No. 26. Cash Secretary's Monthly Statement. LADIES' BRANCH OF THE PLYMOUTH, &c. AUXILIARY BIBLE SOCIETY. CASH SECRETARY's Monthly Statement, presented 29th of December, 1820. STATE OF THE SOCIETY'S FUNDS ON THE 28th or December. To the Auxiliary Society.-On Purchase Account...... On Moiety Account ..... To the Cash Secretary, for Incidental Expenses......... Balance due by the Auxiliary Society Ditto in the Treasurer's hands ........................................ This Year. Since Establishment. £. s. d. £. s. d. 188. 0. 0 2870. 7.11 0.0.0 0.0.0 188. 0. 0 zn 70. 7.11 186. 0. 0 2324. 3. 4 Total unapplied balance C. D. CASH SECRETARY. Bible Secretary's Monthly Report.-Committee-Card-and Specimen. NO. IX.-BIBLE SECRETARY'S MONTHLY REPORT. This Report, like the preceding, is filled up previous to the Committee-meeting, and contains a detailed account of all Bibles and Testaments received and delivered, with the stock on hand. A similar document, as connected with an Auxiliary Society, having been fully described in Chapter II. Section V. No. 7. it is only necessary to refer to the Specimen there given.-The few verbal alterations necessary, in order to adapt the form to a Ladies' Branch Society, will be readily perceived. NO. X.-COMMITTEE CARD. It has been observed, in the fifth division of this Section, that every member should be furnished, annually, with a Committee Card, and that any further intimation of the regular monthly meetings will be unnecessary. The expense of issuing notices to those Ladies who reside at a distance from the place of meeting, is frequently considerable; and this, with the attendant trouble, is completely obviated by the expedient now recommended. The following Specimen is a transcript of the Card adopted at Plymouth; and by introducing the "Auxiliary" Society, a still further saving of expense is effected. PLYMOUTH, PLYMOUTH-DOCK, STONEHOUSE, &c. AUXILIARY BIBLE SOCIETY, On the other side of the Card, the name of the member for whose use it is designed is inserted, with the following intimation. "It is earnestly hoped, that, by a strict attention to this Card, a punctual attendance of the respective Committees may be obtained, and the society be relieved from the many disadvantages which must inevitably accompany a neglect of this most important duty." The public proceedings conducted exclusively by Gentlemen. The Monthly Reports presented by the District Committees, and by the Treasurers of the respective Associations, will be considered in Section V., as more properly appertaining to that division of the Chapter. 8. In no respect are the advantages of a Ladies' Branch Society more conspicuous, than in the facilities afforded by them to the extension of the system of Female Associations. Where every requisite and proper assistance can be given by qualified individuals of their own sex, the laudable desire to form those important institutions is promptly and efficiently met; while the best security is attained for their proceeding on firm ground, and maintaining unimpaired the simple principles of their establishment. This remark finds its best illustration in the history of the Liverpool, Manchester, and Plymouth Societies; which have gradually extended their limits beyond the districts originally embraced; and have thereby not only preserved, but increased their strength, and essentially promoted the general cause. Without exercising any authority but that which is cheerfully conceded by the respective Associations, and without the power of evincing any undue partiality, this centre of unity and concord attracts the confidence and affection of the various Committees, and preserves the order and regularity of the whole. It may not be altogether unnecessary to observe, that even when assisting in the establishment and organization of new Associations, the Branch Committees alluded to have never taken any part in the public proceedings connected with such institutions, which have wholly devolved on the gentlemen of the respective Auxiliary Societies. If any circumstance have occurred, calculated to justify the fear which has, in some few quarters, been expressed in reference to female exertion, it has been concealed with unexampled caution and success, and has never reached the ears of those who are most deeply interested in detecting and correcting the evil. On the contrary, it is but justice to remark, that the prudence, the decorum, and the propriety, which have marked the operations of Ladies' Bible Societies, and characterized the demeanour of those by whom they are conducted, can only be equalled by the zeal and diligence they have manifested, and the unparalleled success of their proceedings. 9. This section of the chapter cannot with propriety be closed, without transcribing the Resolutions of the Committee previous to the Annual Meeting, which, it will be recollected, is held jointly with that of the Auxiliary Society. The Minutes of the Committee previous to an Annual Meeting. example selected is that of the Plymouth Branch; and the Minute relative to Pawnbrokers is extracted, as containing decisive testimony on a subject which has too frequently afforded a pretext to the lukewarm and indifferent. The resolutions which relate to the regular business of the Committee are, of course, omitted, having been already detailed in the 7th division of this section. At the 12th Meeting of the Committee, 13th September 1819,187. The Sub-Committee appointed by the 171st Minute, to ascertain the truth of certain reports relative to the Pawnbrokers, reported as follows:"On the most minute investigation in the town of PLYMOUTH, we are convinced that the objection to the Society on this ground is totally unsupported. Very few copies, comparatively, have been even offered as pledges; and those have been refused, except in one instance; and in this the Bible was redeemed within the week. Not a single copy was found in the possession of the Pawnbrokers. In the town of PLYMOUTH Dock, twenty-two houses of this description were visited, but not a single Bible or Testament issued by the Society was found. We were received with civility and respect; and informed, that in the few instances in which copies had been pledged, they were redeemed within a few days, and that during the last five or six months none had been offered as pledges. In the town of STONEHOUSE, the result of the investigation was equally satisfactory, not one copy being discovered at the Pawnbrokers' shops.' 188. The Minute Secretary having read a communication from the Committee of the Auxiliary Society, stating that the Annual Meeting of that institution was fixed for the 30th instant, it was resolved, 189. That the Secretaries be requested to prepare the draught of a report to the ensuing general meeting, and submit the same to a future meeting of this Committee. 190. That the Treasurer be requested to pay over to the Auxiliary Society, on Purchase Account, the balance which she shall have in hand on the 26th inst. 191. That the Auditors be requested to prepare and present a statement of the funds of the Society, made up and balanced to the 27th instant. 192. That the Bible Secretary make up her accounts to the 27th instant, and present a statement of all Bibles and Testaments received and issued, and the stock then on hand, to a future meeting of this Committee. 193. That a Circular be immediately addressed to the several Associations connected with this society, requesting that their annual reports may be presented to the adjournment of this Committee on the 22d instant, with the names of the Officers and Committee for the ensuing year; and that the balance in the hands of their respective Treasurers, after deducting incidental expenses, be paid over at the same time. 194. That this Meeting adjourn to the 22d instant, to receive the reports of the several Associations. It is not necessary to detail the subsequent proceedings arising out of these Resolutions. The Annual Report, after being adopted by the Committee, is transmitted, with an Abstract of the Cash and Bible Accounts, and a list of the Branch Officers and Committee for the ensuing year, to the The result of this inquiry will be the more gratifying, when it is stated, that at this period nearly 1700 Bibles and Testaments had been circulated by the Ladies' Society alone, besides 5000 copies previously distributed by the Auxiliary Society. Abstract of the Results of the Liverpool Society. Minute Secretary of the Auxiliary Society, by whom it is The following Statement of the Results of the five Ladies' Branch Societies already enumerated, will exhibit a clear view of their proceeding to the 1st of January, 1821, and afford a gratifying evidence of their efficiency. TOTAL 696 353 5356 10571|15927|5072|24369755 6555350. 6. 1 Distributed, at Cost price, 4979 copies . . . . Under Cost prices, 4776. ... Remitted for General Object, L.1642. 8s. Estimated Population of the District embraced by the Society, 110,000. |