How to make the wheel go; a manual of the Epworth League, for the use of pastors, League officers, and members

Preface

This Manual has been prepared in response to manj kindly urgent requests to " tell how to make the wheel go." It aims to be helpful to the L,eaguer seeking details ; to the aspirant who wants the broadest outlook ; to the earnest, faithful soul who has just been elected an officer and " wants to do his duty" but "does not know how " and who needs the very simplest information.

Many repetitions will be noted. This is due to a desire to impress certain matters that the writer deem& very essential, or in some cases they are permitted in order to round up the work under a given head. The critic will kindly bear with these for the sake of the many who may need them or of those who needing all may read but that part having to do with their own work.

The writer would be pleased to receive from league workers suggestions as to other plans and methods that have proved successful, programmes, reports, etc., that will be of general interest. In a future edition, this material will be garnered for the common good.

Fraternally,

BYRON E. HERMAN.

Cx,3V3i,and, Ohio.

Index

PAGE. „

" All at it and always at it" 21 (g), 25, 44 (3)

Annual Meeting if

Application Cards ..49 (1), 105

" Assignment to Duty " Cards 106

By-laws :

General league 90

I^ocal Chapter 7 (7), 96

Cabinet, The 17

Chorister, The 49 (3)

Colors, The league 8

Conference leagues 7 (3)

Constitution of General league 88

Conventions , 73

Correspondence, Department of. 54

Cottage Prayer-meetings 36 (25)

Departments— why 24

" names of and work under 93~95

" harmony of. 25

" relation between 24

" of Spiritual Work 29

•« << Mercy and Help 39

" " literary Work 44

" " Social Work 49

M " Correspondence 54

" " Finance 58

" Record Cards 112

Devotional Meetings 14, 29

Discipline— Articles relative to league. .88-91

District leagues.

Presiding Elder's 69

General Conference 69

"Election of Officers n

, PAGE.

Emergency e und.- ...41(16)

employment Bureau 43 (31)

Entertainment Outlines 116 et seq.

Epworth Guards 67 (27*

" League— what it is 7 (1)

" " its divisions 7 (2)

11 its government 7 (5}

theory of. 22

the first 113

" Epworth Wheel " 90

Finance, Department of. 58

First Vice-President 29

Fourth Vice-President 49

Graduation of Juniors , 101

" Group Meetings " 70 (6), 73 (8)

Harmony of the Departments 20 (F), 25

Installation of Officers 13, 102

Junior Graduations 65(16), 101

" League 63

" Superintendent 63, 68

League at Work 26

Xiterary Work, Department of. 44

Meetings :

Annual 15

Cabinet 17

Department 16

Devotional 14 (1), 29

Monthly 14 (2}

Officers and Committee, Joint 16

Mercy and Help Work, Department of. 3§

Missions 37 (30)

Monitor 57 (16)

Motto 8

Music 30 (5)

Organize—How to ■ 9

Officers :

Names and number , 95

Election of. 12

Installation of. 13, 102

Parliamentary Law 80 et seq.

Pledge 8

President, duties, etc 26

Programmes : page,

For Cabinet Meetings , iS

" Devotional Meetings 3c

" Junior league Meetings 65 (18)

" Monthly Meetings 14, 44(1), 45

Reading Clerk 47 (g)

Reception of New Members 99

Relation between Departments 24

Reports 47 (d). hi

Reporter , 56 (8)

Scrap Books for Officers 27 (12)

Second Vice-President 39

Secretary 54

Sentiments, League 8

Services :

Opening 75-77

Closing 78-79

Socials 15, 51

Social Work, Department of 49

Spiritual Work, 11 " 29

Systematic Giving 60

Ten Doctrines of Grace 86

Theory of the Epworth League 22

Third Vice-President 44

Topics and Topic Cards 30 (3)

Transfer Cards : 109

Treasurer 58

Ushers and their Duties 32 (6), 50 (4)

Visitation 40

Visiting Cards 107, 111

Work of the Departments , 29

THE EPWORTH LEAGUE.

1. The Ep worth League is the name of the young people's society of the Methodist Church. Where used in relation to any branch of that great ecclesiastical body, it is qualified by adding the divisional name ; as, the Epworth League of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the Epworth League of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, the Epworth League of the Methodist Church of Canada, the Epworth League of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, etc.

2. For the effective carrying on of its work the League is organized as follows : The Epworth League ; the Epworth League of the Methodist Episcopal Church (using this branch as illustrative) ; the General Conference District Epworth League ; the District (Presiding Elder's) Epworth League; the Chapter (the League in the local church).

