A MEETING was called, Sept. 22, 1879, on the Healdsburg camp-ground, for the purpose of taking steps for the organization of a California State Health and Temperance Society. The meeting convened at 8 o'clock, A. M. Eld. S. N. Haskell was called to the chair.
On motion W. J. Bostwick was chosen to act as secretary of the meeting.
The Committee on Constitution, which had previously been appointed, consisting of Eld. J. H. Waggoner, J. E. White, and J. D. Rice, being called for reported that they had examined the Constitution and By-Laws for State Health and Temperance organizations, and found it to be a satisfactory constitution for this organization, with some few changes, viz.:
In Article 3 of the Constitution, by the addition of the words, "a Vice-President," and, "these officers shall constitute the State Executive Committee," making that article to read: The officers of this Society shall consist of a President, a Vice-President, and a Secretary, who shall be elected by vote of a majority of those present at any regular annual meeting. These officers shall constitute the State Executive Committee.
By an additional section in Article 1 of the By-Laws, to be known as Section 2, as follows: The Vice-President shall act in the absence of the President, and shall co-operate with him in this work.
By changing the original Section 2 to Section 3, and striking out the following words: "In case of the inability of the President to perform his duties, he (the Secretary) shall perform the duties of that officer."
By striking out the words "President and Secretary" from Section 1 of Article 3, and inserting the words "Executive Committee," making that section read as follows: An annual meeting of the Society shall be held at such time and place as shall be appointed by the President. Special meetings may be called by the Executive Committee.
By striking out of Section 1 of Article 5 the words "President and Secretary," and the word "three," and inserting the words "Executive Committee," and the word "two," making that section read as follows: The Executive Committee, with two additional persons who shall be annually appointed by the President, shall constitute a Committee of Discipline.
It was then voted unanimously that the Constitution as amended be adopted as a whole. [Below we give the Constitution as adopted by the State Society. Let the officers of the local societies preserve it for future use.]
CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS OF THE CAL. STATE H. AND T. SOCIETY.
ARTICLE I.—NAME.
THIS organization shall be known as the California State Health and Temperance Society.
ARTICLE II.—OBJECT.
1. To promote the health of those who become members of it.
2. To advance the interests of the cause of temperance in its truest and broadest sense, by the circulation of health and temperance literature, by securing popular lectures upon those subjects in various parts of the country, and by the wide circulation of suitable pledges and earnest efforts to secure numerous signers.
ARTICLE III.—OFFICERS.
The officers of this Society shall consist of a President, a Vice-President, and a Secretary, who shall be elected by vote of a majority of those present at any regular annual meeting. These officers shall constitute the Executive Committee.
ARTICLE IV.—MEMBERSHIP.
SECTION 1. Any person of good moral character may become a full member of this Society by paying an initiation fee of twenty-five cents and signing the Constitution and one of the three pledges.
SEC. 2. Any person may become a pledge member of this Society by signing one of the three pledges.
SEC. 3. Two grades of membership shall be recognized, as designated in Sections 1 and 2 of this article.
SEC. 4. Every person who becomes a member of this Society shall be required to sign one of the following pledges:—
TEETOTAL PLEDGE.
I do hereby solemnly affirm that with the help of God I will wholly abstain from the voluntary use, as a beverage, or in any equivalent manner, of alcohol, tea, and coffee, and from the use of tobacco, opium, and all other narcotics and stimulants.
ANTI-RUM AND TOBACCO PLEDGE.
I do hereby solemnly affirm that with the help of God I will wholly abstain from the voluntary use of alcohol in any form, as a beverage or in any equivalent manner, and from smoking, chewing, or snuffing tobacco, or using it in any other form, and from any way encouraging the use of these poisons.
ANTI-WHISKY PLEDGE.
I do hereby solemnly affirm that with the help of God I will totally abstain from the voluntary use, as a beverage, or any equivalent manner, of all liquids or substances containing alcohol.
ARTICLE V.—ANNUAL DUES.
Each full member of this Society shall annually pay into the State treasury the sum of ten cents, to create a fund to defray the incidental expenses of the Society, and such other sums, not exceeding twenty-five cents annually, as may be assessed by the Executive Committee when authorized by a two-thirds vote of those present at any annual meeting of the General Association.
ARTICLE VI.
All full members in good standing, present at any annual meeting of the State Society, shall be entitled to participate in the proceedings of the meetings.
ARTICLE VII.
This Constitution may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the full members present at any annual meeting of the Society, provided said amendment does not in any way affect the relations of this Society to the General Association; otherwise the consent of the Executive Committee of the General Association must be obtained before the amendment can be made.
BY-LAWS.
ARTICLE I.—DUTIES OF OFFICERS.
SECTION 1. The President shall preside over the meetings of the Society, shall take active measures for the formation of clubs in various parts of the State, and shall perform such other duties as usually devolve upon such an officer.
SEC. 2. The Vice-President shall act in the absence of the President, and shall co-operate with him in this work.
SEC. 3. The Secretary shall perform the duties usually required of such an officer, and in addition shall perform the duties of Treasurer, collecting initiation fees and assessments, and appropriating the funds of the Society as directed in Article IV. of these By-Laws, unless otherwise directed by the Executive Committee of the General Association.
