA., Second Month 14, 1922.


At a regular Monthly Meeting of the Executive Board of the Foreign Missionary Association of Friends of Philadel- phia, held First Month 13, 1922, the third annual report to the Yearly Meeting of the Committee on Christian labor in Foreign lands, with supplement, was read and approved by the Board. It was felt to be a most admirable report.


WALTER W. HAVILAND, President. SARA M. LONGSTRETH, Recording Secretary.


The Meeting without more complete knowledge at its command of what this transfer contemplates felt that it would be unwise to assume such a charge at once.


1]


It is glad to give its endorsement of approval of the excellent Christian work in Japan maintained under their management. The willing service rendered by the Friends' Foreign Missionary Association has been rich in fruitage, and Philadelphia Yearly Meeting desires to encourage them in this labor of love and to assist in any way that it can. The present committee is released and the following Friends are appointed to nominate a Committee to confer with the Friends' Foreign Missionary Association, and if as the result of such conference a more specific plan can be offered next year, it is felt that the same will receive a very sympathetic hearing, it being understood that the service of this Committee extends alike toward all our members engaged in Christian work abroad. To constitute said Com- mittee, the Meeting appointed :


EDWARD G. RHOADS and others.


Since our last Yearly Meeting numerous letters have come into the hands of our Secretary, addressed to the Yearly Meeting. These were referred yesterday to a small verbal committee for examination. Some few of these were brief acknowledgments of the receipt of messages sent by us last year to Meetings of Friends and groups of Friends in various quarters of the Earth. Others were in the nature of Epistles issued by Friends in Dublin, Ireland, by Friends at their annual assembly at Adelaide in South Australia, by Friends in New Zealand and in West China, and three separate Epistles from groups in Germany under the name of Friends and written from Erfurt, Frankfort on the Main and from Essen.


The Meeting as on previous like occasions was refreshed by the reading of these messages of loving interest, coming from persons whom we know, for the most part, only by name, but whom we have grown to regard as a part of our own household of faith.


We have learned with thankfulness of the prospect of our dear Friends, Wm. C. and Elizabeth C. B. Allen, to visit again (now the third time) in the love of the Gospel, in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and other countries in the Far East and also in the British Isles.


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Their labors on former occasions have had a cementing influence, and we trust that even more now, these same bonds of interest may be strengthened as they visit among the people to whom they go.


The Meeting felt that there would be a service in address- ing an Epistle to Dublin Yearly Meeting, also a general letter addressed to members of the Society of Friends and those in friendly sympathy with Friends in various groups in Germany, to Friends in West China, and to the infant Yearly Meeting of Friends in Japan, also to Friends in New Zealand and Australia, and with this in view the fol. lowing were appointed to draft essays of letters to be sub- mitted for approval to a future session :


RAYNER W. KELSEY and others.


An invitation to send delegates to the approaching cele- bration of the 250th Anniversary of the founding of Balti- more Yearly Meeting, signed by direction of the two bodies of Friends in Baltimore was read. The Meeting directed that a letter of grateful acknowledgment be sent on our behalf, addressed to the Committee on Arrangements, expressing our thanks for the invitation and giving the names of the six delegates whom we now appoint, to wit:


MARY VAUX WALCOTT WM. B. HARVEY


ANNETTE G. WAY JOHN WAY


AMELIA MOTT GUMMERE DAVIS H. FORSYTHE


There was also introduced from the Friends' Service Com- mittee a request that we send a few delegates to a confer- ence planned to be held this summer, at some place yet to be selected in the Middle West, to be composed of represen- tatives of Christian sects, which, like ourselves have main- tained a testimony for peace. To nominate Friends to go as delegates the Meeting appointed:


WM. B. HARVEY and others.


We have received, as we did five years ago, a cordial invitation to send fraternal delegates to the Five Years' Meeting, to be held at Richmond, Indiana, in Ninth Month next.


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The Meeting desires to know its clear duty in this, and to do nothing that shall be a serious stumbling block to any rightly exercised Friends.


Viewing it on a broad Christian basis, we believe it right to accept the invitation, feeling that a measure of loving interest and right concern for all under our name calls for it.


