Brief history of the Synodical of North Carolina : with minutes of the first annual meeting and the minutes and reports of second annual meeting, held at Montreat, N.C, July, 1914

              A BR±EF HISTORY OF T1^ qyiffi -»-<-• -,- .-_
MOLINA, with MINUTES OF T] ^
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ANNUAL MEETING, HELO -
•JULY, 1914 ' '
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BRIEF HISTORY
of the g>gtt0tati of
JJarilj OJaroltna with
Minutes of the First Annual
Meeting and the Minutes and Re-ports
of Second Annual Meeting
HELD AT MONTREAT, N. C.
JULY, 1914
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2013
http://archive.org/details/briefhistoryofsyOOwoma
North Carolina State Library
Raleigh
BRIEF HISTORY
of the §ijwi&trai of
JJtfrilj (Jaroitna with
Minutes of the First Annual
Meeting and //^Minutes and Re-ports
of Second Annual Meeting
HELD AT MONTREAT, N. C.
JULY, 1914
:
.
President
AIRS. JACKSON JOHNSON
Winnabow
Vice-Presidents
MRS. J. A. BROWN
Chadbourne
MRS. J. M. McIVER
Gulf
MRS. E. D. BROWN
Loray
MRS. J. M. BAKER
Tarboro
MRS. FRANK NEAL
Charlotte, R. F. D.
MRS. J. V. PATTERSON
Kings Mountain
MRS. W. H. DAVIS
Pisgah Forest
MRS. E. C. MURRAY
Greensboro, R. F. D
Recording Secretary
MISS MARGARET G. RANKIN
Charlotte
Treasurer
AIRS. E. F. REID
Lenoir
Secretary Foreign Missions
MRS. CHAS. RANKIN
Fayetteville
Secretary of Assembly Home Missions
MRS. W. M. CUMMING
Wilmington
Secretary Local Home Missions
MISS" CLARA PATRICK
Belmont
Secretary Ministerial Relief and Christian Education
MRS. BEN LACY
ALU Brook
Secretary Young People's Work and Sabbath School Extensi
MISS JULIA SAIITH
Asheville
Secretary Literature
AIRS. H. E. GURNEY
Monroe
BRIEF HISTORY
On Saturday, August 10, 1912, there was held in the Audi-torium
at Montreat, a meeting of delegates from all the Presby-terial
Unions in the State, with the exception of Asheville Union.
A vote was taken as to the advisability of organizing a North
Carolina Synodical Union. All the delegates, with the exception
of those from Albemarle, voted to organize a Synodical Union.
Albemarle Union wished to understand the object better, and will
doubtless join later.
The following delegates were present: Mrs. Jackson John-son
and Mrs. W. M. dimming, Wilmington Union ; Mrs. Robt.
Page and Mrs. L. W. Curtis, Fayetteville Union; Mrs. E. C
Murray, Orange Union ; Mrs. Samuel Watkins, Albemarle
Union ; Miss Margaret Rankin, Mecklenburg Union ; Mrs. W.
B. Ramsay, Concord Union; Mrs. L. M. Hull and Mrs. J. C.
Thompson, Kings Mountain Union.
At the request of the Assembly's Committee on Woman's
Work, it was decided to drop the name "Union" and speak of
them as "Synodicals" and "Presbyterials." They also requested
that the officers be uniform in Synodicals, Presbyterials and Local
Societies.
It was unanimously decided to adopt a Constitution at this
meeting, but to postpone having it printed in leaflet form until
after the meeting in 19 13, as it might be found necessary to make
some changes.
Dr. Vardell, Chairman of the Synod's Committee on Wo-man's
Work, met with the ladies and gave most valuable aid in
formulating the Constitution.
After careful consideration the Constitution was adopted.
The question of meeting the expenses of the Synodical was
discussed. It was decided to ask for a .15 per capita tax, instead
of .10 as heretofore, .05 of this to go to the Synodical. This is
to be collected by the Presbyterial Treasurer.
One dollar was contributed by Mrs. L. W. Curtis and Mrs.
W. M. dimming toward buying a minute book.
The annual meeting of the Synodical will be held with the
various Presbyterials in turn, except the meeting in 1913, which
will be held at Montreat, immediately following the Woman's
Conference.
The following officers were elected
:
President, Mrs. Jackson Johnson, Wilmington Presbyterial,
Synodical of North Carolina.
The Vice-Presidents are to consist of the Presidents of the
various Presbvterials, and are as follows:
Mrs. A.'D. McClure, Wilmington; Mrs. Robt. Page, Fay-etteville;
Mrs. E. C. Murray, Orange; Mrs. Samuel. Watkins.
Albemarle; Mrs. J. R. Irwin, Mecklenburg; Mrs. W. B. Ram-say.
Concord; Mrs. L. M. Hull, Kings Mountain; Mrs. W. H.
Davis, Asheville.
Recording Secretary, Miss Margaret Rankin, Charlotte.
Treasurer. Mrs. E. F. Reid, Lenoir.
