Report of First Quarterly Meeting of State T. & M. Society of California by John Norton Loughborough

California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists · Oakland, Cal. · Jan 14, 1875

Report of First Quarterly Meeting of State T. & M. Society of California.

By John Norton Loughborough

THE first business session was at the close of the Sabbath, Jan. 2, 1875. Eight of the nine directors were present. Meeting called to order by the President, and opened with prayer by Bro. Canright. The State Secretary being necessarily absent, Bro. J. W. Bond was chosen secretary pro tem. Remarks were made by the President on the importance of the T. & M. work, and how that work can be harmoniously and systematically carried forward. As this was merely a preliminary session, remarks were made concerning points that should be deliberated upon by the directors in the quarterly meeting.

Second session, Jan. 3, at 9 A. M. Prayer by Bro. Judson. Report of the last meeting, being the State missionary meeting, was read and accepted. Report of the workings of the society for the quarter ending Jan. 1, was read, but not adopted as it was incomplete, not containing any report of district No. 7, which was made in connection with the State quarterly meeting; and district No. 1 had made no report. After adding to it the report of district No. 7, it read as follows:

Families visited, 135; No. letters written, 134; No. new subscribers for the Review, 30; No. new subscribers for the Signs, 105; No. new subscribers for Instructor, 45; No. subscribers for Reformer, 31; No. Reviews distributed, 129; No. Signs distributed, 66; No. Instructors distributed, 94; No. Reformers distributed, 35; No. books furnished to libraries, none; No. books loaned, 49; No. pages of tracts and pamphlets loaned, 19,054; value of tracts and pamphlets loaned, $17.11; No. pages of tracts and pamphlets given away, 36,070; value, $30.06.

Money received for memberships, . . . $34.00 Donations, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19.25 Book sales, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.10 Total, . . . . . $57.35

The subject of the extension of the circulation of our periodicals and especially the Signs of the Times next came before the Board. Considerable enthusiasm was manifested over the subject of increasing, by all lawful means, the list of subscribers to the Signs. The executive committee of the State Conference being present, acted in harmony with the directors on all matters pertaining to the Signs.

It was voted that Elders Loughborough and Canright be requested to prepare a small supplement to place in each copy of the Signs of the Times distributed calling attention to terms, and requesting subscriptions to the same.

Voted that members avail themselves of the use of directories and other means of obtaining names, to whom single copies of the Signs containing supplement can be sent, calling attention and soliciting subscriptions, either paid or free, on trial.

Voted by the society to purchase of the Conference back numbers of the Signs, at cost, to be distributed, as above, with other reading matter.

Voted by directors and Conference officers, to make the following terms on the Signs, and to advise solicitors of subscriptions to act accordingly: 1. Obtain all yearly subscribers possible at $2.00 per year, or 52 numbers; 2. Next try for six months subscribers, at $1.00 for six months, or for 26 numbers; 3. at 50 cents for three months, or 13 numbers. Or, next, if there are any candid persons whom you think might be benefitted by reading and who are not ready to pay a subscription price, obtain their consent to read the paper for three months on trial, with the understanding that they can have the opportunity of subscribing if they wish after reading 13 numbers. In this case, if the names are furnished through the channels of the district secretarys, the postage can be drawn from the missionary funds, unless the person receiving wishes to advance five or ten cents for the same.

The subject next considered was the propriety of having an ornamental letter head printed for the use of some of our missionary officers. It was voted that 2,000 sheets be ordered from Battle Creek by the President with an appropriate device and letter head, something similar to a sample shown, used by the New England T. and M. society.

The matter next came up of having envelopes printed that should advertise the Signs, and our publishing house on the Pacific coast. It was voted that the President order 5,000 envelopes printed at Battle Creek for this purpose.

Third business session, Jan. 3, at 2 P. M. The first of this session was occupied by district No. 7, in attending to their district business, and then the State quarterly meeting resumed business. A motion was made and carried, requesting that a list of subscribers to the Signs of the Times in the various districts be furnished to the directors to enable them to ascertain through the co-operation of the officers and missionary members, who of the trial subscribers who have not paid, wish to pay on the periodicals, and who that is receiving them without price are reading with profit. When these lists are sent out, instructions will be sent how to proceed in each district.

At this point in the meeting, Bro. Judson, director of district No. 1, announced his intention of moving soon from district No. 1 to San Diego county, Cal. He tendered his resignation as director of district No. 1, and Bro. T. M. Chapman, of Petaluma, was nominated as director of district No. 1, and was elected both by a unanimous vote of the directors and missionary members present.

Bro. Charles Chittenden, director of district No. 9, appointed Bro. Judson as librarian and business agent for the Sabbath-keepers in the vicinity of San Diego, who may be induced to become members of the State T. and M. Society.

Voted to furnish the business books of such T. and M. officers, as choose to accept them, from the missionary fund.

Voted, by the directors, that bound volumes of our standard works and the Hygienic Family Physician be placed in the libraries of Woodland and Salinas City, Cal., according to their request.

Voted that the next State quarterly meeting be held with the Napa church, the first Sabbath and first-day in April, and that the arrangement of the time and places of the district quarterly meetings, except in district No. 3, be left with the President.

The matter of widow, orphan and poor fund was discussed, but as there was seen no cases demanding a special move in that direction at present, it was laid over till the next State quarterly meeting.

Meeting adjourned. J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH, President. J. W. BOND, Sec. Pro tem.