CHAPTER III.

SUNDAY SCHOOLS.

I. The Sunday School Union.

343, § 1. For the moral and religious instruction of our children, and for the promotion of Bible knowledge among all our people, there shall be a Sunday School Union, duly incorporated according to law, and having its office in the city of New York, the said Union to include all the Sunday Schools of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and to be subject to such rules and regulations as the General Conference may from time to time prescribe.

§ 2. The work of the Sunday School Union shall be to found Sunday Schools in needy neighborhoods; to contribute to the support of Sunday Schools which without assistance cannot continue; to educate the Church in all phases of Sunday School work, constantly endeavoring to raise ideals and to improve methods; and to give impulse and direction in general to the study of the Bible by the Church. All the work of the Sunday School Union shall be done under the supervision of a Board of Managers, to be appointed by the General Conference.

§ 3. It shall be the duty of the Board of Managers to revise annually the list of Managers, and in case of inattention by any Manager to the duties of the office, it shall declare his seat vacant.

II. The Corresponding Secretary.

¶ 344, § 1. The Corresponding Secretary shall be elected by the General Conference, and shall be the chief executive officer of the Sunday School Union. He shall also be the Corresponding Secretary and chief executive officer of the Tract Society. Under the provisions of the Discipline and the authority, direction, and control of the Boards he shall conduct the correspondence and business thereof. His time shall be employed in conducting their affairs and under their direction in promoting their general interests by traveling or otherwise. The Board of Managers of the Sunday School Union having each year made an estimate of the sum of money needed for the benevolent work of the Union, the Corresponding Secretary shall notify Presiding Elders and Pastors of the proportion needed from their respective Charges.

§ 2. The Board of Managers of the Sunday School Union shall have power to suspend the Corresponding Secretary or Treasurer for a cause to them sufficient, and a time shall be fixed by the Board at as early a date as practicable for the investigation of the official conduct of said Secretary or Treasurer, due notice of which shall be given by them to the Bishops, who shall select one of their number to be present and preside at the investigation.

§ 3. Any vacancy in this office caused by death, resignation, or otherwise, shall be filled by the Board until the Bishops, or a majority of them, shall fill the vacancy.

¶ 345. The Corresponding Secretary of the Sunday School Union and the Tract Society shall be Editor of

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the Sunday School Books, Papers, and Tracts. shall also, in consultation with the Publishing Agents, have charge of the Department of Sunday School Requisites, including books of instruction for Sunday Schools and Normal Classes. He shall also be Superintendent of the Department of Sunday School Instruction. The Sunday School Union and the Tract Society shall each pay such proportion of his salary as the Book Committee in consultation with the Executive Committee of each Society shall consider just. The Editor of German Sunday School publications in Cincinnati shall be the German Assistant Secretary of the Sunday School Union and the Tract Society without additional salary.

III. Sunday School Board.

346, § 1. Every Sunday School of the Methodist Episcopal Church shall be under the supervision of a Sunday School Board, and shall be auxiliary to the Sunday School Union of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

§ 2. The Sunday School Board shall consist of the Pastor, who shall be ex officio Chairman, the Sunday School Committee appointed by the Quarterly Conference, the Superintendent, the Assistant Superintendents, the Secretaries, the Treasurer, the Librarians, and the Teachers of the School. In case of the withdrawal of Officers or Teachers from the School, they shall cease to be members of the Board.

J 3. it shall be the duty of the Sunday School Board, whenever practicable, to organize our Schools into Temperance Societies, under such rules and regulations as the Board may prescribe, the duty of

which Societies shall be to see that temperance instruction is imparted to the School, and to secure, so far as possible, the pledging of its members to total abstinence.

§ 4. It shall be the duty of the Superintendent, together with the Sunday School Board, to take a collection in the School at least once a year for the Sunday School Union.

IV. Officers and Teachers.

¶ 347, § 1. The Superintendent shall be nominated annually by the Sunday School Board, and confirmed by the Quarterly Conference at its session after such nomination, and in case of a vacancy the Pastor shall superintend or secure the superintending of the School until such time as a Superintendent nominated by the Sunday School Board shall be confirmed by the Quarterly Conference.

§ 2. The other Officers of the School shall be elected by the Sunday School Board.

§ 3. The Teachers of the School shall be nominated by the Superintendent, with the concurrence of the Pastor, and elected by the Board.

§ 4. The place of any Officer or Teacher habitually neglecting his or her duty, or being guilty of improper conduct, may be declared vacant by a vote of two thirds of the Board present at any regular or special meeting.

§ 5. It shall be the duty of the Superintendent to report to each Quarterly Conference:

1. Name of Sunday School.

2. Number of Officers and Teachers.

3. Number of Scholars in all grades.

4. Number of Scholars in Home Department.

5. Average attendance.

6. Number of Officers and Teachers Members of the Church or Probationers.

7. Number of Scholars (whether attendants or members of Home Department) Members of the Church or Probationers.

8. Number of members of the Sunday School con verted during the quarter.

9. Current expenses for the quarter.

10. Amount raised for Missions during the quarter.

V. Duties of Presiding Elders.

¶ 348, § 1. It shall be the duty of the Presiding Elder to apportion to the Charges in his District the amounts expected from the Conference in the same manner as in the case of the other Societies.

§ 2. It shall be the duty of the Presiding Elder to bring the subject of Sunday Schools before the last Quarterly Conference of each year; and said Quarterly Conference shall appoint a Committee of Members of our Church of not less than three nor more than nine for each Sunday School in the Charge, to be called the Committee on Sunday Schools, whose duty it shall be to aid the Pastor and the Officers of the Sunday Schools in procuring suitable Teachers, in promoting in all proper ways the attendance of children and adults on our Sunday Schools and at our regular public worship, and in raising money to meet the expenses of the Sunday Schools of the Charge. Of this Committee the Pastor shall be Chairman.