Secretary Foreign Missions, Mrs. Chas. Rankin, Fayetteville.
Secretary Assembly Home Missions, Mrs. Chas. Norfleet,
Winston-Salem.
Secretary Local Home Missions, Mrs. L. M. Hull, Shelby.
Secretary Christian Education and Ministerial Relief, Mrs.
John Reid, Davidson.
Secretary Young People's Work, Mrs. L. W. Curtis, Hamlet.
The Synodical adjourned to meet at Montreat, August, 19 1 3.
Respectfully submitted,
Margaret G. Rankin, Secretary.
Synodical of North Carolina.
FIRST MEETING
mt
The first meeting of the North Carolina Synodical was held
in the church at Montreat, August 14. The meeting was called
to order by the President, Mrs. Jackson Johnson. All the Pres
byterials were represented. Sixteen delegates present. Encour-aging
reports were made by all the officrs, showing increased in-terest
in all branches of the work.
The Treasurer, Mrs. E. F. Reid, reported $80.64 received
from the Presbyterials for the expenses of the Synodical.
The President read the action of the General Assembly allow-ing
the societies to send their contributions direct to the Secretary's
office for which it was intended, reporting to the session the amount
and the work to which sent. The work already being done by
the societies and pledges made, must not be tampered with. The
Secretary of Foreign Missions, Mrs. Chas. Rankin, reported quite
an increase in the gifts of the women over those of 1912.
The following motion, made by Mrs. W. B. Ramsay, was
unanimously adopted: "As a Synodical we record our gratitude
for the noble part our women had in raising the Debt Fund, and
that we urge an equal or better support of the progressive mission
work of the Church during the coming year."
Mrs. L. W. Curtis, Secretary of Young People's Work, made
a splendid report and asked that a morning session of the Synodical
be given to a conference on Young People's Work, the said con-ference
not to consist of entertainments by the children nor of
addresses to them, but of a conference of leaders and addresses to
them. The recommendation was unanimously passed.
The Historian, Mrs. Ben Lacy, gave a most interesting his-tory
of the organizing of the various Presbyterials, beginning with
Wilmington, which was the first organized. The report contained
much valuable information.
Our Superintendent, Mrs. Winsborough, made a most help-ful
talk on the various committees necessary to carry out the As-sembly's
plan, and the wonderful opportunity of these committees
for efficient service. She also urged the observance of "Home
Mission" week in October, and having a praise meeting once a
year, making this the best meeting of the year. "Blessing Boxes, '
in which to put the daily thank offerings, can be gotten for one
and a half cents each. The urgent request was made that every
society close its accounts the 31st of March and send the reports
at once to the Woman's Auxiliary.
Synodical of North Carolina.
Mrs. Watson Fairley explained the successful working of the
Assembly's Plan in the First Church of Fayetteville. It was
most helpful to those societies not yet using the plan. The Presi-dent,
Mrs. Johnson, suggested that the delegates from the Presby-terials
sent to the Synodical next year be the Secretary of Assem-bly's
Home Missions and the Secretary of Young People's Work.
The following motion was made and adopted: "That a
recommendation be sent down to the Presbyterials that they send
their delegates instructed as to their desires for the place of meet-ing
of the Synodical."
After considerable discussion the matter of pra-rating North
Carolina's part—$640—of the support of the Auxiliary was left
to the Synodical Treasurer. She was asked to notify each Presby-terial
President of the apportionment assigned to her Presbyteriai,
and each Presb}'terial is to decide for itself how this apportionment
is to be raised. The Treasurer, Mrs. Reid, asks that if possible
the funds both for the Auxiliary and the Synodical be sent in
the Fall.
The Executive Committee unanimously decided to urge the
North Carolina Presbyterials to hold their meetings consecutively
in April, the dates and order of succession being left to the Synod-ical
President.
The following officers were elected : President, Mrs. Jack-son
Johnson, Winnabow ; the Vice-Presidents are the Presidents
of the Presbyterials; Secretary, Miss Margaret Rankin, Char-lotte:
Treasurer, Mrs. E. F. Reid, Lenoir; Secretary Foreign
Missions, Mrs. Chas. Rankin, Fayetteville ; Secretary Assembly
Home Missions, Mrs. W. M. Cumming, Wilmington ; Secretary
Local Home Missions, Mrs. J. M. Mclver, Gulf; Secretary
Young People's WT
ork and Sabbath School Extension, Mrs. E. L.
Brown, Loray ; Secretary Christian Education and Ministerial
Relief, Mrs. Baxter S. Moore, Winston-Salem ; Secretary Liter-ature,
Miss Madeline Orr, Charlotte.
Adjourned to meet at Montreat in 19 14.
Margaret G. Rankin, Secretary.
Synodical of North Carolina.
SECOND MEETING
The second annual meeting of the North Carolina Sjnodical
was held in the Auditorium at Montreat, July 20, the President,
Mrs. Jackson Johnson, presiding. Mrs. E. F. Reid conducted the
devotional exercises; she spoke of the life and work of several
women of the Bible; the talk was exceedingly helpful. Mrs.
