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CHAPTER XVIII

GENERAL HOSPITAL BOARD

SECTION I

CONSTITUTION

9514. The Methodist Episcopal Church, South, recognizes its obligation to relieve human distress in the name of the Lord Jesus, who "went about doing good and healing all manner of diseases." Accordingly, the Church believes that hospitals should be established and maintained by our denomination for the care of the sick and wounded. For promoting this cause, let the following provisions and regulations be made:

¶515. There shall be a Board to be known as the General Hospital Board of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. This Board shall consist of fifteen members to be constituted as follows: There shall be six clerical and seven lay members elected by the General Conference on nomination of the General Conference Committee on Hospitals, a Bishop appointed by the College of Bishops, and the General Secretary of the Board. These shall constitute the General Hospital Board until their successors are

elected and seated. Eight members shall constitute a quorum.

¶516. All vacancies caused by death, resignation, or otherwise, during the interval between General Conferences, shall be filled by the Board, the members so elected to serve until the ensuing General Conference, except that the College of Bishops shall fill the vacancy in case the Episcopal member of the Board should be removed by death, resignation, or otherwise. Two unexcused absences from the regular annual sessions of the Board may cancel membership on the Board. The Board shall have power to fill all vacancies ad interim, including that of the General Secretary.

¶517. The work of the General Hospital Board shall be conducted under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed from time to time by the General Conference.

9518. Under the provisions of the charter granted by the State of Georgia to Warren A. Candler, Charles C. Selecman, and others, and approved on July 8, 1922, and amended July 23, 1924, or such other charter as may be hereafter granted, the Board shall have power to contract and to be contracted with; to sue and to be sued; to receive and to apply donations, devises, and bequests; to own, buy, and sell real estate, and to do all other things required in the

charter and subject to the provisions of the charter under which the Board operates.

9519. The Board is empowered to study the hospital situation in the Church, to make surveys with a view to locating institutions wisely, to create literature, to devise plans for promoting the hospital movement throughout the connection, and to assist in locating, building, and financing hospitals.

¶520. On the call of the General Secretary, the Board shall meet as soon as practicable after its election, and shall organize by electing from its membership a President, two Vice Presidents, a Recording Secretary, and a Treasurer, provided that the Recording Secretary and the Treasurer need not be members of the Board.

¶521. The General Secretary shall be elected by the General Conference and shall serve for a term of four years. His salary shall be fixed and paid by the Board.

¶522. The General Secretary shall be the executive officer of the Board. He shall conduct its correspondence, carry out its decisions, and execute its policies. He shall travel throughout the connection in the interests of the work, visiting Conferences and hospitals. He shall report annually to the Annual Conferences and to the General Hospital Board, and quadrennial

ly to the General Conference. He shall reside where the Board is located.

¶523. The Board shall determine what departments shall be created for carrying on its work and what other salaried officers in addition to the General Secretary may be necessary for office and field administration.

It shall prescribe their duties and fix their support.

¶524. The Board shall appoint an Executive Committee of such number as it may determine and commit to it such duties as it may see fit. The Executive Committee shall keep a record of all its proceedings and submit it to the Board.

¶525. The work of the Board shall be financed as the General Conference may direct. It shall be the duty of the Board through its General Secretary to indicate to the Commission on Budget the amounts that will be needed annually for its work.

¶526. As provided in its charter, the Board shall be located at Atlanta, Ga. It shall meet annually at such times and places as it may itself determine, and oftener if necessity should require.

¶527. From time to time the Board may adopt by-laws for the regulation of its affairs not inconsistent with its charter or with the General Conference legislation.

¶528. It shall be the policy of the Board to encourage and promote the hospital movement.

rather than to own and operate hospitals in its own name. Such hospitals as are essentially connectional in character may be owned and operated by the Board in such manner as it may think best. Where it seems wise to the Board and to an Annual Conference, the Board may assume ownership of an institution and operate it until such time as the Board and the Annual Conference may determine that the institution should be transferred to Annual Conference ownership and control. In like manner the Board may initiate a hospital enterprise with the view of transferring it ultimately to Annual Conference ownership and control. No hospital enterprise shall be undertaken in the bounds of an Annual Conference without the consent, authority, and support of that Conference, except that an institution distinctly connectional in character may be undertaken by the General Board on its own motion.

SECTION II

GOLDEN CROSS SOCIETY

$529. The Golden Cross Society is authorized as an Annual Enrollment of our members and adherents with the view of securing their interest in the cause of hospitals and to aid in their support. The Constitution of the Golden Cross Society is as follows:

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