The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-09-10
lprcysl he .halI be elected " tne

Inte 4esufscontrAd&ctpry paper VAS
adopted fns June. 1909. In October,
1893. however. the board Of trustees
81 Randolph Macon college met In
er,ectai session, and an effort Was made
Is rescind. the resolution passed bare
III four months before, and this effort
was defeated by very narrow mar
gin.
Tho Virginia Conference at its ses-
sion III November, 1909. declared that
s'we heartily appreciate the action OF
the hoard Of trustees of Randolph
Macon College in giving 10 the Bal
tisnore and Virginia conferences
voice in the appointment Of future
trustees. and the Virginia Conference
hereby definitely agrees that when
ever the board ot trustees ef RAN
sioiph- Macon College shall present To
this conference for its approval the
name Of any person TO tii a vacancy
In the said board of trustees. the con-
ference will indicate by vote its app
prevail or disa pprcval OF such person
TO al such vacancy"
The conference. however, further
more declared II TO he its drm con-
viction that fer the best interest of
the church and us the Institutions ua-
der the care OF the Randolph Macon
trustees the said trustees as repre-
sentatives Of the conferences should
accx.de to the Sell-nigh unanimous
request af the TWO conferences that
the charter Of the said board he
changed SO as 20 guarantee {" the
said conferences the right by charter
provision 10 participate In the selec-
ton OF persons 10 III all vacancies
membership OF said board. and in
"a Aoy fut,
cessful effort was recently made te
rescind the action taken by the board
in June, 1908. the Virginia Confer
ence again presents to the board its
request. made now for three years In
succession, that the conference be
given the right by charter provision
20 participate IN the selection OF trus-
tees, and we confidently lock to the
said board to take favorable acticn
upon this request"
Choice Of Trustees.
In May 1910. the General Confer
ence OF the NJ. e. Church. South,
amended the discipline of the church
en- the subject Of trustees. The new
paragraph reads as follows:
Answer !: Trustees of our schools.
colleges and universities must be at
least twenty-one years of age, and
three-fourths OF said trustees must at
all times be members of our church.
and all OF said trustees must be con-
fsrmed nominated or elected by some
governing body Of our church, or by
some board or officers OF the church
10 which the power to confirm. nomi-
nate or elect trustees has been dele
gated by the governing body OF the
church. provided that this provision
shalt not take eeRct until July /,
1919"
The above positive disciplinary pro-
vision was adopted by the committee
on education, after hearing extended
argument against II by Randolph
Macon trustees. and IL was then adopt
ed by the general conference by a
practically unanimous vote. And. in
addition to this provision. the COM
nfftee on education recommended. and
the General Conference unanimously
adopted a resolution calling upon all
boards Of trust whose trustees are not
selected in conformity with this new
provision of the discipline to secure
such amendments to their charters as
will conform the said charters 10 the
above disciplinary provision, and "a
will secure the insertion in the raid
charters OF q trnst clause declaring
that the property lie held in trust for
the NJ r. Church. South. to be used
for educational purposes, and our an
nual and district conferences and our
general and annual conference boards
OF education. in making appropriation
to any institution, are advised to con.
slider carefully the legal relation oil
such institutions to the church, and
Furthermore to urge all Institutions for
whose benefit appropriations are made
to secure such amendments to their
charters as win conform their char
ters to the will of the church as ex-
pressed by the action OF the general
conference.
No Action by the Board.
When the board Of trustees Of Ran
dolph- Macon College met In June, 1910
there were three vacancies in ths
membership of the board. No action
was taken directing that any names
be submitted for approval to the con.
ferences. The board was acquainted
with the action taken by the genera
conference in May. but no movement
was made by the board to secur,
changes In its charter to comply with
the new provision In the discipline oil
10 comply with the request Of tn.
general conference. the supreme law
making body Of our church.
In about one week after the meet
ing Of the Randolph Macon board tn.
board OF trustees of the Vanderbilt
University met in annual session anS
refused 70 be bound by the action o
the general conference. the suprem.
authority OF our church, declining 4
seat the trustees selected by the ron
sral conference to hii existing vacan
eies. Furthermore, the Vanderbilt
board of trustees passed a resolution
declaring null and void for the futur,
a solemn agreement. entered into q
the general conference in Baltimore
in 1925, by the said Vanderbilt boars
H trust with the general confer
ence, which agreement gave to the een
eral conference n voice in ths selsc
ton of trustees in the said Wander
bilt board.
This action OF the Vanderbilt
board. resembling the agreement b,
the Vanderbilt board in 1898 with tn,
general conference Ii Q striking warn
ing Of the insufiiciency and insecurtt,
of any agreement with any board o.
trustees. which agreement 10 not guar
snteed by charter provision. bu
which can be rescindsd by q bare ma
jority vote Of the board OF trustee,
without the consent of the confer
ence whenever the trustees shall
consider that there is SUFFICIENT in
ducement, financial or otherwise, 70,
the board to ignore it's obligation Il
the church. This action on the par-
OF the Vanderbilt board of trust viii
probably result in the bringing Of {
suit in the civil courts by the College
Of Bishops In order to maintain tn,
rights of the church In the ysudar.