Johnson reported the meeting of the "Council" in Kansas City. All
States were represented, showing a Synodical organization in every
State. Mrs. McMillan, Treasurer, made a concise report of the
finances of the Auxiliary. The year was closed free of debt, even
though some of the societies did not meet their assessments. Only
30 per cent of the women of the Southern Presbyterian Church
are in organized work for the Master.
A committee consisting of Mrs. Patterson, Mrs. Mclver and
Mrs. J. A. Brown was appointed to go over the Constitution
and make the changes necessary to be made. These changes will
be voted on at the meeting of the Synodical next year. Several
changes were made in the By-Laws, which will be printed in the
Minutes. A motion was made by Mrs. E. C. Murray that the
Minutes of the Synodical be printed ; from the organization
through the present meeting. Adopted.
There was much discussion over the meaning of "Local Home
Missions;" we have been confounding "Local Home Missions"
and "Congregational." "Local Home Missions" covers only
Synodical and Presbyterial Home Missions.
Good narrative reports were given by the Presbyterial Presi-dents.
Only Albemarle Presbyterial reached the "Standard of
Excellence" as recommended by the Auxiliary. The Treasurer,
Mrs. E. F. Reid, reported about $70 in the treasury.
All the Secretaries made splendid reports. Mrs. Gurney,
Secretary of Literature, reported 1,158 copies of the Survey taken,
301 Prayer Calendars, 82 Mission Study classes; she felt sure that
a full report would double these numbers
Mrs. Chas. Rankin, Secretary of Foreign Missions, reported
$22,819 given last year by our women; the most striking thing
about her report was that "the Presbyterials reporting the largest
per cent of their Auxiliaries organized according to Assembly's
plan, show an increase in Foreign Missions." There was another
encouraging note—"more women in North Carolina are studying,
working, giving and praying for Foreign Missions than ever
before." How this should rejoice our hearts.
Synodical of North Carolina.
Mrs. E. D. Brown, Secretary of Young People's Work and
Sabbath School Extension, struck a very different note when she
said there were 86,000 white children in North Carolina out of
any Sunday school. How can our women fail to be interested
in and wTork for Sabbath School Extension ?
Mrs. E. C. Murray made a thrilling appeal for organized
work for Barium Springs Orphanage. The Synodical did not
see their way clear to enter this work just now. The thank
offering collection amounting to $9.30 was to be sent to Barium.
The Secretary was instructed to write a letter expressing the
love of the Synodical and their appreciation of her splendid work
to Mrs. Lacy Little, who is an honorary member of the Synodical.
The Synodical gave a rising vote of thanks to Mrs. W. B.
Ramsay for her wonderful work in arranging the schedules for
the speakers attending the Presbyterials. The Presbyterial Presi-dents
were asked to send to the Synodical President the time and
place of their meeting of Presbytery, also the place of meeting of
the Presbyterial, that the dates of the meetings might be arranged.
The following officers were elected for the ensuing year
:
President, Mrs. Jackson Johnson ; Secretary, Miss Margaret Ran-kin
; Treasurer, Mrs. E. F. Reid ; Secretary Foreign Missions,
Mrs. Chas. Rankin ; Secretary Assembly Home Missions, Mrs.
W. M. Cumming; Secretary Local Home Missions, Mrs. J. M.
Mclver; Secretary Ministerial Relief and Christian Education,
Mrs. Ben Lacy; Secretary Young People's Work and Sabbath
School Extension, Miss Julia Smith; Secretary Literature, Mrs.
H. E. Gurney.
The closing devotional was led by Miss Margaret Rankin,
the subject being "Complete Surrender."
After prayer the Synodical adjourned to meet at Montreat,
1915.
Respectfully submitted,
Margaret G. Rankin, Secretary.
REPORT OF RECORDING SECRETARY.
The minutes of the meeting of 1913 were written and sub-mitted
to Synodical.
A report of the proceedings of the meeting was printed in all
the Church papers. A copy was sent to Dr. Vardell, Chairman of
the Synod's Committee on Woman's Work. It was read to
Synod and printed in their minutes.
I urge with all earnestness, that reports of meetings and lists
Synodical of North Carolina.
of societies in each Presbyterial be sent to the Recording Secretary
immediately after the meeting. There are many calls for a list
of the societies in the State, and it is impossible to furnish them
without the co-operation of the Presbyterial Secretary.
Three Presbyterials sent no report of any kind this year.
Margaret G. Rankin, Secretary.
TREASURER'S REPORT—N. C. SYNODICAL.
August I, 19 1
3—To balance $ 37.54
Synodical dues for year ending August 1, 19 14 134-96
$172.50
Disbursements 126.60
Balance on hand August 1, 1914 $ 45-90
Mrs. E. F. Reid, Treasurer.
J
FOREIGN MISSIONS.
Second Annual Report—Foreign Missions—North Carolina
Synodical, for year ending March 31, 19 14:
Albemarle Presbyterial—Mrs. W. W. Faison, Secretary:
Eight Mission Study classes ; six Auxiliaries adopted Assembly's
Plan (being one-third of Women's Societies) ; Amount contrib-uted
to Foreign Missions, $1,835.34; Increase over last year,
$238.50; Contributions doubled in two years, lacked $137.00.
