Annual conference

“ Each Quarterly Conference shall be deemed a Board of Managers, having supervision of all the Sunday-school Societies within its limits.
3. It is recommended that each Annual Conference, where the general state of the work will allow, request the appointment of a special agent, to travel throughout its bounds, for the purpose of promoting the interests of Sunday-schools and his expenses shall be paid out of collections which he shall be directed to make, or otherwise, as shall be ordered by the Conference. ”

“ We cannot exclude them from membership in the General Conference, except by directing the Annual Conferences to vote on the question of their exclusion. Are we ready to send that question in that form down to the Annual Conferences for their action? I trust that a large majority of this General Conference will say with emphasis we are not ready for any such action. The women of our Methodism have a place in the heart of the Church from which they cannot be dislodged. They are our chief working members. They are at the very front of every great movement of the Church at home or abroad. ”

“ A secretary shall be elected annually, at the first meeting after the session of the Annual Conference. He shall make a record of the proceedings, and shall keep in a book, and return to the Quarterly Conference, all statistics which the Discipline requires to be reported to an Annual Conference. ”

“ The annual conference met in Pennsboro, Bishop Weaver presiding. During the year I had improved much in health, owing to my horseback exercise and the great amount of singing I did, which doubtless had much to do with the development of lung muscle.
At conference I went before the committee on applicants with eight others, five of whom were referred back to their respective quarterly conferences for further preparation. For some reason the examination was unusually critical. One question propounded to each was, “Do you seek admission into the conference simply to vote for a presiding elder?” ”

“ Who shall compose an Annual Conference, and what are the regulations and powers belonging to it?
Ans. 1. All the traveling preachers in full connection with it, and four lay representatives—one of whom may be a local preacher—from each Presiding Elder's District.
2. The lay members shall be chosen annually by the District Conferences; provided that no one shall be a representative who is not twenty-five years of age, and who has not been for six years, next preceding his election, a member of the Church. ”

“ No Deacon or Elder who ceases to travel without the consent of the Annual Conference, certified under the hand of the President of the Conference, except in case of sickness, debility or other unavoidable circumstances, shall, on any account, exercise the peculiar functions of his office, or {140} even be allowed to preach among us ”

“ It shall have charge of all the interests and work of Church Extension within its conference. The Secretary and Treasurer of each Annual Conference Board shall make a report to the parent board at such times, and subject to such rules and regulations as may be {208} provided by the parent board; shall forward all moneys raised by said board to the General Secretary without delay, but may retain 25 per cent. to be used within the bounds of said Annual Conference.
2. No one shall be authorized to organize any local auxiliary at any time. ”

“ The General Conference Chapter, the Annual Conference Chapter, {210} the District Conference Chapter, and the Local Chapter.
2. Each Chapter shall have seven departmental sections or committees as follows: (1) Devotional or Spiritual; (2) Literary and Social; (3) Mercy and Help; (4) Correspondence; (5) Missions and Care for the Aged; (6) Finance; and, (7) Music.
Art. IV. (1) The General Conference Chapter shall have a Board composed of one Bishop, who shall be President, a General Secretary, who shall be fourth vice-president, and six other members, all elected by the General Conference. ”

“ To propose their incorporation with the existing annual conferences will be attended with difficulties too formidable every way to be readily disposed of, and the delay incident to such a proposition is incompatible with the urgent requirements of the times. ”

“ All applicants for admission on trial, into full connection and for ordination, and all local preachers seeking ordination as deacons or elders, must be examined in the course of study provided by the bishops and approved by the General Conference. All applicants must meet the committee one day before the opening of the Annual Conference. ”

“ They little thought, that they were constructing a platform which would survive their times, and originating a long series of annual conferences which would become one of the most important institutions in the world; a central power, conveying religious benefits to every quarter of the globe, and serving as a model for framing other similar institutions both at home and abroad. ”

“ Resolved, That we advise that the colored local 86preachers now employed, or who may be employed, within the bounds of the Philadelphia and New Jersey Annual Conferences, be assembled together once in each year by the bishop or bishops, who may preside in said conference, for the purpose of conferring with the said colored local preachers with respect to the best means for promoting their work, and also for the purpose of assigning their work, respectively ”

“ Other persons, by the payment of the same sum, may be made life members, without the privilege of voting.
[272] Every evangelical church which has within a year contributed to the funds of the Association, and every State Conference or Association of such churches, may appoint two delegates to the Annual Meeting of the Association; such delegates, duly attested by credentials, shall be members of the Association for the year for which they were thus appointed. ”

“ The primary purpose of the conference is the same as that of the association—‘to advance the study and teaching of history and government through discussion,’ and ‘to promote personal acquaintance among teachers and students of history.’ In these meetings a large number of teachers can be reached whose duties and location prevent them from attending conventions at a distance. Such conferences also afford opportunities for wider discussion than is possible at the meetings of the association. Free statement of opinion indicates lines of work of great worth and interest. ”

“ In every business however small or large there should be frequent conferences of the partners, or of [167] the heads of departments, and to save time and to conserve energy it is better that these meetings should be held at certain times each week, or oftener, when all of the matters of the office and shop can be discussed freely and threshed out. Indeed it is the common practice of every business concern where there are a number of departments for the heads of them to get together every day in conference to learn the viewpoints of the others. ”