ARTICLE II.—DUTIES AND PRIVILEGES OF MEMBERS.
SECTION 1. It shall be the duty of each member of this Society to keep most religiously the pledge which he signed upon becoming a member of the Society; to exert himself to the utmost of his ability, as consistent with other duties, for the advancement of the interests of this Association, in the promulgation of correct ideas of health and temperance, by the circulation of health and temperance literature, by the circulation of pledges, and by all other proper means.
SEC. 2. Members who have paid the initiation fee of twenty-five cents will receive a certificate of membership and will be entitled to all the rights and privileges of members.
SEC. 3. None except those who sign the teetotal pledge will be eligible to office.
SEC. 4. Those who sign the pledge but do not pay the initiation fee will be considered as "pledge members," and will not be entitled to hold office nor to take part, as members, in the proceedings of the Association. They can become full members at any time by paying the initiation fee.
ARTICLE III.—MEETINGS.
SECTION 1. An annual meeting of the Society shall be held at such time and place as shall be appointed by the President. Special meetings may be called by the Executive Committee.
SEC. 2. The meetings of the Society shall be devoted to the discussion of health and temperance topics, listening to lectures on these subjects, reports, etc.
ARTICLE IV.—USE OF FUNDS.
Whatever moneys shall accrue from the collection of initiation fees, annual dues, and assessments, shall be used in meeting incidental expenses, any surplus being expended for health and temperance literature for gratuitous distribution.
ARTICLE V.—VIOLATION OF PLEDGES.
SECTION 1. The Executive Committee, with two additional persons who shall be annually appointed by the President, shall constitute a Committee of Discipline.
SEC. 2. When a person has committed a breach of discipline, by violation of his pledge or otherwise, his case shall be referred to the Committee of Discipline, which shall consider the case, and shall report upon it to the Society. If the decision of the committee is in favor of dismissal, the member may be dismissed from the Society by a two-thirds vote of the members present at any regular meeting.
SEC. 3. Persons who have been dismissed from this Society for violation of the pledge may be taken back on trial, on recommendation by the Committee of Discipline, and a vote of two-thirds of the members present at any regular meeting.
ARTICLE VI.
These By-Laws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members present at any regular meeting.
Eld. Waggoner then read and commented upon the various pledges, after which a call was made for those who had already signed the teetotal pledge, when 42 responded by rising to their feet. This number, however, does not represent the whole number of signers in the State, as fully 100 more had signed who were not present at the camp-meeting.
Canvassers were then called for, who passed through the congregation soliciting signers to the various pledges, during which time Eld. Waggoner and Dr. Kellogg spoke of the physical effects of the use of tea, coffee, and tobacco upon the system; their remarks were well received and appreciated by the listeners.
The canvassers having completed their labors, and the list being examined, the result was found to be as follows:—
Total No. Signers to Teetotal Pledge, 220
" " " " Anti-Rum and Tobacco Pledge, 3
" " " " Anti-Whisky Pledge, 1
Grand Total, 224
Total Am't Money Received, $45.75
On motion the former committee on constitution was changed to a committee on nominations, and instructed to report on candidates for permanent officers.
SECOND MEETING.
Sept. 23, 9 o'clock, A. M.
The Secretary's report of the former meeting being read and adopted, the report of the Committee on Nominations was called for, who reported as follows:—
For President,—Eld. S. N. Haskell; for Vice-President,—J. E. White; for Secretary and Treasurer,—Barbara C. Stickney.
On motion the above candidates were unanimously elected.
Elder Haskell then urged the immediate organization of auxiliary Societies in every church in the Conference, after which Solicitors were appointed for the various Churches as follows:—
For Arbuckle,—P. Grinnell; Bloomfield,—Frank Lamb; Church's Colony,—E. L. McCapes; Central Colony,—C. F. Hudson; Christine,—John Richardson; Fairview,—W. M. Smith; Guenoc,—James Hicks; Gilroy,—E. A. Briggs; Healdsburg,—Geo. W. Mills; Hanford,—Mary Willard; Lone Oak,—E. E. Bush; Lemoore,—J. E. Yoakum; Lafayette,—Henry Brown; Locust Grove,—R. F. Eagle; Nevada City,—Alice Papworth; Oakland,—W. J. Bostwick, J. I-Tay, Emma L. White, Mrs. O. F. Metcalf; Petaluma,—Florence Carey; Placerville,—Geo. Vickery; Pacheco,—Lillie Butts; Rocklin,—G. P. Davis; Red Bluff,—L. E. Wilkins; San Francisco,—Andrew Brorsen, Sr. Almena Parker, Sr. Lottie Chittenden; Santa Rosa,—J. G. Hurley, Alice Morrison; Sacramento,—J. E. Fuller; San Jose.—J. W. Cronkrite; San Rafael,—J. B. Dymot; San Pasqual,—Sarah Judson; St. Helena,—J. Cramer, E. J. Church, Geo. Drew; Vallejo,—Willis Whitney. Solicitor at large for Mendocino and Lake counties,—Wm. E. Price.
The President here spoke of the duties of the Secretaries; that the State Secretary should keep up a regular business correspondence with the local Societies, and that the local Societies should make known their wants to the State Secretary. Adjourned.