Asheville Presbyterial—Miss Virginia Patton, Secretary:
Amount contributed to Foreign Missions, $607.83 ; Decrease from
last year, $212.00; Doubled in two years, lacked $39.00.
Concord Presbyterial—Mrs. J. G. Garth, Secretary:
Amount contributed to Foreign Missions, $2,449.39 ; Decrease
from last year, $186.00.
Fayetteville Presbyterial—Miss Delia MacGoogan, Secre-tary:
Mission Study classes, 11; Copies of Survey taken, 600;
Amount contributed to Foreign Missions, $4,950.00; Decrease
from last year, $1,625.00.
Kings Mountain Presbyterial—Mrs. W. F. Mitchell, Sec-retary:
Amount contributed to Foreign Missions, $663.37; De-crease
from last year, $42.00.
Mecklenburg Presbyterial—Mrs. E. M. Cole, Secretary:
io Synodical of North Carolina.
Amount contributed to Foreign Missions, $6,191.02; Increase
over last year, $2,132.00; About one-third of Auxiliaries organ-ized
according to Assembly's plan.
Orange Presbyterial—Miss Minnie Fields, Secretary: Num-ber
of Surveys taken, 687 ; Prayer Calendars, 297 ; Amount con-tributed
to Foreign Missions, $4,355.00; Decrease from last
year, $1,349.00.
Wilmington Presbyterial—Mrs. W. P. M. Currie, Secretary
:
Four Auxiliaries adopted Assembly's plan ; Seven Mission Study
classes; Contributions to Foreign Missions, $1,769.26; No report
for last year, so cannot give increase or decrease.
Total, $22,819.
HOME MISSIONS.
As your Secretary of Local Home Missions it gives me great
pleasure to state that I have had the cordial sympathy and helpful
support of the Presbyterial Secretaries of Local Home Missions,
and beg to report for them the following:
But before doing so, may I say, that as the office was an en-tirely
new one, and what constitutes Local Home Missions not
clearly understood by many of the societies, the Secretaries feel
that by another year they will have the work much better in hand,
and that the societies will have a more comprehensive grasp of
the subject.
From Mecklenburg Presbyterial, Mrs. J. W. Zimmerman
reports sixty questions sent out and eighteen responses; $711.25
for Local Home Missions, which she thinks by no means a correct
report, as so many of the societies failed to report work done
along this line.
Mrs. J. W. Thackstone, of Albemarle Presbyterial, reports
question blanks sent out to fourteen societies, and nine answers.
Total amount reported for Local Home Missions, $940.13. Four
of the societies are assisting in some form of institutional work,
or Mission Sunday Schools, or City Missions.
Edenton reports enlisting her society in "Remedying evil
conditions, and meeting moral needs at home." One country
church reports considering ways of making the church a more
vital factor in the social life of the young people in the community.
Orange Presbyterial has no Secretary of Local Home Mis-sions,
and while I know that she is doing a grand work in almost
every phase of Local Home Missions, my report, of course, must
be official, and I can only give what I was able to get from one
Synodical of North Carolina. i i
Secretary of Home Missions, Assembly's and Local, who reports
total for Home Missions, $4,863.42; Glade Valley Mission,
$911.00; Orphans, $758.78.
From Kings Mountain Presbyterial, Mrs. J. S. Wise reports
five societies that have a Secretary of Local Home Missions.
These five report having contributed to Westminster School,
Balfour Orphanage, Barium Springs, and to the poor in their
midst an aggregate of $372.00. Mrs. Wise calls attention to the
fact that she was appointed Presbyterial Secretary only a very
short time before the meeting of the Presbyterial, and conse-quently
had no time in which to get the work in hand.
Mrs. R. E. L. Brown, of Wilmington Presbyterial, re-ports
thirty societies in her Presbyterial, and thirty question
blanks sent out to which she received fifteen replies. Only nine
societies report a Secretary for Local Home Missions. Mrs.
Brown wants to know what is the matter with the Presidents of
the other twenty-one societies. If they have adopted the new con-stitution
for local societies, why not appoint a Secretary for this
cause.
The Synodical Secretary will be grateful for a satisfactory
answer to the above question.
The Mt. Olive Society answers in the affirmative to all the
questions on the answer blank, the only society in the Presbyterial
making such a splendid report. Does Mrs. Winsborough know
of another in the whole Auxiliary? If not, should not Mt. Olive
have a banner? This report makes especial mention of social
service as one of the most important phases of Local Home Mis-sions.
I hope that every woman in this Synodical has read, or
will read a copy of this report in a recent issue of the Presby-terian
Standard.
