History
Howard T. Hall was the last person to serve an entire decade as Clerk of the select YM. Emily S. Satterthwait served as Assistant Clerk throughout his clerkship. During Hall's term, the schedule from earlier years was retained.
A few highlights of Hall's term should be mentioned. The following numbers of travelling minutes were read: from Philadelphia YM - 25; from North Carolina - 5; Canada - 3; Iowa - 2; New England - 1; other YMs not in fellowship with Ohio - 4. In 1944, the select YM approved a very good minute that stated that when it read the Queries, it would read the QM answers and approve the YM summaries at the same time. Although this was a worthwhile change, in fact the select YM never followed through and continued the earlier practice. In 1946, a sojourning Minister named Mary B. Maxwell had a concern for the whole YM that was forwarded to that body (the select YM minutes mention the concern but do not say what it was). In 1947, a letter was read from Archibald Henderson on the topic of the declining membership of the YM. The Query answers that same year indicated that five meetings had no minister; Hall recorded in 1950 that one QM had no minister (Short Creek). William B. Stanley's minute to travel to England was supported in 1950.
Hall was considered too conservative by many Friends. The QM Representatives did not have unity to make a change a few years during his clerkship. In 1952, the QM Representatives again did not have unity for a recommendation, but most Representatives recommended new names for Clerks. The select YM was not in unity to make the change, but Hall was willing to step down and allow James R. Cooper to take his place at the second session. |
