USA > Vermont > Rutland County > Brandon > Minutes of the annual meeting of the Vermont Congregational Conference; Annual report of the Vermont Domestic Missionary Society > Part 1
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2013
http://archive.org/details/minutesofannualm00verm
E 人
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01214 3001
GENEALOGY 974.3 M668VC 1917
MINUTES
OF THE
VERMONT
Congregational Conference
AND THE Vermont Domestic Missionary Society
1917
MINUTES
of the One Hundred Twenty-Second Annual Meeting of the
Vermont Congregational Conference
HELD AT
Brandon, Vermont, May 15-16, 1917
Ninety-Ninth Annual Report of The Vermont Domestic Missionary Society
The Cowles Press, St. Johnsbury, Vermont
CONTENTS
CONGREGATIONAL CONFERENCE
Act of Incorporation
4-6
Constitution
7-11
Declaration of Faith
12
Rules of Business and Order.
13-19
Officers of Congregational Benevolent Society
20
Officers, committees and arrangements for next meeting
21-2€
Minutes
24-38
Roll of Conference.
24-25
Appointment of Committees
26
Report of Fairbanks Board for Relief of Ministers.
26-27
Report of Fairbanks Board of Education
27-28
Report of Treasurer
29-30
Report of Congregational Board of Pastoral Supply
30-31
Report of Committee on Relation with Vermont Domes- tic Missionary Society.
32
Report of Committee on Benevolence
33-34
Report of Advisory Committee
34
Report of Business Committee
34, 35-37
Report of Finance Committee
37
Report of Corresponding Secretary
39-45
Statistics of the Churches
46-58
Ecclesiastical Record
59
Obituaries
60-65
Associations of the Churches
66-72
Incorporated Churches
73
Ministerial Associations
74
VERMONT DOMESTIC MISSIONARY SOCIETY
Officers
76
Act of Incorporation
77
Constitution
78-81
Rules
82-83
Minutes of Annual Meeting
84-87
Directors' Report.
88-91
Thirty Years' Review
91-97
Statistics of Aided Churches
98-99
Statistics of Women's Work
99
Report of Treasurer
100-104
Receipts for Home Missions
105-109
Ministers, Alphabetical List and Post Office Address
110-113
1
1
I
I
I
1
ACT OF INCORPORATION
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont :
SECTION 1. Jonathan Clement, H. F. Leavitt, Aldace Walker, Harvey D. Kitchel, M. H. Buckham, William H. Lord, Charles S. Smith, Alfred Stevens, Joseph Chandler, Joseph Torrey, Julius Converse, Franklin Fairbanks, John A. Page, L. L. Dutcher, James W. Hickok, and their associates, who shall be members of the General Convention of Congregational Ministers and Churches of Vermont,* and which members shall continue such associates for one year from the time of the ad- journment of the Convention of which they are members, and till others become members in their stead, are hereby consti- tuted a corporation and body politic by the name of the Gen- eral Convention of Congregational Ministers and Churches of Vermont ; and by that name may sue and be sued; may have a common seal; and shall have all the rights, powers and priv- ileges of a corporation, for the purpose of receiving, taking care of and managing all funds, property and money which have heretofore, or may hereafter come to the care, control, management, custody or ownership of said Convention, or any trustee, officer, or person for said Convention, by whatever form or mode said funds, property or money may have been, or may hereafter be conveyed, given, transferred, bequeathed or devised to such Convention, or to the denomination of Christians called and known by the name of Congregation- alists, or any branch thereof.
SECTION 2. The first meeting of said corporation shall be called by two or more of the persons named in the first section of this act, and which meeting shall be at the time and place of the next General Convention of Congregational Ministers and Churches of Vermont, a notice of which meeting shall be published at least three successive weeks in the VERMONT CHRONICLE, published at Windsor, Vt.
*Name changed by Act approved November 16, 1898, to Congregational Convention of Vermont; and by Act approved October 23, 1908, to the Vermont Congregational Confe: ence.
5
ACT OF INCORPORATION
SECTION 3. The officers of the Vermont Congregational Conference shall be a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, one or more Auditors, and a board of twenty-one Directors. These officers, with the exception of the Directors, shall be elected annually, and hold their offices until others are elected or appointed.
