0. THE FIRST REPORT OF THE AMERICAN HOME MISSIONARY SOCIETY, PRESENTED BY THE Executive Committee, AT THE ANNIVERSARY MEETING, MAY 9, 1827. WITH AN APPENDIX, CONTAINING AN ADDRESS TO THE CHRISTIAN PUBLIC, FORMS OF CONSTITUTIONS FOR AUXILIARY SOCIETIES, &c. &c. NEW-YORK. PRINTED BY D. FANSHAW, Opposite the Park. 1827. อง CONSTITUTION QF THE AMERICAN HOME MISSIONARY SOCIETY. ART. 1. This society shall be denominated "THE AMERICAN HOME MISSIONARY SOCIETY." ART. 2. The great object of this Society shall be to assist congre gations that are unable to support the Gospel Ministry, and to send the Gospel to the destitute, within the United States. ART. 3. The officers of the Society shall be a President, VicePresidents, a Treasurer, an Auditor, a Corresponding Secretary, a Recording Secretary, and fifty Directors, who shall be annually appointed by the Society; and who, together with the Directors for life, shall constitute a Board, seven of whom shall be a quorum, at any meeting regularly convened. ART. 4. The Officers and Directors shall appoint an Executive Committee of thirteen, (including the Treasurer, the Corresponding Secretary, and the Recording Secretary,) residing in the City of New-York and its vicinity; seven of whom shall be a quorum, at any meeting regularly convened. This Committee shall have power to appoint its own meetings, form its own rules of business, and fill any vacancies in its own number which may occur during the year, and to convene special meetings of the Board or Society; shall appoint Missionaries, and instruct them as to the field and manner of their labours; shall have the disposal of the funds; shall create such agency or agencies for appointing Missionaries, and for other purposes, as the interests of the Institution may require; and shall make an Annual Report of their proceedings to the Society. ART. 5. The Treasurer shall give bonds annually to such amount as the Executive Committee shall think proper. ART. 6. Any person may become a member of this Society by contributing annually to its funds; thirty dollars paid at one time shall constitute a Member for life; and one hundred dollars paid at one time shall constitute a Director for life; and any person, on the payment of a sum, which, in addition to any previous contribution to the funds, shall amount to one hundred dollars, shall be a Director for life. An executor, on paying a legacy of two hundred and fifty dollars to the funds of this Society, shall be a Member for life; and the payment of a legacy of one thousand dollars shall constitute him a Director for life. ART. 7. Any Missionary Society may become auxiliary, by agreeing to pay into the Treasury of this Society the whole of its surplus funds, and sending to the Corresponding Secretary a copy of its Constitution and Annual Reports, mentioning the names of its Missionaries, and the fields of their operations. ART. 8. Every Auxiliary Society which shall agree to pay the whole of its funds to this Society, shall be entitled to a Missionary, or Missionaries, to labour in such field as it may designate; at least to the amount of its contributions; provided such designation be made at the time of payment. ART. 9. The officers of all Auxiliary Societies shall be, ex-officio, Directors; and annual contributors to their funds shall be members of this Society. ART. 10. This Society shall meet annually in the City of NewYork, on the Wednesday next preceding the second Thursday in May. ART. 11. No alteration shall be made in this Constitution without a vote of two-thirds of the Members present, at an annual meeting, nor unless the same shall have been proposed at a previous annual meeting, or recommended by the Executive Committee. FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE American Home Missionary Society. The First Anniversary of the American Home Missionary Society was held in the Brick Presbyterian Church, Beekman-street, New-York, on Wednesday evening, May 9, 1827. The Hon. Stephen Van Rensselaer, LL. D. President of the Society, in the Chair. The meeting was opened with prayer by the Rev. Jeremiah Day, D. D. President of Yale College, Conn. The First Annual Report was then read, with the exception of the detailed account of Churches aided, and the names of Missionaries, by the Rev. Absalom Peters, Corresponding Secretary. After which, the following Resolutions were adopted. 1. On motion of the Rev. Professor Goodrich, of Yale College, seconded by the Rev. E. W. Gilbert, of Wilmington, Delaware, Resolved, That the Report of the Executive Committee be approved and adopted; and that it be published under their direction. 2. On motion of Thomas Bradford, Esq. of Philadelphia, seconded by the Rev. E. Fisk, D. D. of Goshen, N. Y. Resolved, That the object and plan of this National Society, are such as recommend it to the patronage of American Christians and patriots. 3. On motion of the Rev. Asa Hillyer, D. D. of Orange, NewJersey, seconded by the Rev. Cyrus Mason, of New-York, Resolved, That the thanks of the Society be given to the Executive Committee for their gratuitous and responsible services during the past year. To the above Resolution a reply was made, in behalf of the Executive Committee, by Mr. John D. Keese, Chairman. |