3. There maybe Sub-District, Conference, and State Leagues, but they are not parts of the system.

4. The League of the Methodist Episcopal Church exists by the authority of the General Conference of that Church and is subject to it. See pages 88-91.

5. The general direction and management of the League is vested in the Board of Control, a body composed of fifteen persons appointed by the Board of Bishops, one of whom shall be a Bishop, who shall be President of the Epworth League and of the Board of Control, and of one member from each General Conference District, to be chosen, at the General Conference, in the several General Conference Districts respectively. This body elects the general officers of the League, with the exception of the Secretary and Editor of the Epworth Herald, who is elected by the General Conference.

CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS FOR CHAPTERS.

6. The Constitution is subject to change by the Board of Control, but not by local Chapters.

7. The By-Laws, relating as they do to management, are subject to change and amendment by local Chapters.

HOW TO MARK THE WHEJEX GO.

Pledge. — Bach Chapter may decide for itself whether it shall require the Pledge as a condition of membership. Chapters are not permitted to vary the wording of the Pledge or omit any parts of it. It is deemed best to vest this power in the Board of Control only. The Constitution says :

Wherever a Chapter so decides, there shall be two classes of members, active and associate. Active members shall, in addition to election, as provided in section i, subscribe to the following pledge :

I will earnestly seek for myself, and do what I can to help others attain, the highest New Testament standard of experience and life." I will abstain from all those forms of worldly amusement forbidden by the Discipline of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and I will attend, so far as possible, the religious meetings of the Chapter and the Church, and take some active part in them.

In such cases, active members only shall be eligible to election as officers of the Chapter. Associate members shall be entitled to all other privileges of membership.

Colors. — The Epworth League colors consist of a white ribbon with a scarlet thread running lengthwise. The white is emblematical of the purity of Christ's life ; the red, his blood shed for us.

Badge. — The badge is a Maltese cross, bearing on the right and left sections the initials of the Bpworth League and in the center a cross from which rays of light issue. The motto is in the circle around the center.

Motto.— " Look up, lift up."

Sentiments. — "I desire to form a league, offensive and defensive, with every soldier of Jesus Christ."— Tohn

Wesley.

"We live to make our own church a power in the land, while we live to love every other church that exalts our Christ." — Bishop Simpson. .

HOW TO ORGANIZE A CHAPTER,

PRELIMINARY.

1. Consult with your Pastor and secure his consent to organize a League and ask for his co-operation in organizing it.

2. Secure a copy of the Constitution, the By-Laws and other League literature. You can get these free of charge by writing to the Central Office of the Bpworth League, No. 57 Washington Street, Chicago, 111.

3. Study these leaflets and become familiar with their contents so that you may be able to tell others about the League.

4. Talk the matter up with persons likely to become members.

5. Have the Pastor announce a time and place for a meeting to organize a League.

6. Ask your Pastor to be present. Invite some of the official members of the church also.

7. Prepare a ruled paper or a book to be used for recording the names and addresses of members. You can cut one or more copies of the Constitution into parts and paste them on the paper or in the book, and beneath these arrange for the names and addresses of members.

8. Have some one draw the " Bpworth Wheel " on the black-board or on a large sheet of cloth or paper. This can be used to good advantage as a direct object

IO HOW TO MAKE} THE WHEEl, GO.

lesson in setting forth the division into departments and the work and methods of the League.

9. Make this meeting the subject of careful thought and earnest prayer. Very much depends upon the first

Sie ^ m AT THE MEETING.

1. Select some person to act as chairman. If the Pastor is present, invite him to preside.

Your Pastor may prefer not to preside, as it might possibly prove embarrassing for him to select committees or render decisions. He can serve you better on the floor. These meetings are for the education of the young people and as a rule Pastors prefer to have young people manage for themselves, subject, of course, to their approval and their greater experience and more mature judgment.

2. Select some person to act as secretary.

3. By previous arrangement, the Pastor should present briefly the reasons for organizing a league.

4. The chairman or some one who has prepared himself should now present clearly and fully the plan of the League, the steps in organization, and the various lines of work that the League may undertake, illustrating, by the use of the diagram, the " Epworth Wheel."

5. Three or more persons should be appointed to take the names of those present who will join the League. All who sign and join in getting a Charter are " Charter Members." Record or keep a list of these names.

6. Before the meeting adjourns, have the members sign the Constitution.

7. Provide a copy of the Constitution for each member. You can hand it to each one as he signs the Constitution or during a service of introduction of members.

HOW TO ORGANIZE A CHAPTER.