Secretaries' Books and Papers.-Fair Minute Book. To the CASH Secretary: 15. The Cash Book. | 16. The Free Contributors' Book. 17. The Monthly Statement. To the BIBLE Secretary: 18. The Bible Book. As the "Rough Minute Book" is merely a quire or two of paper, of the most convenient size, procured by the Minute Secretary, to enter the proceedings of the Committee, and to preserve the neatness of the Minute Book, it requires no further notice. The "Loan-Fund Book," it will be evident, is not necessary where this part of the system is not adopted. The five other books are required by every Association which is properly organized: they are of the size denominated " Large Post Quarto," and are strongly halfbound and lettered. Each book contains about 200 single pages, or 100 leaves, ruled throughout with faint lines: they are calculated to last for five or six years. For small Associations, embracing a single village, &c., a less expensive set of books, on the same plan, may be procured. These various Books and Papers will now be described in their proper order. The following appertain to the department of the MINUTE Secretary NO. XI.-FAIR MINUTE BOOK. 1. This Book is precisely similar in form to that which has been described as No. 1, Section V. Chap. II.; and a few leaves at the beginning should be ruled according to the Specimen there given, to contain a register of the attendance of the members. When the Bible Secretary calls over the names (See "Hints" to the Secretaries, c. Chap. VIII. Section I.), she places P. opposite to those of the Ladies who are present, and leaves blanks opposite to those of the absentees. The number of attendances being filled in at the end of each year, is a gratifying record of the punctuality of the members. The Fair Minute Book is laid on the table at every Committee-meeting, and the Bible Secretary reads from it the proceedings of the preceding Committee: this should never be done from the Rough Minute Book, which is designed to save time, but should not in any case be considered the register of official records. • These books may be had, bound in sheep, at a very trifling additional expense. The superiority of this binding, in books designed to last for several years, is manifest. Observations on the FAIR MINUTE BOOK. II. The Minutes of the first Committee-meeting having been already transcribed in the preceding Section, the following Specimen contains the Minutes of the second meeting; and will sufficiently illustrate the mode of proceeding at every subsequent meeting of the Committee; with the exception of those which precede a public distribution, and the Annual Meeting of the Association, or of the Auxiliary or Branch Society with which it is connected. III. The last Minute of the first Committee-meeting having been No. 7, the first Minute of this meeting is No. 8, and the first Minute of the third will be 25. By adopting this mode of continuing the numbers progressively throughout the book, the reference to any particular Minute is made with greater facility, and a considerable saving of time and trouble is effected. Α marginal line is ruled for this purpose. IV. After inserting the names of the officers and Committee, the Minute Secretary begins to transcribe, at the first page, the proceedings of the General Meeting at which the Association was esta blished; but instead of copying the Rules and By-Laws, she refers to the printed copy, one of which should be pasted inside the cover of every book used by the Secretaries. Having transcribed the resolutions of the General Meeting, she draws a double line, and begins on the next page the Minutes of the first Committee-meeting. Thus the Minutes which supply this Specimen begin at page 15. v. It will be perceived, on reference to the 3d By-Law, Sect. 3, that the proceedings are conducted in strict accordance with the prescribed regulations. The Lady who presides should always have a copy of the By-Laws before her, and should prevent any deviation from the regular course, as well as the introduction of any subject not immediately connected with the single and pure object of the Society-" the circulation of the holy scriptures without note or comment." The first meeting of the Committee having been a special one, in order to complete the organization of the Society, this Specimen should be considered as detailing the proceedings of the first regular Monthly Committee-meeting; that is, the first at which the Collectors presented Reports and paid in their collections. VI. So much depends on the order and regularity with which the business of a Committee is conducted, that no apology will be requisite for the minuteness of the following suggestions:-At every Committee-meeting, the Minute Secretary should sit on the left of the Lady who presides, and the Cash and Bible Secretaries on her right; the latter having the duplicate collecting-bags, delivered in the preceding month, piled before her, in order; No. 1 being on the top; and each bag being furnished with a blank form of the Monthly Report, and the requisite number of copies of the "Monthly Extracts." When the Minute Secretary calls for the Collectors' Reports, the bags are handed in numerical order, to the Specimen of the FAIR MINUTE BOOK. Bible Secretary, who returns the duplicate bag to the Collector, and then passes the Report to the Minute Secretary, by whom it is read: the Bible Secretary in the mean time counts the money she has received in the bag, and enters the amount on a strip of paper. As the Minute Secretary announces the respective amounts, "FREE," "BIBLES," and "TOTAL," the Cash Secretary enters the several sums in the proper columns of the Cash Book (See No. xv. First Specimen). If the total announced by the Minute Secretary be different to that which the Bible Secretary has found in the bag, the latter immediately refers to the Collector of the district for the necessary explanation, before the Cash Secretary has made the entry. The risk of error is thus avoided by the immediate correction of any inadvertence. Having replaced the money in the bag, the Bible Secretary proceeds in the same manner with respect to the remaining districts. Before the Cash Secretary makes her report of the sums received, she compares the aggregate amount with the Bible Secretary; and it will preserve the neatness of her. book, if she make the entry of the "Total" amount received, after such comparison. The Cash Secretary takes home the bags and money, pays over the whole of the latter to the Treasurer, and arranges the bags in readiness for the next Committee-meeting, when she places them on the table before the Bible Secretary. Such further observations as appear necessary will be inserted after the Specimen. SPECIMEN OF THE FAIR MINUTE BOOK. Council Chamber, Guildhall, 9th July, 1819;— Rev. T. H.. and H. M... and Messrs. H. G., W. P., and J. H... from the Auxiliary Society Miss J. P. and H. T... from the Branch Visitors; and those Ladies who are marked as present in the List of the Committee. The Minutes of the last Committee having been read, it was resolved8. That the said Minutes be confirmed. 