Minnesota Tract and Missionary Society.
By I. Z. Lamb
The members of the Seventh-day Adventist churches, situated in the south-east part of Minnesota, met at Stewartville, for the purpose of organizing a Tract and Missionary Society. Eld. Haskell presented the plan and working of the Tract and Missionary Society in other Conferences, at the close of which, Eld. Pierce, Grant, and others, spoke in behalf of a State organization in this Conference. It was voted that we have such an organization in this State. I. Z. Lamb was chosen Secretary. Brethren S. Pierce, H. Grant, and W. I. Gibson, were chosen a committee to recommend a constitution, to district the State, and to nominate officers to effect such an organization. Meeting adjourned until one P. M. The committee reported the following items, which were acted upon separately, and unanimously adopted:— 1. That we recommend the adoption of the Constitution now in use by the New England Conference, with such amendments as are necessary for its more perfect working in this State. 2. That we recommend this Conference to be divided into three districts: District No. 1 to comprise the following churches: Pleasant Grove, Greenwood Prairie, Maiden Rock (Wis.), Pine Island, Concord, Deerfield. District No. 2: Clark's Grove, Otranto (Iowa), Brush Creek, Joe Daviess, Tenhassen, Crystal Lake. District No. 3: McLeod Co. 3. The following persons were chosen officers: President, H. Grant; Vice-president, W. I. Gibson; Secretary, Stephen W. Hickock; Treasurer, Oliver W. Pierce; Directors, Dist. No. 1, Thomas Harlow; Dist. No. 2, Calvin Kelsey; Dist. No. 3, J. L. House. 4. We recommend to raise by donations, commencing at this meeting, a sum sufficient to settle the arrearages now due the Publishing Association from the delinquents who did receive our periodicals in this State, whose names have been dropped; and a liberal sum to be raised for a Tract and Missionary Fund. Those who pay one dollar shall be entitled to a membership in this Society, according to Art. 4 of the Constitution, and when more than one dollar is paid by one or more persons, it shall be credited to them as a donation. The sum of seventy-five dollars and five cents was immediately raised, and about one hundred and seventy-four dollars more were pledged. All the brethren and sisters in the State have an opportunity to become members of this Society, and it is expected that all will be liberal in their donations, and make a sacrifice to spread the truth and win souls to Christ. Stewartville, Olmsted Co., Minn.