Member

“ The essential factor of your duty as members lies in upholding these high ideals in your lives. Your perception is keener, your sensitiveness is tenderer, and your admiration for the truth and sublimity of these ideals intenser than ever before, even as you learn to perceive how far yet you are behind these ideals. You should feel roused, not only from the time when you have become a member of the Association, but even from the moment when you first hear the word 'purity'. From that moment you should be able to accept life as a solemn and sacred trust from on high ”

“ With what pleasure and satisfaction have I been permitted to serve with the members of this society! What willingness to perform the duties suggested has ever characterized the assistance that has been rendered by the membership of this society! It has been an exceedingly rare thing for any member to offer an objection to undertaking any service asked of him, and with such support as this so readily and heartily given, and often at large expense to the member, what can be expected other than such success as has come to our society. ”

“ Besides the Committees (which meet almost daily, and which are open to every Member) the Society, for the most Part of the Year, assemble once a Week; at which Times so many useful and curious Matters are discuss’d as render them a most rational Entertainment. And, that no Partiality may be shewn, or Benefit lost, every Member has full Liberty to throw out his Thoughts, and to propose whatever, in his Opinion, may be of Utility, and advance the Intentions of the Society. ”

“ In a society of which you might be a member, with a full privilege to assist in its organization, you will be better able to choose those of congenial qualities for associates than you ever can in your present position, so that your life, after a while, may be select in its chosen companions, and a great deal more so in its general social features than now. ”

“ She is in touch with, has, as we have seen, her stake and her responsibility in regard to every single activity of the meeting of which she is a member. Through every meeting and through every home, moreover, there is the cleansing and ventilating ebb and flow of the life of the whole society, and this not merely by means of the circulation of matter relating to the deliberations and the work of the society, but also in the form of personal contact. ”

“ It is she who must, each in her measure, give life to the Association, while the Association helps her.
We have our dear heads. Thank God for them! Let us each one of us be a living member, according to her several ability. It is the individual that signifies—rather than the law or the rule. ”

“ Each member is aware of the other and moves and acts in the same life which is proportionable to every member in his distinct office. All cannot be the eye neither can all be the hand for then they would act disagreeably to the great Orderer of his church. ”

“ Thus we get another dynamic relation; for regarded as a member of the body politic each individual becomes a potentiality along with all the other members, conditioned by the state of which he and they are members, brought gradually into harmony with the reason which is in the state, and in the process realising not his own possibilities only, but those of the community also, which exists only in and through its members. ”

“ But I noticed that when he, and those excellent men whom he quotes, come to define what they mean by members, and membership, in this connection, they make explanations, and qualifications, and also protestations, showing that no one can be, in their view, a member of the spiritual, or, what is called the invisible, church of Christ, without repentance and faith. ”

“ Although remarks to the purpose will be highly valued from any member of this Society, it will be necessary, to save confusion, that all such remarks should be addressed to the President of the meeting, and that not more than one shall speak at a time. ”

“ What are they as distinguished from his attributes and constituents, considered as a member of society? Let us try to separate between that which man receives directly from nature, and that which he imbibes sensibly or insensibly from his companionship with his fellows. ”

“ Occasionally he would go off to see an old sick woman or some barren fig-tree man who was not even a member of the church, and forget all about an important committee meeting on the brotherhood of man. ”

“ President, - I wish to speak to-day, not as a Massachusetts man, nor as a Northern man, but as an American, and a member of the Senate of the United States. ”

“ The speaker must avoid all personalities, must not attribute improper motives to a member, and must not even mention a member's name if he can be properly described in some other way, as "the member who last spoke." ”

“ In a discussion, when any member wishes to speak, he must stand up in his place, and address himself not to the lodge, nor to any particular Brother, but to the presiding officer, styling him "Worshipful." ”

“ In mental matters, each member shall enjoy his own sentiments, and freely discuss every subject: but in discipline, a strict conformity with the precepts of Christ is required. Every distant society shall have the same power of admitting members, electing officers, &c. ”

“ Any person of good moral character, over eighteen years of age, approving the objects of the association, may become a member on recommendation of the Committee on Membership, duly reported to and approved by the association. ”

“ The members of the society shall consist of ordinary members; honorary members, elected from the distinguished savants of the world; and co-operative members, consisting of scientific bodies whom the committee shall decide to elect. ”

“ I will support by all the means in my power the person that the leading members of the Society shall place in the chair; but I cannot resist an expression of satisfaction in the hope you held out, that an illustrious friend of the Society, illustrious from his talents, his former situation, and, I may say, his late conduct, is likely to be my successor. ”

“ After a member has accepted an office or membership on a committee, he cannot relieve himself from the responsibility of such service until the society has accepted his resignation, or has had a reasonable opportunity to accept it and to fill the vacancy. A member accepts an office if he does not decline it at the first opportunity. ”

“ I have thought of getting up an association, whose members should always hold by one another, be true to one another, and cry one another up. A friend to whom I mentioned my plan highly approved it, and suggested the happy name of the MUTUAL EXALTATION SOCIETY. The association would be limited in number: not more than fifty members could be admitted. It would include educated men in all walks of life; more particularly men whose success in life depends in any measure upon the estimation in which they are commonly held, as barristers, preachers, authors, and the like. ”