SECTION 4. The President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Auditors shall respectively perform the duties usually performed by such officers in other corporations, and such as may be imposed upon them by this Act of Incorpora- tion, and by the Constitution and By-Laws of this corporation.
The Secretary shall call the annual meeting, as matter of course, by publishing the call in two newspapers published in the state, unless the Constitution and By-Laws of this corpo- ration shall prescribe a different method, in which case the meetings shall be called in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and By-Laws; and he shall call other meet- ings under the direction of the Directors, and shall call a special meeting, when at least ten members shall in writing request a special meeting to be called.
The Treasurer, except where otherwise ordered by the Con- ference, shall receive all moneys, funds, property, and assets of every description belonging to, entrusted or in any way com- mitted to the care or custody of the corporation, and be respon- sible for the same, and shall disburse, pay over, and deliver, as shall from time to time be ordered by the Executive Commit- tee of the Directors, or a majority of them; he shall at least once a year make a full and true statement and report of the financial condition of the corporation, therein designating the kind or class of funds, and for what purpose donated, be- queathed, or held; he shall also exhibit all books, vouchers, or papers to the Executive Committee of the Directors, whenever requested by them, and shall furnish statements and copies when requested by them, upon reasonable notice. He shall, if requested by said Executive Committee of said Directors, give bonds with sufficient sureties, to the acceptance of said Executive Committee, for the faithful discharge of his duties as Treasurer.
Whenever a vacancy shall occur in any of the offices or committees of said corporation, such vacancy shall be filled by
6
VERMONT CONGREGATIONAL CONFERENCE
appointment of the Directors until the next annual meeting of the corporation.
The Directors shall have the general oversight of the interests and prudential affairs of the corporation, shall see that all funds, moneys, and other property are faithfully pre- served, taken care of, and administered as shall be most for the interest of the corporation, and in accordance with the wishes of testators and donors; they shall perform all acts and discharge all duties not assigned to any other officer by these Articles of Association, or by the Constitution and By-Laws made in pursuance thereof.
SECTION 5. At an annual meeting of the corporation, by-laws may be established or altered; not inconsistent with this charter or the laws of this state.
SECTION 6. This act shall be under the control of any future Legislature, and shall take effect from its passage.
Approved November 21, 1872.
Adopted by the Convention, June 18, 1873.
Amended by the Conference, May 16, 1917.
CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE 1. The work of the Conference is to promote the harmony, fellowship, and efficiency of the churches, and their co-operation in Christian work.
DOCTRINAL STANDARD
ARTICLE 2. The Conference receives as articles of faith the doctrines of Christianity as they are for substance stated in the Declaration of Faith of the Kansas City Council of 1913; these doctrines are understood by us to be those which from the beginning have been received by the Congregational churches of New England.
COMPOSITION OF CONFERENCE
ARTICLE 3. Each church is entitled to be represented in this Conference. Its representation shall be by pastor-who has been duly chosen as pastor by "definite act of the church" -and one delegate.
Persons elected to any office or holding any appointment by this Conference shall be members thereof until such office or appointment shall expire ; and officers and ordained mis- sionaries of the Vermont Domestic Missionary Society.
Persons recommended by the Business Committee may be received as honorary members, and participate in all its delib- erations, but may not vote.
OFFICERS
ARTICLE 4. Section 1. The officers of the Conference shall be a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, one or more Auditors of Accounts, and a Board of Directors. These officers, with the exception of the Board of Directors, shall be chosen annually and shall hold their respective offices from the final adjournment of the meeting.
Section 2. There shall also be appointed at each annual meeting two or more Boards of five each, to have the care of funds or any valuable interests intrusted to the Conference for the ensuing year, a Scribe and Assistant Scribe, to serve at and during the meeting at which they are appointed ; and once in five years, commencing with 1875, there shall be appointed a Statistical Secretary of the Conference, and Reporters and
8
VERMONT CONGREGATIONAL CONFERENCE
Receivers of Assessments for the several Associations of Churches. The Registrars of Associations may be appointed to do the work of reporting and receiving.
