An Analysis of the System of the Bible Society

Observations on the Minutes of the Committee.

4. That the town and neighbourhood be divided into the following twenty-five districts; viz.

District No. 1. Broad Street and Crown Court

2. Eagle Street and Fort Lane

3. School-house Yard and Courts

42 houses.
50 Do.

38 Do.

4. North side of High Street, to Mr. 49 Do.

Brown's inclusive

(Here follows a specification of the remaining Districts.) 5. That the following be the appointment of the members of the Committee as Collectors; viz.

District No. 1. Mrs. A. and Miss B.

...

... 2. Miss C. and Miss D.

3. Mrs. E., Miss F., and Miss G. H.

4. Mrs. I.K. and Miss L.M.

(Here follow the remaining appointments.)

6. The Secretaries produced the various Books, Papers, &c., ordered by the Fourth Resolution of the General Meeting: and a specification of the respective districts, with the names of the Collectors, having been regularly inserted in the Visiting and Collecting Books, they were delivered ac cordingly.

7. RESOLVED, That the Collectors be requested to commence their visits, in their respective districts, on next Monday, the 25th instant.

Read over the Minutes, and adjourned."

1. It has been already remarked, that no appointment in a Bible Society involves more important considerations than that of the Secretaries; and although this office, in reference to a Ladies' Association, is of a more private nature, much of the welfare and success of the institution depends on the manner in which the duties are discharged. This subject will be treated of more at large in Chap. VIII. Sect. I.; where such suggestions will be submitted as may render the mode of proceeding perfectly intelligible.

II. In the selection of suitable Ladies to be admitted members of the Committee, it is evident that caution and delicacy are required. No lady should be invited who has not been proposed and seconded by two members to whom she is personally known. The character of Ladies' Societies, hitherto, has stood deservedly high; and it is confidently hoped, that the same prudence and discretion which have secured to them the respect and admiration of the public, will continue to mark their proceedings, and extend their influence.

III. The inexpediency of large districts has been strongly adverted to in Chap. III. (Sect. II., Third Division), and the remarks there offered apply with increased force to Ladies' Associations. A district of fifty houses will be found sufficiently large; and there are few places wherein a sufficient number of benevolent Ladies cannot be found, to justify an arrangement on this basis.

IV. The Fifth Minute of the Committee is in accordance with the Fourth By-Law. If three collectors can be appointed to each district, it is the more desirable; as illness, or other unavoidable

Forms of the Books and Papers, &c. and Mode of keeping the Accounts.

impediments, may occasionally prevent the attendance of one of the ladies; and in all practicable cases, the weekly visits should be paid by two colleagues. The Lady whose name stands first on the minute of appointment, takes charge of the Books, &c.

v. It will be perceived by the Sixth Minute, that the duties prescribed in the Fourth Resolution of the General Meeting were fulfilled at the First Committee Meeting. This is extremely desirable on every account, but particularly as it affords an opportunity to the gentlemen who attend, to give any requisite explanation to the Collectors, at the precise time when it is most likely to be understood and remembered. The Books, &c. should be delivered in regular order by the Secretaries, beginning with the collectors of District No. 1; and those printed papers should be selected which appear best adapted to the circumstances of the particular district. Thus the Papers No. I. III. V. VI. and VII. of the Appendix are designed for the higher and middle ranks of society, and No. VIII. IX. X. XI and XII. for the labouring classes. To the latter, the "Monthly Extracts," "Southwark Sheet of Facts," or any similar publication, may be beneficially added; as no papers are so acceptable to the poor as those which detail the moral effects of the institution. Many advantages have resulted from specifying a fixed day for commencing, in all the districts, those interesting weekly visits; which have been attended with incalculable benefit wherever they have been steadily and systematically continued.

The Specimen of the "Fair Minute Book," Sect. V., will exhibit the Minutes of the Second Committee Meeting, and supersede the necessity of any further observation on this part of the subject.

SECTION V.

FORMS OF THE BOOKS AND PAPERS, &c. AND the mode of KEEPING THE ACCOUNTS.

.*. In all the Specimens contained in this Section, the entries in Italics are to be considered as Manuscript.