“ Each conference is requested to appoint one or more delegates to present them in the general conference, and to assist in such business as may be necessary for the general welfare and prosperity of the cause of truth. ”

“ Whenever we have a real group something new is actually created. We can now see therefore that the object of group life is not to find the best individual thought, but the collective thought. A committee meeting isn’t like a prize show aimed at calling out the best each can possibly produce and then the prize (the vote) awarded to the best of all these individual opinions. The object of a conference is not to get at a lot of different ideas, as is often thought, but just the opposite—to get at one idea. ”

“ If there should be state and local conferences for country life, so also should there be a national conference, meeting yearly. Such a conference should not be an agricultural convention in the ordinary sense, nor is it necessary that it be held in commanding agricultural regions. ”

“ There is nothing again that makes you feel so deliciously important as being at a conference. You may be a leader of quite an insignificant body of workers, like the Nutcracker-Teeth Makers’ Union, but you rub shoulders at a conference with men whose names are a household word throughout the whole of Great Britain, amongst those who have houses. The distinguished and the undistinguished lay their heads together; the spat-wearing get their feet mixed with the non-spat-wearing ”

“ The true function of such a conference is to deal with matters of common interest which are not really subjects of controversy, but upon which comparison of views and friendly discussion may smooth away differences of detail, develop substantial agreement and lead to coöperation along common lines for the attainment of objects which all really desire. ”

“ Do you wonder at my urgency when I tell you that Bishops and presiding elders have many times sadly declared to me that few men of any class are applying for admission to the many annual conferences, and in many cases not a single candidate applies in a single year; and when they do, oftentimes they are weak men. ”

“ Though I should be glad to find that my book was of some service to these societies, it was not prepared for their use alone, and no {vi} mention is made, therefore, of the organization of visitors into district conferences. For inexperienced workers, who need leadership in their charity, there can be no better training than the meetings of a well-organized conference under a capable chairman, and even the most experienced, by keeping in close touch with such a conference, can do more effective work. ”

“ Finally, conferences and symposia are great ways of generating new collaborations, new ideas, and new directions in science. If we keep inviting the same people, and the same types of people, over and over again, we limit the diversity of thought and, potentially, the opportunities for innovation.
So, here are ten simple rules to achieve conference speaker gender balance. ”

“ My Administration began the implementation of most of the ideas produced last year by that citizen's advisory body; others need to be addressed. I have proposed the reconvening of the Conference next year to review progress; reassess priorities; and set new goals. In the interim I hope that the incoming Administration and the new Congress will work with the committee I have established to keep these business development ideas alive and help implement Conference recommendations. ”

“ Even if the general public has not comprehended the marvellous significance of the meeting of the Conference, perhaps it will be capable of perceiving the significance of positive results. Facts and successes are always more powerful than the most glorious theories, however irrefutable. ”

“ Many thoughtful men believed such a conference would lead to a better understanding between the people of the states represented, and that, while the fruits might not be made immediately apparent, the foundation would be laid for lasting benefits. ”

“ One is that to which the office boy refers when he tells the applicant for a job that Mr. Blevitch is "in conference." This means that Mr. Blevitch is in good health and reading the paper, but otherwise unoccupied. The other kind of "conference" is bona fide in so far as it implies that three or four men are talking together in one room, and don't want to be disturbed.
This conference is on, let us say, the subject of Window Cards for display advertising: shall they be triangular or diamond-shaped? ”

“ There are already a number of gatherings which appear to involve contact but in reality are grotesque facimiles. The worst of these and the one most people flock to is the conference. This is a hotel of the mind which turns us all into tourists and spectators. A lower form of existence is the endless meeting- the one that is held every night. Not to mention the committees formed expressly to arrange the meetings.
The basic principle of contact between collectives is: you only meet when you have something to say to each other. ”

“ Yes, she is. And so is the President, and so are several prime ministers and premiers and that imbecile Addison Madison and Mox and protocol officers and the Secretary-General and a whole gaggle of Monolithians. For Pete's sake, Mae! This is probably the most important conference ever held in the history of man, not a week end at Atlantic City! ”

“ The main purpose, however, is to help participants cope with the absolute flow of information. A conference can have an educational purpose. If so, you may bring in someone who can add value by bringing experience and expertise to the group. You will also need someone to do all the dirty jobs everyone expects to be done - but never notices until they are not done. ”

“ When he sends a man to preside over a Conference, and another over another Conference, they are his representatives, and their word is the word of God to the people over whom they preside; and brother Samuel is their delegate to the General Conference, the same as brother Bernhisel is the delegate of this Territorial Government to the General Assembly in Washington. ”

“ When he is here, thou mayst confer with him, and see how he can help thee!”
A conference with such a person did not promise to be attended with any material and decided benefit; but, in fortune’s extremity, we are inclined to look on every change, whatever may be its aspect, with an eye of favour, and to tender countenance and welcome to the most flimsy prospect. ”

“ Business in Meetings Designed for Other Purposes. In many societies there is practically no business transacted except at the annual meeting when the reports for the year are received and acted upon, officers are elected, and committees appointed, etc. Other societies find it convenient also to have regular business meetings quarterly, or even monthly, these meetings frequently being in connection with, and at the close of, the regular literary, musical, scientific, social, or religious meeting. These business meetings are under the rules of deliberative assemblies. ”