Mrs. J. R. Campbell, of Concord Presbyterial, reports much
interest in this work among her societies. Lee's-McRae Institute,
at Banner Elk, Barium Springs Orphanage, the evangelistic work
in the mountains, and other parts of the Presbytery, and the Manse
Fund being the special object contributed to. Some of the so-cieties
have established Sunday Schools in different places, and
given literature to the colored people, and one society reports a
Bible class for colored children, taught by two of its members,
which meets every Saturday afternoon in the kitchen of the manse.
Mrs. Campbell closes by saying: "Let us earnestly seek to learn
what is the Master's will for us as individuals, and as societies,
for the poor and ignorant, now neglected in our own commun-ties.
Perhaps at our door are mission fields already white, and
12 Synodical of North Carolina.
needing laborers. To them, by the help of the Holy Spirit, let
us give ourselves." $502.59.
Mrs. J. W. McLauchlin, of Fayetteville Presbyterial, re-ports
that only a few societies have as yet elected a Secretary of
Local Home Missions, owing largely to the fact that they did
not have a Presbyterial Secretary last year. So it has been difficult
to find out the details of the work. For many years Fayetteville
Presbyterial has been doing excellent work along these lines, al-though
it was not called Local Home Missions. The Presbytery's
High School at Elise, Barium Springs, the schools at Banner Elk.
and Plumtree, and Morrison Memorial, the little helpless one?
in far-away Balfour, and Synodical, and Presbyterial Home Mis-sions,
and evangelistic work, are the special objects contributed to.
Some of the societies show a most encouraging gain in interest and
contributions, one society giving $53.00 for Local Home Mis-sions
against $10.00 for all Home Mission causes last year. Four
societies report work done among the colored people. One church
reports eight Mission Sunday Schools, including one at the col-ored
Presbyterian Church. Every woman teaching in these schools
is a member of the Woman's Auxiliary of the Church. Total
reported for Local Home Missions, $1,362.12.
Now before closing may I ask for a few minutes in which
to state as concisely as possible some of the facts that have most
impressed me during the year in which I have been Secretary of
this great cause.
The first is that we women of our eight Presbyterial Union?
are better informed on every other phase of our mission work than
of this, the one at our very doors. The next, not less important,
and certainly vastly more encouraging, is that by the wonderful
new plan of our great Woman's Auxiliary, which emphasizes
Home Missions not less than Foreign, and which gives us along
with the Foreign work a systematized plan for this work also
and channels of information through which the needs and op-portunities
are being brought before our women, and there is a
marvelous awakening, and a widespread interest. The thing of
next importance is, that certainly in most of the Presbyterials, the
women have responded nobly to the calls for help in our mission
schools, and in our Orphanage work, but we have not rallied to
the support of our Synodical and Presbyterial Superintendents
in their efforts to send men to carry the Gospel message to desti-tute
parts of the Synod. In one Presbvtery there is a county of
23,000 white people unsaved, and only two Presbyterian ministers
in the county. In this same Presbytery there are over 75,000
Syxodical of North Carolina. 13
people who belong to no church whatever. Now what are we
women going to do with conditions like these, for I am sure they
exist to a greater or less extent in all of our Presbyteries. Shall
we during this year not neglect our mountain and other mission
schools, nor our little Orphan children, but inform ourselves as
never before, getting definite facts about this great mission field
in North Carolina Synod, and then pray, and give, as God gives
us to see our responsibility for this part of His vineyard. And
let us make our prayer "Thy Kingdom Come" more specific, and
strengthen it with words and deeds."
Respectfully submitted,
Mrs. J. M. McIver.
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION AND MINISTERIAL
RELIEF.
Madame President and Co-JJ orkers of Our Synodiea!
:
As your appointed Secretary of Christian Education and Min-isterial
Relief I extend to you my warm greetings and tidings of
the year's work, and my regrets that I can be present only in
spirit.
Although the work is somewhat new to many, I feel sure
much progress has been made and we have reason to be thankful
and encouraged to go forward and do greater things in the coming
year .
Letters have been written to all of the Presbyterial Secre-taries,
frequently, and the best of literature placed in their hands
for distribution.
All of the Presbyterials have Secretaries, though Orange has
been so recently appointed that I haven't any official report. I
have sent literature to a number of societies, and while there is
interest, not a great deal cf work has been done.
I haven't any report from Asheville, and only one letter re-ceived,
although I have written and sent literature.
Fayetteville has given $2,106.00, and has twenty-five young
men studying for the ministry.
Five societies from Mecklenburg report that they give regu-larly
to this cause, and three societies are helping to educate young
men for the Mission Field through the Executive Committee.
There are three Candidates for the Ministry and two young
ladies preparing for Mission work in Albemarle.
Concord has seventeen Candidates for the Ministry, eight
14 Synodical of North Carolina.
girls for Mission field, two societies that gave the required 14^
per cent, and four societies that gave $32.44.
Wilmington is much encouraged over the year's work, and
feels prepared to do great things during the coming year.
The Secretary of Kings Mountain Presbyterial has done
good work and thinks that the cause is better understood, and the
seed already sown will bring forth fruit.
As Secretary of the Synodical 1 have kept in touch with Dr.
Sweets, and feel personally benefited by the excellent literature so
freely given.
