Reports

tween the meetings of the Council in all business matters not otherwise delegated or reserved, shall do such acts and discharge such trusts as properly belong to such a corporation and are in conformity to the constitution, rules, and instructions of the Council.

6. The corporation may adopt for its government and the management of its affairs standing by-laws and rules not inconsistent with its charter nor with the constitution, bylaws, and rules of the Council.

7. The corporation shall make such reports to the Coun-. cil as the Council may require.

XIII. DEVOTIONAL AND OTHER SERVICES.

1. In the sessions of the National Council, half an hour every morning shall be given to devotional services, and the daily sessions shall be opened with prayer and closed with prayer or singing. The evening sessions shall ordinarily be given to meetings of a specially religious rather than of a business character.

2. The Council will seek to promote in its sessions a distinctly spiritual uplift, and to this end will arrange programs for the presentation of messages for the general public attending such gatherings. But the first concern of the Council shall be the transaction of the business of the denomination so far as that shall be intrusted to it by the churches; and the Council will meet in separate or executive session during the delivery of addresses whenever the necessity of the business of the Council may appear to require it.

XIV.-TIME LIMITATION.

No person shall occupy more than half an hour in reading any paper or report, and no speaker upon any motion or resolution, or upon any paper read, shall occupy more than ten minutes, without the unanimous consent of the Council.

In case of discussion approaching the time limit set for it, the Moderator may announce the limitation of speeches to less than ten minutes, subject to the approval of the Council.

XV. THE PRINTING OF REPORTS

Such reports from commissions and statements from societies or theological seminaries as may be furnished to the Secretary seasonably in advance of the meeting may be printed at the discretion of the Executive Committee, and sent to the members elect, together with the program prepared. Not more than ten minutes shall be given to the presentation of any such report.

XVI. THE PUBLICATION OF STATISTICS

The Council will continue to make an annual compilation of statistics of the churches, and a list of such ministers as are reported by the several state organizations. The Secretary is directed to present at each stated meeting comprehensive and comparative summaries for the two years preceding.

XVII. FELLOWSHIP WITH OTHER BODIES

The Council, as occasion may arise, will hold communication with the general Congregational bodies of other lands, and with the general ecclesiastical organizations of other churches of Christian faith in our own land, by delegates appointed by the Council or by the Executive Committee.

XVIII. TEMPORARY SUBSTITUTION

A duly enrolled delegate may deputize any alternate duly appointed by the body appointing the delegate to act for him at any session of the Council by special designation applicable to the session in question.

XIX. ELECTION OF NON-RESIDENTS

While removal from the bounds of the appointing body causes forfeiture of membership in the Council, this fact shall not be construed as forbidding the election of non-residents by any appointing body.

XX.—FILLING VACANCIES

Each appointing body may, at its discretion, designate the method of filling vacanies in its delegation. Unless other

method has been adopted, the Council will recognize such substitutes from Conference or Association as may be designated by the remaining delegates from such Conference or Association or (in the absence of such designation) by the total delegation from within the bounds of the state concerned, these substitutes to be certified to the Credentials Com mittee by certificate of a chairman chosen by such delegates.

XXI.-TERM OF SUBSTITUTES

Persons designated to fill vacancies under By-Law 20 shall continue in office only for the meeting of the Council for which the designation is made.

XXII. ALTERNATES

Any alternate, specifically designated by an appointing body, who may be present and seated at any Council meeting in the absence of his principal, becomes the regular delegate of that body, displacing the principal first appointed.

XXIII. PRINTED BALLOTS

Nominations for the Executive Committee of the Council, the Boards of Directors of the several societies and all elective officers shall be presented on printed ballots providing space for other nominations to be distributed to and cast by the members voting. A motion to instruct the casting of a single vote for any nominee shall be in order only upon the setting aside of this rule. Pending the declaration of the result of a ballot the order of the day may proceed.