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REGULATIONS OF THE SCHOOLS *

INSTITUTED AT

ST. JOHN'S CHAPEL, BEDFORD ROW,

FOR RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION.

1798.

GENERAL RULES.

1. The Support of these Schools is by Annual Sermons only.

Il. The Instruction of the scholars is committed to such Gentlemen and Ladies, usually attending this Chapel, as are approved of by the Ministers, and are nominated by them to be Superintendants of the scholars; which Superintendants are assisted by a Master and Mistress.

III. The Government of the Schools is vested in the Ministers, Chapel Wardens, and Gentlemen Superintendants; who hold a Meeting at the Vestry, the last Tuesday evening in every month, to regulate all matters connected therewith.

IV. The children who apply for admission must * These Regulations are here added, for the information of such persons as may wish to establish similar schools : though they were not drawn up by Mr. Cecil, yet they were submitted to his revi. sion, and received his sanction. The Schools at St. John's Chapel contain, on the average, from 120 to 150 children ; for whose accommodation the congregation erected two long galleries above the north and south galleries of the Chapel, one for either sex.

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be able to read; and those are preferred, whose parents, or nearest relatives, usually attend this Chapel.

V. Children are admitted into the Schools at those Monthly meetings held on the last Tuesday in March, June, September, and December.

VI. An Annual Sermon is preached to the scholars on May-day; after which a Meeting is held of the Ministers, Chapel Wardens, and Superintendants, when books are given to the scholars of a value

proportioned to their good behaviour during the

year, and adapted to their age and capacity.

VII. 'Besides these Annual Rewards, other Rewards in books are given in February, August, and November, to the most meritorious Scholar in each class, such Scholar to be ascertained by the Report of the Superintendant to the Committee, at their preceding Monthly Meeting. Cheap Repository, and other small Tracts, are also provided annually for each Superintendant, to be given discretionally, as occasional rewards, among the deserving scholars. As the Children pass through the schools, they are furnished with proper Catechisms, and a Prayer Book, and, if they behave well and improve, with a Psalm Book, and a Bible; and, when they leave the schools, if they do it with credit to themselves, a larger Prayer Book and Bible are presented to them.

RULES FOR THE SUPERINTENDANTS.

1. They engage to attend every Sunday morning punctually at ten o'clock; or, in case of unavoidable absence, either to provide a proper Substitute for that morning, or to send notice the day before to the Messenger, that such a substitute may be provided in due time.

II. They are requested to bring forward the scholars committed to their care, according to the age

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VOL. III.

and capacity of such scholars, in the following system of Religious Instruction :--The Collects for the day, the Texts of the Sermons heard on the preceding Sunday: Dr. Watts' Divine Songs for Children: the Church Catechism : the Church Catechism broken into short Questions: and Stillingfleet's Explanation of the Church Catechism--and they are further desired to explain to the scholars, and impress upon them, the Truths of Christianity.

III. They are to inquire after the duc attendance of the scholars on the preceding Sunday, by examining the printed Ticket of Attendance given by the Master or Mistress ; and, if satisfactory, and they have attended that morning in due time, and repeated their lessons well, then the Superintendants are to give a printed Certificate of Approbation.

IV. The Superintendants are desired to propose Psalm Books and Bibles to those scholars who may not have received them, as rewards for their diligence; and to make a report in writing to every Monthly Meeting, of such scholars as have merited them. They are further desired to engage the attention and diligence, of the scholars by occasional presents of Cheap Repository and other small Tracts, a proper selection of which will be annually delivered to each Superintendant for that purpose.

V. They are empowered to suspend any scholar, for misdemeanors, from all connection with the Schools, till the next Monthly Meeting; to which they are to report the cause of such suspension; when the case is to be heard and determined.

VI. They are desired to begin with the scholars punctually at ten o'clock, and to leave them at ten minutes before eleven.

VII. When any scholar is absent two Sundays together, without a satisfactory reason being assigned, the Superintendant is requested to send the Messenger to inquire the occasion of such absence.

RULES FOR THE MASTER AND MISTRESS.

1. They are to instruct all such children as are not classed under any of the Superintendants; and they have the same powers and duties with regard to such children, as are assigned to the Superintendants over theirs.

II. They are to collect the scholars together ; to keep accurate lists of them; to regulate their behaviour during Divine Service; and to deliver to them Tickets for their attendance at each Service, if they behave well.

III. They may suspend any scholar for misconduct, after the school hours, reporting the cause of such suspension to the next Monthly Meeting.

IV. They are to employ such persons, with the approbation of any Monthly Meeting, as may be found requisite to assist in keeping perfect order and silence in the scholars' galleries, during Divine Service.

V. They are to be at the Chapel a quarter of an hour before ten every Sunday morning, and a quarter of an hour before service begins in the afternoon and evening.

VI. They are to collect at Midsummer, Michaelmas, Christmas, and Lady-day, all the TickETS OF APPROBATION then in possession of each scholar, and return a certificate of the number; such certificate to be delivered by the scholar to the Superintendant, previous to the report by the Superintendant to the Committee for the rewards of May-day.

RULES FOR THE PARENTS.

1. The children are to be brought for admission by their parents or friends, and no child is to be ad

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mitted, unless such parents or friends will engage for their good behaviour and punctual attendance.

II. Notice of the indisposition, or absence from town, of any scholar, is to be given by the parents or friends, to the Schoolmaster or Schoolmistress, that it may be reported to the Superintendant of such scholar's class.

III. As each scholar who attends and behaves wel] will have a TICKET OF APPROBATIon in the Morning, and other Tickets certifying due attendance on each part of Divine Service; the Parents are particularly requested to call for a production of such Tickets immediately after each Service, the want of which will be occasioned only by absence from Church or ILLBEHAVIOUR THERE.

IV. When a scholar has been suspended for misdemeanors, the parents or friends are to have notice of the cause, and are expected to accompany such scholar to the next Monthly Meeting, when the matter will be considered and determined.

V. They are expected to give notice to the Monthly Meeting when any scholar is to leave the schools.

RULES FOR THE SCHOLARS.

1. Each scholar is to attend Divine Service every Sunday morning, afternoon, and evening, unless a sufficient reason can be given for absence.

II. All are to be in their proper places before ten every Sunday morning, and before the bell shall cease to ring in the afternoon and evening.

III. Silence and reverence must be observed every moment they are in the House of God. There must be no whispering, talking, nor disturbance of any kind. Every little noise in the scholar's gallery disturbs the congregation in the gallery below. The first offence is punished by the forfeiture of all the tickets of ap

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