Section 3. A. The corporate powers of the Conference shall be vested in the Board of Directors, who shall have and exercise the general control and management of its funds and affairs, except as provided in Section 2, and shall perform all acts necessary to promote the interests and enhance the wel- fare of the Conference, not inconsistent with special instruc- tions of the Conference, the Articles of Incorporation, these By-Laws, and the Laws of the State.
B. The Board of Directors shall consist of twenty-one persons. One member shall be chosen from each Association except Essex. Three members shall be chosen at large. The following shall be members of the Board ex-officiis: The President of the Conference, the President of the Vermont Domestic Missionary Society, the President of the Woman's Home Missionary Union of Vermont, the President of the Ver- mont Branch of the Woman's Board of Missions. The Board of Directors shall annually elect its own Chairman.
C. At the first election under this Constitution the pastors and delegates present from each Association shall be asked to name two persons, one minister and one layman, from the Association for the Board of Directors, and one of these per- sons shall be reported to the Conference by the Nominating Committee as its nominee. For subsequent elections each Association shall be asked at a duly called meeting of the Association to name two persons, one a minister and one a layman, for any vacancy occurring in its representation in the Board of Directors. In case an Association shall fail to name two such persons, the Nominating Committee shall provide a candidate from that Association.
D. At the first election under this Constitution seven of the elected members of the Board of Directors from the Asso- ciations shall be chosen for one year, and seven for two years, thereafter seven members shall be chosen at each election for two years.
E. In reporting nominees from the Associations for the Board of Directors the Nominating Committee shall name at least seven laymen the first year, and thereafter nominations
9
CONSTITUTION
shall be so made that at least half of the elected members from the Associations shall be laymen.
F. Members of the Board of Directors from the Associa- tions who have served one whole term shall be eligible for re-election for one term and then for a period of one year shall be ineligible for re-election.
G. The members at large on the Board of Directors shall be elected annually and shall be eligible to three re-elections and then for a period of one year shall be ineligible to re-election.
H. The Board shall hold at least two regular meetings during the year, one in connection with the annual meeting of the Conference. Special meetings may be called as needed by the Chairman and shall be called at the request of seven of the Directors. Nine of the members shall constitute a quorum.
I. There shall be an executive committee consisting of the Chairman (who shall be Chairman thereof) and four other members of the Board of Directors to be appointed by the Board. At least two of the Executive Committee shall be lay- men. The Executive Committee shall possess, between meet- ings of the Board, the full power and authority of the Board of Directors ; provided, however, it cannot annul or reverse any action taken by the Board. It shall keep a record of all its transactions, which shall be read at the next meeting of the Board. It shall meet at such times as it may find advisable.
J. The Board of Directors shall present a Budget of Es- timated Income and Expenditure for the ensuing year at each Annual Meeting of the Conference.
K. The Board of Directors shall annually appoint, as largely as practicable from its own membership, such sub- committees as may be deemed necessary to perform the duties hitherto performed by the Standing Committees on Arrange- ments for Next Meeting, Benevolence, Religious Education, Civic Justice, Inter-Church Federation, the Advisory Commit- tee, and the Committee on Missionary Education. The Board shall also arrange for other Standing Committees as required by vote of the Board or of the Conference.
THE SECRETARY
ARTICLE 5. The Secretary shall be nominated annually by the Directors and elected by the Conference, except in 1917
10
VERMONT CONGREGATIONAL CONFERENCE
when he shall be nominated by the Nominating Committee. He shall be the executive representative of the Board of Direc- tors among all the churches, and shall serve ex officio on all the Committees of the Board. He shall represent the Confer- ence in all denominational and inter-denominational gather- ings, unless representation is otherwise provided for. It shall be his duty to become broadly informed concerning every phase of work undertaken by the Conference. It shall be his special duty so to organize, direct, and co-ordinate all of the work of the Conference that each part may be given proper importance, and all of the work may be done with the greatest efficiency and economy of time and money. He shall visit and advise with pastorless churches, and shall assist, when re- quested, with fraternal counsel, a pastor or church. He shall keep the records of the Conference and Board of Directors and make full report of his administration to the Conference at its Annual Meeting.