At the same time we cannot assume any responsibility for the lowering of the high standard of a free Gospel ministry, which we believe was one of the Christian principles given to Friends of the 17th century to maintain, and which any plan of pre-arranged service compromises and finally must in large measure annul.


We understand our delegates go, as their name implies, carrying a message of love, sympathy and brotherly feeling to those who may compose the Conference.


We believe, that under the Divine blessing, their mingling with Friends will return a reflected blessing to us, and in that feeling we direct them to convey to the Conference a message of our love. To nominate delegates the following were appointed :


STANLEY R. YARNALL and others.


Friends constituting the Yearly Meeting held at Stillwater, near Barnesville, Ohio, and those in correspondence with them have claimed in a peculiar degree our warm Christian interest at this session of the Yearly Meeting. We recognize that they have been loyal to many of the ancient Christian testimonies of the Society which we hold as precious and we feel that they have the true interests of the Church at heart.


A concern was expressed and fully united with that our Yearly Meeting should at this time address to them an Epistle of loving greeting. To prepare such to be submitted later in the week the following were appointed:


WM. BISHOP and others.


Then adjourned to meet in separate session tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock.


Fourth-day, the Twenty-ninth.


The Meeting assembled at the time adjourned to.


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The Queries were read and summary answers prepared by the Clerks were also read and reviewed.


The state of Society as shown by these answers called forth much pertinent and. helpful counsel. The five addi- tional queries with the answers thereto were also read.


The following statistics concerning the school education of our children show that, although the total is slightly less than last year, it is above the general average maintained for many years past.


REPORT OF PHILADELPHIA YEARLY MEETING FIRST MONTH 1, 1922.


Whole number of children between 5 and 20 years 809


In Preparative and Monthly Meeting Schools. 240


At Westtown School 117


At other schools under care of Friends 33


At colleges under care of Friends 22


Total number under care of Friends 412


At public schools 216


At other schools not under care of Friends 54


At colleges not under care of Friends 41


Total at schools and colleges not under care of Friends 311


Number considered too young for school. 23


Number who have finished school. 30


Number temporarily absent from school. 23


Number about whom no information was obtained. 10


Whole number of children as above. 809


ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.


Children under 5 at school. 3


Young men and women over 20 in colleges or technical schools 58


Total number at college or technical schools


111


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New Garden Monthly Meeting informs through Western Quarterly Meeting that Lloyd Balderston, 3rd, has been appointed correspondent in place of Elwood Balderston, deceased. Address, Colora, Cecil Co., Md.


There was introduced a minute adopted in one of our Monthly Meetings and forwarded with the approval of the Quarterly Meeting, that a change be made in the wording of the Fifty Query, with the intent of eliminating reference to any specific diversions and directing attention forcibly to the whole general question of the use of our leisure time. The proposition met with much favor on the part of the Meeting, but Friends felt best satisfied to delay decision, referring it to the Representative Meeting to be reported on at our next Yearly Meeting.


Then adjourned to 2 o'clock this afternoon.


Fourth-day Afternoon the Twenty-ninth.


The Meeting assembled in joint session at the time agreed upon.


The report of the Auditing Committee was submitted and was satisfactory to the Meeting. The recommendations con- tained in it were approved by the Meeting.


The annual report of the committee in charge of the Indian School at Tunesassa, New York, was read. The request of the committee that it be empowered to liberate from their appointment such of their members as find them- selves unable to attend to the duties of the committee was acceded to.


The report is a clear statement of the work that has been carried on the past year at Tunesassa. It makes evident as previous reports have done, that members of the committee and other Friends of the school have in many substantial ways held it in mind.


Touching the higher life of those in whose interest the school exists, our fellow member, Henry B. Leeds, now Superintendent of the school, writes, "I am concerned that our Indian folk need to know more of Jesus Christ, the sweetening, strengthening, saving principle of the world. I


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am desirous of placing a Bible in every home on the Alle- gheny Reservation. Every household should be instructed regularly, if possible, especially the newly established ones, in the truths of the Gospel."




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