1. Every book, paper, &c. of which a specimen is here given, is recommended as having borne the test of experience; and the author has strenuously endeavoured to render the system, in all its parts, as simple as possible; while a check has been provided, by which every inaccuracy is promptly detected and corrected. In the preparation of these books, economy has been diligently studied: this is a subject which should never be lost sight of in the concerns of benevolent institutions, but especially in those of the Bible Society. The account-books are calculated to last for six or seven years;

Importance of Economy in the Books, &c.

and as all those required by an Association may be procured for two or three pounds, the annual expense is only a few shillings.

The books, from which the following specimens are taken, are those of an Association connected with a LADIES' BRANCH SOCIETY. But the observations prefixed to each book and paper, and the notes at the foot of every specimen, where necessary, will render them equally applicable to all Bible Associations, whether conducted by Ladies or Gentlemen. The Association in question having adopted the plan of the Loan-Fund, and also that of Public Distributions, the specimens will be found to allude to both. While considerable repetition is thus avoided, the Committees which do not adopt those parts of the system will find that the passages relating to them may be omitted, without any interruption of the general detail: where it was thought likely that any difficulty would arise, a note has been subjoined. The various specimens are inserted as nearly as possible in the order in which they will be required by the Collectors, Secretaries, and Treasurer; and the explanatory observations are prefixed to each.

To those who are unacquainted with the system, many of the following remarks and suggestions may appear superfluous or unnecessarily minute: but those who have taken an active part in the proceedings of Bible Associations, especially at their commencement, will acknowledge that they are requisite; andthat by attending to them, much valuable time will be saved, and increased facility given to the operations of the Society. It will be observed, that all the books and papers are so constructed as to answer for any Bible Association, the name of which should be inserted by the person who fills up the other blanks. A very considerable annual expense is thus saved; as the printer's charge, for any specified number of copies, is proportionally less according to the number originally struck off.

.*. The Facts and Observations contained in the following Specimens are transcribed from the Reports of the Ladies' Associations of Plymouth, Liverpool, and Manchester, except where it is otherwise expressed.

2. The Books, Papers, &c. used by the COLLECTORS are, 1. The Visiting Book.

Collecting Book.

6. The Subscribers' TranferTickets.

Loan Tickets.
Delivery Tickets.

- Public Distribution Tickets.

Collector's Bag.

These will now be separately considered, in the order here specified.

Observations on the VISITING BOOK.

NO. I. THE VISITING BOOK.

I. This book is of the size called "large post octavo," of stout quality, and covered with strong blue paper: it consists of eight leaves, or double folios, and is ruled, throughout, with transverse lines in red ink. As it contains the original entries of those particulars which are subsequently transcribed into the Collecting Book, and constitutes the basis of all the accounts and records of the society, care should be taken that the different heads are correctly noted and legibly written.

II. The manuscript part of the FIRST SPECIMEN is filled in by the Secretaries, before the book is delivered to the collectors of the district; with the exception of that portion which comes under the head, "When visited, and what part." The name of the book, and the words "District," and "No." are printed on the cover, and the Secretary fills in the figures which denote the latter. The annexed Specimen belongs to District No. 2, and is therefore indorsed thus::

III. If the collectors find that the description .of their district is not sufficiently accurate, or that any street, lane, court, &c. has been overlooked, they should report the inaccuracy to the Minute Secretary, and make the requisite correction in their Visiting and Collecting Books. When a collector resigns her office, a line should be drawn through her name, and that of her successor be inserted after the names of her colleagues.

IV. In reference to the SECOND SPECIMEN, it is only necessary to observe, that the Visiting Book is used at the commencement of a Bible Association, and at every re-canvas of the district: it has frequently been found a very useful register of valuable information relative to the state of the labouring classes, and many benevolent institutions have derived their origin from these little records.

v. The mode of proceeding when a new Visiting or Collecting Book is required, will be explained in the "Hints to Collectors," (Chap. VIII. Sect. I.) The old book should be carefully preserved, either by the Secretaries of the Association, or by the Depositary of the Ladies' Branch Society.

If the collectors paste a copy of the "Specimen of the Types" (See Appendix, No. IV.) on the inside of the cover at the end of the "Visiting Book," it will be found useful in directing the choice of many of the Subscribers.