He shall see that suitable notice of the time and place of meeting is given in two or more newspapers in the state, and also that the program prepared by the Committee on Arrange- ments is printed therein. He shall send, not later than two weeks before the meeting of the Conference, blank delegate's credentials to each church in the state. Each year, soon after the adjournment of the Conference, he shall notify those appointed or elected to any position of the duties devolved upon them. He shall notify the Registrars of the Associations when nominations for their representatives on the Board of Directors are due. And he shall perform whatever other duties naturally pertain to his office.
He shall call the first meeting under this constitution of the Board of Directors.
DUTIES OF STATISTICAL SECRETARY
ARTICLE 6. It shall be the duty of the Statistical Sec- retary at the end of each calendar year, to collect and ar- range for publication statistical reports of the churches ; also to correspond with the Association Reporters, and, from the facts reported, to present to the Conference during its session a condensed account of the state and progress of religion in the churches during the year ending May 15.
11
CONSTITUTION
DUTIES OF REPORTERS AND RECEIVERS
ARTICLE 7. It shall be the duty of the Reporter and Re- ceiver of each Association to collect the assessments due the state Conference from his Association, and forward the same to the Treasurer of the Conference.
TIME OF MEETING
ARTICLE 8. The Conference shall meet annually on the third Tuesday of May, at 2 o'clock P. M.
VACANCIES
ARTICLE 9. If at any time, or from any cause, the office of Secretary, Statistical Secretary, or Director of the Con- ference, or of Reporter and Receiver of Assessments for the local Associations and churches, shall become vacant, the Board of Directors shall appoint some person to fill the va- cancy till the next annual meeting of the Conference, or until a new election is made, and any person so appointed shall be a legal officer of the Conference.
AMENDMENTS
ARTICLE 10. These articles may be amended at any Annual Meeting of the Conference, by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the persons enrolled at such Annual Session. Provided, however, such proposed amendment must be read at a business session of at least one day preceding such vote, together with notice of time and place of its consideration.
Adopted June 17, 1874, and amended in 1892, 1893, 1900, 1905, 1908, 1909, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914, and 1917.
12
VERMONT CONGREGATIONAL CONFERENCE
THE DECLARATION OF FAITH OF THE KANSAS CITY COUNCIL
Adopted as the doctrinal standard of the Vermont Congrega- tional Conference, May 20, 1914.
We believe in God the Father, infinite in wisdom, goodness, and love ; and in Jesus Christ, his Son, our Lord and Savior, who for us and our salvation lived and died and rose again and liveth evermore ; and in the Holy Spirit, who taketh of the things of Christ and revealeth them to us, renewing, comfort- ing, and inspiring the souls of men. We are united in striving to know the will of God as taught in the Holy Scriptures, and in our purpose to walk in the ways of the Lord, made known or to be known to us. We hold it to be the mission of the Church of Christ to proclaim the gospel to all mankind, exalting the worship of the one true God, and laboring for the progress of knowledge, the promotion of justice, the reign of peace, and the realization of human brotherhood. Depending, as did our fathers, upon the continued guidance of the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth, we work and pray for the transformation of the world into the kingdom of God ; and we look with faith for the triumph of righteousness and the life everlasting.
RULES OF BUSINESS AND ORDER
1. To facilitate the preparing of the roll, members of the Conference are required to hand their certificates of member- ship to the Secretary, or to the minister of the parish, as soon as practicable after reaching the place of meeting. No person shall be enrolled without credentials, unless by the vote of the Conference. Any resident of Vermont, in good standing as a Congregational minister or layman, may be chosen to any office or committee, and when so chosen shall be a member of the Conference, until such office or appointment shall expire.
2. The annual meeting of the Conference shall be opened with a business session. The President, or in his absence, the Vice-President, shall take the chair, lead in prayer, call for the election of a Scribe and Assistant Scribe, when the docket of business prepared by the Secretary shall be read. In the ab- sence of both President and Vice-President, the Secretary shall call the meeting to order, and shall call for the election of a President pro tempore, who shall be chosen by ballot, and shall preside till the President or Vice-President shall arrive, or till the close of the session.
3. After the business session of the Conference, the public exercises shall be as follows : The Conference Sermon, Communion Service, the Reports of the Board of Directors, the Secretary, Statistical Secretary, Addresses or Discussions, Addresses by representatives of such Benevolent Societies as the Committee on Arrangements shall provide, together with whatever further exercises, if any, may be deemed expedient. The order of the above exercises shall be left to the discretion of the Committee of Arrangements, it being understood that the anniversary of the Vermont Domestic Missionary Society shall be held on Wednesday.