Respectfully submitted,
(Mrs. Baxter S.) Ellen Norfleet Moore,
Secretary Christian Education and Ministerial Relief.
In the five months since I have held the office of Synodical
Secretary of Literature I have tried to get into as close touch as
possible with my Presbyterial Secretaries.
From my note-book I find that I have written thirty-six let-ters
concerning the work. From replies received I find it true
generally that in every instance confusion, arising from the fact
that it is the duty of each "Cause" Secretary to disseminate liter-ature
for her own department, which of course is not reported to
us, and which when faithfully done covers the ground so well
that many societies, and some Presbyterials, question the need of
a Secretary of Literature at all.
In answer to my questions as to copies of "The Survey"
some Presbyterials report that "many" are taken. In regard to
Prayer Calendar's "quite a number," and Mission Study classes
are reported numbering as "about one-half or one-third of the
societies in the Presbyterials.
From the reports which gave actual figures I find reported,
1,158 copies of The Survey taken. 301 Prayer Calendars used.
82 Mission Study classes. I am inclined to believe that a full
report would about double those numbers.
In closing I wish to make it clear that the inaccuracy is not
in any case the fault of the Presbyterial Secretaries. They have
each reported, and each one has done her best with the material
furnished her. Respectfully submitted.
(Mrs. H. E.) Ella Gurney,
Synodical Secretary of Literature.
Synodical of North Carolina. 15
Madam President and Ladies of the Synodical
:
Your Secretary of Young People's Work and Sabbath School
Extension is happy to report that the Young People's Work of
our Synodical has been more fully organized during the past year,
that many new societies have been added, and that the Presbyterial
Secretaries of this cause have been actively at work. Each one of
these Secretaries seems to be putting her whole heart into her
efforts for the young people of her Presbyterial. It has been a
delight to be associated with these earnest, zealous women and
their faithfulness has been an inspiration to me.
Permit me to give some quotations from the narrative reports
of the different Presbyterials:
Albemarle—"I think for the first year of this branch of
work under the Woman's Auxiliary the churches have fallen in
line very well. I am much encouraged, and think another year
there will be very pronounced results." In this Presbyterial there
are quite a number of "Philathea" classes, and these may properly
be included in our Young People's Work wherever they are un-der
the control of the session.
Asheville—The newly elected Secretary writes: "Asheville
Presbytery is, as you know, largely made up of country churches
and Mission Sunday Schools. All of our town churches have
Children's and Young People's Societies, but not one of our coun-try
churches, so far as I know, have these organizations. My
plan is to visit these places this summer and where practicable
bring the young people together in the various organizations ap-proved
by our Church."
Concord—Young People's Work in this Presbyterial is in
the hands of a capable and faithful worker who is giving a great
deal of her time to the work. She has visited several of the
churches and has organized six new societies the past year. Five
of the Young People's Societies in this Presbyterial were reported
as having reached the "Standard of Excellence."
Fayetteville—This Presbyterial sets an example for the whole
Synodical with its long list of Young People's organizations. Two
banners are offered each year, one to the Covenanter Band and the
other to the Children's Society having the best annual report.
Kings Mountain—The Secretary writes: "I have written
letters to twenty churches asking them to appoint a local Secretary
for Young Peoples' Work and Sabbath School Extension, and sent
literature explaining the duties of the Secretary. ... I hope to
see some of the members of these societies prsonally and talk with
them, and hope to gain face to face what I've failed to do by pen.
1
6
Synodical of North Carolina.
It will be a fine plan when we get it in operation, but all begin-nings
are difficult."
Mecklenburg—"Our Presbyterial offers a prize this year to
the junior girl who makes the best and most attractive chart on
some Home or Foreign Mission subject." This seems a fine plan.
but your Secretary cannot forbear the suggestion that boys can
make charts quite as well as girls.
Orange—The newly elected Secretary of Young People's
Work and Sabbath School Extension in this Presbyterial is eager
to begin her duties. She writes: "I am deeply interested in the
\ oung People's work. I am sure there is a great deal to be done
in our Presbyterial."
Wilmington—The Young People's Secretary of Wilmington
does not know the word "discouragement." I quote the following
from her narrative report to her Presbyterial: "There are only
three new organizations among the Young People to report this
year. I have tried to organize several bands, but failure met me
on all sides. However, I intend to try, try again. My work
this year has been letter writing. Many of the leaders and Sec-retaries
answered my letters promptly, but a number of my letters
passed unnoticed. Ladies, please answer my letters, if you write
nothing more than this, 'Your letter received and thrown in the
waste basket.'
"
No report was made to me on Missions in the Sabbath School.