“ I should have mentioned before, that, in the autumn of the preceding year, I had form'd most of my ingenious acquaintance into a club of mutual improvement, which we called the Junto; we met on Friday evenings. The rules that I drew up required that every member, in his turn, should produce one or more queries on any point of Morals, Politics, or Natural Philosophy, to be discuss'd by the company; and once in three months produce and read an essay of his own writing, on any subject he pleased. ”

“ Before we proceed to expose the even yet more hideous loathsomeness of this vile association, a few words of explanation are necessary. In all we write we have in view an organization—its constitution and motives—and that only. The individual responsibility of its several members is a matter for their own conscience ”

“ And if so, then the Scriptural means of Christian edification scarcely seem, in the popular sense of the word, “simple;” but rather most elaborate.—By Divine direction, we see a Society of men enrolled, a community essentially distinct from every human one, and therefore exciting much jealousy. To certain of the body a Power is given of receiving or cutting off members; and spiritual consequences of incalculable magnitude seem annexed to the privilege of membership. ”

“ Even members and directions which are apparently isolated are discovered to be related by significant connecting members and links, and the whole shows itself in all its parts as one and living,—therefore, also, as a life-rousing, life-nurturing, and life-developing totality. ”

“ Society meeting succeeded the close of public service; three classes of the people were denominated Methodists: The congregation, who, as outer-court worshippers, were only hearers, and seekers; members of the society, who were classed; and members of the band society, who were genuine believers. The two latter met every Sunday evening after meeting, and no individual, who was not furnished with a ticket, could gain admittance. ”

“ The place of meeting, and rules of the society, shall be established, revoked or altered, and new members admitted, at any of the stated meetings, by a majority of the attending members, if they be a majority of those present, not being less than one-fourth of the whole. ”

“ Any male person of good moral character, who is interested in the special work of the Society, shall be deemed eligible for membership in the same. No tests other than that of character and devotion to the Society’s objects shall be applied to membership. Application blanks may be obtained of the secretary-general. ”

“ The Association steadily grew, and three months after its formation I was able to write to the "Citizen":—"The Association numbers amongst its members, Manufacturers, Co-operators, Architects, Artists, Medical Men, Financial Experts, Lawyers, Merchants, Ministers of Religion, Members of the L.C.C., Moderate and Progressive; Socialists and Individuals, Radicals and Conservatives." ”

“ Second, the author presents many facts, new, or in a new light, which disclose how earnest were the efforts of the early Friends for a very careful and even elaborate inner organization and discipline of their membership, after the manner of a visible Church,—the appointment and oversight of a qualified ministry, the sending out of authorized missionaries, and the inquisition into the private affairs, the home life, habits, and business of members, carried out into very minute and annoying details. ”

“ Membership in the Senior Societies—Skull and Bones, Scroll and Keys—Wolf’s Head—doesn’t count—though, as you will find, those exclusive organizations take their members because of what they have done—not of what they are. ”

“ The membership has always been of high character and remarkable interest has been maintained. I have esteemed it a great privilege to be associated with so fine a body of kindly, cultivated men, and educationally it has been of great advantage. ”

“ That the members should engage to afford their advice, assistance, and support to each other in promoting one another's interest, business, and advancement in life: that, for distinction, we should be called The Society of the Free and Easy. ”

“ The term members may well be understood to include all bodily organs and powers, all mental faculties and sensibilities, and all appurtenances, such as time, money, influence, culture, health, and, in short, the whole personal, individual man, with all his belongings. ”

“ Delegate some of its members to attend meetings held on social subjects, debates at Workmen's Clubs, etc., in order that such members may in the first place report to the Society on the proceedings, and in the second place put forward, as occasion serves, the views of the Society. ”

“ Protection of the association's right to define its membership derives from the recognition that the formation of an expressive association is the creation of a voice, and the selection of members is the definition of that voice. ”

“ But what manner of men ought they to be, who engage in such a design? Some may imagine, any that are willing to assist therein, ought readily to be admitted; and that the greater the number of members, the greater will be their influence. But this is by no means true: matter of fact undeniably proves the contrary. While the former society for reformation of manners, consisted of chosen members only, tho’ neither many, rich, nor powerful, they broke thro’ all opposition, and were eminently successful in every branch of their undertaking. ”

“ Sisters and brothers of the Grand Chapter, these persons, selected by you, are now ready and willing to take upon themselves the obligations, duties and responsibilities of office. In our beautiful Order, preferment to office should not be sought after, but should come to the individual chosen, as an honor justly merited and freely bestowed. Those only should be chosen, who, by their reputation, their work, and high moral character, command the esteem and confidence of our members, and can give us standing and credit before the world. ”

“ One hundred and seventy-five names of members have just been given me, fifty new names being added last evening. [She sends for three hundred membership cards.] I never saw such an interest created by anything in any country. Oh that God may bless it to the good of this people, and make it a permanent organization for all time! ”

“ Instituted with a rare combination of tact and enthusiasm, they have taken hold of the blood; they have got home at a certain point in boy and girl nature which has already made them become native. I find that these two organisations tend to develop among their members grace and vigour of movement, good manners, a cheerful spirit, a more alert interest in the things about them, a feeling of comradeship, and best of all, a certain sense of honour toward life. ”

“ That the fee of annual membership be three dollars, and of life membership fifty dollars.
8. That the publication of the material collected be made either by means of a magazine, or by occasional volumes of transactions, as may be found most expedient.
9. That the society as soon as re-organized proceed to enroll members and to extend its membership.
10. That in all questions touching the organization of the society, when a division is called for, the vote shall be taken by States, and each State shall be entitled to two votes. ”