4. The President, in connection with the Secretary, shall nominate at the opening session of the Conference a Business Committee, through which all business not provided for in the docket shall be brought before the Conference. The Confer- ence shall elect a Standing Committee on Nominations con- sisting of three members to be elected one every year to serve three years.
14
VERMONT CONGREGATIONAL CONFERENCE
5. The meetings of the Conference each morning shall be opened with prayer, when the Scribe shall read the Minutes of the preceding day. The roll of members shall be read at the last business session of the Conference.
6. The President shall preserve order and decorum in the body, and when he takes part in any discussion shall leave the chair, and address the Secretary.
7. No person shall speak more than twice upon any question, except by unanimous consent and after every other member who desires shall have spoken; and then the mover in the matter pending shall be permitted to speak in reply.
8. Every motion, except for adjournment, shall be reduced to writing, if the President or any two members de- sire it. No motion shall be acted on till seconded.
9. If any member in debating or otherwise shall trangress the rules of order or of propriety, the President shall, by his own authority, or at the request of any member, call him to order ; and if a question shall arise concerning his being in order, it shall be decided without debate by an appeal to the body.
10. When two or more persons rise to speak at once, the President shall name the one who is first to speak.
11. No motion committed to writing shall be finally de- cided upon until it shall have had three several readings, if any member calls for it.
12. When a question is under debate, no motion shall be received but to adjourn, to lay on the table, to postpone to a stated time, to commit, to amend, or to postpone indefinitely, which several motions shall have precedence in the order in which they are here arranged. On motion for adjournment, for laying on the table, for indefinite postponement, there shall be no debate.
13. If the report of a committee contains only matters of fact for information, or of argument for the consideration of the Conference, the question is Shall the report be accepted? and that question, unless superseded by a motion to reject, to re- commit, to postpone, or to lay on the table, shall be taken without debate. Such report, if accepted, is placed upon the files of the Conference, not entered upon the Minutes.
15
RULES OF BUSINESS AND ORDER
14. If a report is in, or terminates with, the form of a vote, resolution, or declaration, expressing the judgment or testi- mony of the Conference, the question shall then be taken on the adoption of the report. If adopted, the vote, resolution, or declaration is entered upon the Minutes.
15. On the report of a Treasurer of a Board of Trustees or Directors, or of a committee or other agent empowered to act for the Conference, the question is Shall the report be ac- cepted and approved? which question may be divided if a divi- sion is called for.
16. All resolutions and other matters of business to come before the Conference shall first be referred to the appropriate committees. Matters not within the province of any other committee shall be referred to the Business Committee.
17. Members who may find it necessary to leave before the close of the meeting are expected to give notice of the fact to the President.
18. Whenever a vacancy shall occur, by death or other- wise, in the representation of this Conference at a session of the National Council, the delegation from Vermont, composed of the delegates from this Conference and from the several Associations, are hereby authorized to fill such vacancy by the election of any resident of Vermont who is eligible to a seat in the Council; such election to be certified by any member of the Vermont delegation chosen by them to act as Secretary.
19. Any minister who has been chosen. as pastor of a federation of churches, one of which is a Congregational church, and who is in full standing in his own denomination, and has been duly appointed to represent the church by definite act, shall be received as a member of the Conference with power to vote and participate in all its deliberations.
These by-laws and rules shall not be subject to alteration except by the consent of two-thirds of the members present at an Annual Meeting.
DUTIES OF STANDING COMMITTEES ·
ARRANGEMENTS FOR NEXT MEETING
"The Committee on Arrangements for the next annual meeting, of which the president-elect of the Conference shall be ex-officio a member, shall recommend the place of such
16
VERMONT CONGREGATIONAL CONFERENCE
meeting, or in cases of delay or necessary change of place shall decide upon it, shall select topics for discussion and addresses, and secure persons to prepare and present the same. They shall be empowered to make arrangements for the presentation of benevolent causes, and in making out the program they shall consult with the chairmen of all standing committees appointed by the Conference."
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.