This is a subject which should engage the attention of our local
Secretaries. We realize its importance when we remember that
the Mission Bands and Societies include only a small percentage
of the young people of our Church, Avhile the Sabbath School in-cludes
very nearly all. Turning from the work for the young
people within our Church to Sabbath School Extension, which
reaches to those who are outside, let me point you to these figures:
"White children out of Sabbath School in North Carolina, 86,-
200." Suppose your boy and mine were of that number? If we
pull off all the leaves and the green fruit from a tree we stop its
usefulness for that year. If we cut off half the great boughs of
our tree we make the tree lop-sided. If we gash into the trunk.
we make a scar and hinder the flow of the sap. But if we cut
off all the roots of the tree, what then? Our tree is dead. Let
us imagine our Church as a tree. If we pull off the leaves and
young fruit, for which the tree exists—if we fail to support For-eign
Missions one year—we injure the Church's usefulness. If
we cut off half of the strong boughs which hold the fruit—if we
fail to give to Home Missions—how lop-sided and robbed of half
Raleigh
Synodical of North Carolina.
its strength our Church-tree appears. If we cut into the trunk
—
if we neglect Christian Education and Ministerial Relief, oh,
how we hurt and mar our tree! But if we don't just girdle it,
the life-giving sap may still flow. But if we cut off all the roots —if we leave off Young People's Work—our Church is dead
!
Respectfully submitted,
Mrs. E. D. Brown,
Sec. Y. P. W. and S. S. Ex. for N. C. Synodical.
Loray, N. C, July, 1914.
The Committee on Recommendations begs to submit the fol-lowing:
1. That immediately following the Presbyterial meetings
each year the Secretary shall send a complete list of officers to the
Synodical Secretary, who shall at once notify the Executive Com-mittee.
2. That we approve of the Montreat Association, but as a
Synodical cannot take stock or recommend that Presbyterials do
so, but that we approve of individual members becoming share-holders.
3. The last Assembly passed the following: "That a gen-eral
summary by Presbyteries of the statistical reports of Women's
Societies be printed in the Minutes of the Assembly." In view
of this fact, we urge our Presbyterials to all diligence in securing
full and accurate reports of their work.
4. That Presbyterial Secretaries of Literature use all dili-gence
in organizing a Prayer Circle in all local societies.
5. That Presbyterials instruct their societies to send all
monies quarterly through their Church Treasurers to the Assem-bly's
Treasurer, and that they do not send fractions of a dollar.
6. That the Presbyterials have printed in their minutes the
names and addresses of the Synodical officers.
Respectfully submitted,
Mrs. Charles Rankin,
Miss Clara Patrick,
Mrs. F. S. Neal,
Committee.
Synodical of North Carolina.
CONSTITUTION OF THE NORTH CAROLINA
SYNODICAL.
Article i. Name: This organization shall be called the
Woman's Synodical of the Synod of North Carolina.
Article 2. Object: The object of this organization shall
be to enlarge, strengthen and unify the work of the Presbyterials.
Article 3. Membership : All Presbyterials of the Synod of
North Carolina shall be eligible to membership in the Synodical.
Article 4. Officers: The officers of this organization shall
be President, First Vice-President (This office shall go in turn
to the Presidents of the Presbyterials in order of their seniority),
Vice-Presidents (who are the Presidents of the Presbyterials),
Recording Secretary, Treasurer, Secretary of Literature, and a
Secretary for each of the following causes: Foreign Missions, As-sembly
Home Missions, Christian Education and Ministerial Re-lief,
Young People's Work and Sabbath School Extension, Local
Home Missions and Congregational Work.
Article 5. Duties of Officers: Section I. The President
shall preside at all meetings of the organization, and shall have
general oversight of the work. She shall call the meetings of the
Executive Committee and appoint necessary committees. She shall
attend the annual meeting of the Woman's Council.
Section II. The First Vice-President shall assume the duties
of the President when she is unable to discharge them.
Section III. The Vice-Presidents shall assist the President in
the general conduct of the work of the Synodical.
Section IV. The Recording Secretary shall
:
(a) Keep accurate minutes of the annual meetings.
(b) Notify new officers of their election and committees of
their appointment.
(c) Attend to all the general correspondence of the organiza-tion,
write all notices for the newspapers.
(d) Prepare a concise narration of the work done by the
organization to be read at the meeting of Synod, by the chairman
of the committee.
(e) Act as secretary of the executive meetings.
(f) Shall send to the office of the Assembly's Superintendent
of Woman's Work a copy of the yearly report and a revised list
of the officers. This shall be done immediately after the annual
meeting.
(g) Shall prepare and tabulate Presbyterial reports and have
them printed.
Synodical of North Carolina. 19
Section V. The Treasurer shall
:
(a) Receive and disburse the contingent fund of the Synod-ical
by direction of the Executive Committee.
(b) Present her report at the annual meeting.
Section VI. The Secretary of Literature shall:
(a) Correspond with the Presbyterial Secretaries of Liter-ature,
and seek in every way to act as a clearing house for gath-ering
general data bearing upon the work of all the causes, which
she shall classify, preserve and circulate.
(b) Have for inspection or sale at meeting of Synodical a
supply of magazines, scrap-books, charts, maps, clippings, sample
programs, and the best and newest leaflets. She shall urge the
Presbyterial Secretaries of this department to endeavor to stimu-late
a greater intelligence and higher efficiency by the organization
of mission study classes and prayer circles in their local societies.
