History
Smith was appointed to a second term at the age of 68 and served through 1900. He was appointed from the floor in 1893 when Edward Stratton was unable to attend YM. The schedule that the select YM had used during his previous term in this office was still being used.
An issue that the select YM faced during Smith's term was how to handle small select PMs. The issue was first raised by Pennsville QM in 1893, when the QM there objected to the proposed merger of the select PMs at Pennsville and Chesterfield. A committee was sent to visit the meetings, but it was unable to find unity on a recommendation. In 1896, the select Pennsville QM reported that it had no recorded ministers in the entire QM (with the death of Robert Milhouse) and that the select PMs of Pennsville, Chesterfield, and Plymouth were meeting as one body. Smith's own select PM (Harrisville) reported a similar problem in 1897, asking unsuccessfully for advice.
The number of travelling minutes continued to increase. Smith read five in 1893, and six in 1894, with an average of only two in the succeeding years. In 1898, John W. Foster of Rhode Island, a relative of John Wilbur, was one of the visiting Friends.
In 1894, Hannah H. Stratton brought a minute from New Garden MM stating a concern that had been on her mind for several years to visit England in the ministry. This had not taken place in Ohio for nearly half a century. A small committee was appointed to help her make arrangements, and she returned the minute in 1895 with endorsements. |