15 9. That the following Ladies, having accepted the invitation conveyed to them, pursuant to the 3d Minute, be added to the Committee; viz. 10. That the following alterations be made in the appointments of the Collectors; viz. 1. That Miss S. C. be the Colleague of Miss A. M. W., for District 9, in the place of Miss H. 2. That Mrs. S. be appointed joint Collector for District No. 31, with G G Minutes of the Second Committee-Meeting. Miss H. And that these Ladies be requested to make the requisite alterations in their Visiting and Collecting Books. 11. The Minute Secretary having reported, in reference to the 4th Minute, that the village of Oreston has not been included in any of the Associations established in this town and its neighbourhood, and that Mrs. A. and Miss B. had offered to visit it as Collectors; it was resolved, That the village of Oreston be added to this Association, as District No. 33; and that Mrs. A. and Miss B. be attached thereto as Collectors. And that the Minute Secretary be requested to furnish them with Visiting and Collecting Books, Collecting Bag, Form of Monthly Report, Bible Subscribers' Cards, and a supply of printed papers for circulation. 12. The Minute Secretary reported, that the Ninth General Rule had been complied with, by the transmittal of a copy of the Rules, signed by the Secretaries, to Miss J. P., Minute Secretary of the Ladies' Branch of the Auxiliary Society. 13. The Treasurer reported, that she had not yet received any money on account of the Association. 14. The Bible Secretary reported, that she had not yet ordered any Bibles or Testaments. 15. The Collectors' Reports having been called for, were presented and severally read; and the Cash Secretary reported, that the amount now received is, 16. Resolved, That the said sum of 401. 7s. 6d. be paid over to the Treasurer by the Cash Secretary. 17. That the Treasurer be requested to pay to the Cash Secretary of the Branch Society, thirty pounds. 18. That the Bible Secretary be requested to order of the Bible Secretary of the Branch Society, Bibles and Testaments, to an amount not exceeding 301., and of such descriptions as she may consider best calculated for the wants of the subscribers. 19. That the Minute Secretary be requested to apply to the Secretaries of the Branch Society for 200 copies, monthly, of the "Extracts of Correspondence" of the Parent Society; and that a sufficient number be put in the Collecting Bag of each district, to furnish every Collector, and every annual Free Contributor of half-a-guinea and upwards, with a copy monthly. 20. That a LOAN STOCK of Testaments, for the temporary supply of the poor, be now established, of which the following shall be the regulations (See Chap. VIII. Section II.); and that the said stock be under the care of the Bible Secretary, who is requested to order one hundred copies of the Rules, and to send one to each member of the Committee. 21. A collection having been made at the table for the purchase of the Loan Stock, the sum of 57. 15s. 10d. was contributed, and paid over to the Bible Secretary, who is requested to invest the same in the purchase of Testaments, from the Auxiliary Society, at the reduced prices. 22. That a Loan Pica Testament be granted to the Collectors of District No. 2, for the supply of Mary Candler. In Associations not connected with a Ladies' Branch, and in those conducted by Gentlemen, it will be evident that this application and remittance should be made to the Secretary of the Auxiliary, or Branch, Society with which they are respectively connected. Observations on the Minutes of the Second Committee-Meeting. 23. That the following Ladies, proposed by the Collectors of District No. 2, be invited by them to join the Committee; viz.: Miss Jane Goss Mrs. Walters No. 1, William Street. ditto. 24. That Mrs. Y... and Miss Z... be appointed Auditors for the present year; and that all bills be referred to them for examination. Read over the Minutes, and adjourned. VII. It will be remarked, that three Gentlemen from the Committee of the Auxiliary Society, and two of the Secretaries of the Ladies' Branch, attended this Committee. Such attendance is highly desirable, and should always be encouraged, as it tends to promote a mutual knowledge of the system, and the maintenance of one uniform mode of proceeding. VIII. It frequently happens, that alterations, similar to those described in the 10th Minute, take place at the beginning of an Association; and as local convenience, and the wishes of the individual Collectors, should always be consulted, these occasional changes will be found unavoidable. But they should take place as seldom as possible; and the increasing attachment which the Collectors will feel to their districts, will prove the best preventive. See Observations on No. v. IX. Additional districts are often united to an Association, after its establishment, as in the case referred to in the 11th Minute; and where proper persons can be obtained as Collectors, it is highly desirable that the whole of the vicinity should be included. But there is a danger, unless caution and prudence be exercised, in adding to the number of districts before suitable Collectors are obtained. It is at all times a matter of greater importance to consolidate an Association than to extend its limits. x. In reference to the 13th and 14th Minutes, the Specimens of the Monthly Reports of the Cash and Bible Secretaries (Nos. XVII. and xx.) will sufficiently explain the nature of these Minutes, at every subsequent Committee-meeting. XI. In order to allow the Cash Secretary time to add up the columns of her receipts, and to prevent the unnecessary protraction of the meeting (which should never exceed two hours, and the business of which may, generally, be despatched in one), it is usual, at the third, and all subsequent Committee-meetings, to consider the applications for loans, the admission of new members, and any proposed alteration in the appointments of the Collectors, in the interval between the reading of the Collectors' Reports and the reception of the Cash Secretary's Report. See Specimen of Agenda, No. XII. XII. It will be perceived, that the amount reported by the Cash Secretary in the 15th Minute, is the aggregate sum received from |