(c) Endeavor to enlarge the circulation of the Missionary
Survey and Church Calendar of Prayer. In addition she shall
handle all of our Church literature needed in Woman's work and
not embraced in the four causes, emphasizing especially the grace
of Christian Stewardship by circulating literature on this subject.
Section VII. The Secretary of Foreign Missions shall:
(a) Attend to all correspondence pertaining to the Foreign
Mission work.
(b) Correspond with the Assembly's Committee in Nash-ville,
and endeavor to secure a wide diffusion of missionary letters,
clippings, leaflets, programs, magazines and books, and stimulate
interest in Foreign Missions in the Presbyterials through the
Presbyterial Secretaries of this department.
(c) Make a report of the Foreign Mission work at the an-nual
meeting of the Synodical.
Section VIII. The Secretary of Assembly's Home Missions
shall
:
(a) Attend to all correspondence pertaining to Assembly's
Home Mission work.
(b) Correspond with the Assembly's Committee in Atlanta,
and endeavor through the Presbyterial Secretaries of this depart-ment
to secure a wide diffusion of missionary letters, clippings,
books, leaflets, magazines and programs, and stimulate interest in
Assembly's Home Missions in the Presbyterials.
(c) Make a report of the Assembly's Home Mission work
at the annual meeting of the Synodical.
Section IX. The Secretary of Christian Education and Min-isterial
Relief shall
:
20 Synodical of North Carolina.
(a) Seek by correspondence with the Presbyterial Secretaries
of this department to increase the number of trained, capable
ministers and lady teachers and missionaries to enter the field,
both at home and abroad.
(b) Urge the Secretaries to impress upon the local societies
the importance of proper religious influence in our Schools and
Colleges where our future workers are being trained.
(c) Urge the Secretaries to arouse the women of the Pres-byterials
to a sense of their responsibility for the support and care
of our worn out and disabled workers.
(d) Secure literature from the Executive Committee of
Christian Education and Ministerial Relief, and circulate same.
Section X. The Secretary of Young People's Work and
Sunday School Extension shall be in close correspondence with
the Presbyterial Secretaries in this department. Her aim shall be:
(a) To promote a missionary spirit in the Sunday Schools
and the Young People's Societies.
(b) To impart instruction as to the best methods of work
by the Church for young people through the Sunday Schools and
special meetings and Young People's Societies.
(c) To inform herself through correspondence with the
Assembly's Committee, Presbyterial Secretaries of Literature, re-ports,
etc., concerning the progress, condition and needs of the
Young People's Work.
Section XL The Secretary of Local Home Missions and
Congregational Work shall
:
(a) Be in close correspondence with the Presbyterial officers
of her department.
(b) Inform herself regarding the Synodical and Presbyterial
Home Mission work of her Synod and Presbyteries, including
evangelistic work, mission schools and orphanages, gathering and
circulating information concerning their work and stimulating an
interest in the same.
(c) Keep in close correspondence with the Synod's Superin-tendent
of Local Home Missions for latest data and information.
Her work also shall be to:
(a) Stimulate interest in Congregational Mission work in
its many forms.
(b) Stimulate interest in all forms of Congregational work.
which embraces such duties as assisting the pastor in caring for
the sick and poor, looking up new members and co-operating with
the deacons in raising funds for all congregational needs.
North fyroii r@ Ub
Synodical of North Carolina. 21
(c) Prepare a concise report of her work to be read at the
annual meeting of the Synodical.
Article 6. Election of Officers: The election of officers
shall be annual.
Article 7. Voting: The privilege of voting on the election
of officers and on all constitutional questions shall be restricted to
the official delegates and officers of this organization.
Article 8. Amendment: This Constitution may be amended
at any annual meeting of the organization by a two-thirds vote
of the members present, due notice having been given to the Pres-byterials
and official delegates, or when need arises, by recom-mendation.
22 Synodical of North Carolina.
BY-LAWS.
Article I. Delegates: The President of each Presbyterial
is ex-officio a member of the Synodical, and each Presbyterial shall
elect two delegates.
Article 2. Program : The Executive Committee shall ar-range
the program for the annual meeting.
Article 3. Finance:
Section I. The expense of this organization for stationery,
printing, attendance of delegate at Woman's Council, also postage
and other incidentals, and of those invited to the annual meeting,
shall be paid from the contingent fund.
Section II. Each Presbyterial shall be requested to meet its
share in the contingent fund.
Article 4. The Synodical shall meet immediately before or
after the "Woman's Summer School of Missions," date left to the
Executive Committee.
Article 5. The Executive Committee: The President, First
Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer, shall constitute and be
an Executive Committee with power to make arrangements for
regular metings, to call special meetings, and to fill vacancies
among the officers. It shall be their duty to inform the various
Presbyterials of the speakers available for their program by the
rotation system of meetings, and to co-operate with them so far
as desired by securing the highest efficiency both in their organi-zation
and meetings.
Article 6. Change of By-Laws: These By-Laws may be
changed by a two-thirds vote of those present at the annual
meeting.
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