Eighteenth Meeting

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jun 5, 1913

Eighteenth Meeting

May 26, 10 A. M.

L. R. Conradi in the chair.

H. R. Salisbury offered prayer.

W. A. Spicer (following the roll-call of new arrivals): Brother Chairman, there are only three delegates in the whole list who are not present,—J. B. Clymer, of the Lake Union; M. L. Andreasen, of the Northern Union; and D. H. Aymes, of the Australasian Union. It is really a remarkable list. Four years ago the total delegate list was 328. This year the total list is 375, and all present but three.

L. R. Conradi: We will now hear from committees.

W. T. Knox: I crave the privilege of presenting first a memorial we have prepared. In behalf of the committee, H. R. Salisbury will present it if there is no objection.

H. R. Salisbury (reading): “In harmony with the plans for perfecting the organization of our world-wide work, the union conference presidents of the United States and Canada respectfully petition the General Conference assembled to authorize the organization of a division conference to be known as the North American Division Conference.” Mr. Chairman, I move the acceptance of this.

Frederick Griggs: I second that.

L. R. Conradi: Are there any remarks?

W. T. Knox: When this plan of organization was first suggested in the memorial that came to us from our brethren in Europe in the fall of 1912, the matter then received considerable attention by the brethren in attendance at the autumn council, and at the special council in California last January. To most of the brethren the plan of dividing the world into division conferences seemed reasonable. It was thought best not to attempt this work at once further than the creation of the European Division Conference. But as we have had time to counsel together, it has seemed, inasmuch as a change in our organization would be inevitable sooner or later, that this was the opportune time to create a North American Division Conference. There will be, without doubt, an Enabling Act introduced which will give opportunity for fully enlarging upon the benefits that appear to be within our reach in this step. But I shall simply state that the advantages to be gained as a result of immediate action so far outweigh the difficulties that confront us, that we feel constrained to bring this memorial before you at this time. From counsels we have had with the different union conference presidents, and also a number of leading brethren intimately concerned with our work in America, I feel free to say that we are united in presenting this request before you.

Question was called, and the motion to accept the memorial was carried.

L. R. Conradi: Are we now ready to have this Enabling Act read?

Guy Dail: The further report of the committee on plans has one other resolution before that of the Enabling Act. This report is as follows:—

14. Resolved, That in consequence of the request of its executive committee, the name of the Canadian Union Conference be changed to that of the Eastern Canadian Union Conference.

In response to the request of the North American Union Conference presidents for the organization of a North American Division of the General Conference,—

15. Resolved, That we hereby authorize the delegates from North America, of the following union conferences now present in this General Conference,—namely, the Atlantic, the Central, the Columbia, the Lake, the Northern, the North Pacific, the Pacific, the Southeastern, the Southern, the Southwestern, the Eastern Canadian, and the Western Canadian Union,—to meet and organize the North American Division Conference; and we recommend that in organizing said conference they adopt and act upon the following constitution and by-laws [This reprint is according to the form adopted, after several minor changes in the consideration of it]:—