1. THIS Society shall be called the “KENSINGTON CHURCH OF ENGLAND
DISTRICT VISITING SOCIETY.”
2. The object of the Society shall be to improve the temporal and
spiritual condition of the Poor of Kensington.
3. A Fund for that purpose shall be raised by Subscriptions and
Donations; Subscriptions to be due on the first of January in each year.
4. Annual Subscribers of not less than One Guinea shall be Members of
the Society.
5. The business of the Society shall be conducted by a Board, consisting
a President, Vice-Presidents, a Treasurer, Secretary, and Committee of
Management. The Vicar to be President, ex-officio; the Curates, Members
of the Committee; other twelve members to be elected at the yearly
general meeting of the Society. A report of the proceedings of the Board
shall be presented annually at the General Meeting, and published for the
information of the Parishioners.
6. The Board shall meet on the first Tuesday in every Month to audit
accounts submitted, and decide upon cases referred. Three Members to
form a quorum.
7. That the operations of this Society shall be extended over that
portion of Kensington which is in connection with the Clergy of St. Mary
Abbot’s Church.
8. The Visitors shall all be Members of the Established Church; their
business shall be, to keep a List of all the families in their several
Districts, according to a prescribed form; to inquire into all cases
recommended; to administer relief; and to circulate Books and Tracts upon
the List of this Society.
9. Relief shall not be given in any case by the Visitor to a larger
amount than 2s. a week for adults, and 1s. for each child, nor continued
for a longer period than four weeks, without the sanction of the Board,
at its monthly meeting. The Board, however, shall not be subject to the
same restrictions.
10. Relief shall be administered by orders on Shopkeepers chosen by the
Board, and not in money, except in extreme cases.
11. No applicant of notoriously immoral character shall be relieved; but
relief shall not be refused to any person on account of his religious
persuasion.
12. No person shall be relieved who has not resided three months in the
Parish, and has not occupied the same house or lodging, unless good
reason be assigned.
13. Subscribers to the Society may recommend cases for inquiry and
relief. Recommendations may be sent to the National School House, from
whence they will be forwarded daily to the Visitors. Money remitted to
any of the Parochial Clergy for the relief of particular families shall
be appropriated to that purpose, if they are found to be proper objects
of charity; otherwise it shall be returned to the Donor, or, with his
consent, added to the general fund.
14. Visitors will be expected to forward their Books for the
consideration of the Board the day before the monthly meeting, or they
may attend the meeting in person, or by substitute.
15. A Parochial Lending Library shall be provided by the Board, together
with a supply of Books and Tracts, to be either given, lent, or sold, by
the Visitors. No Book or Tract to be sold at a lower rate than
half-price.
16. Cases of sickness shall always be reported by the Visitors to the
Parochial Clergy.
17. The Board, at its monthly meeting, shall supply the Visitors with
funds proportioned to the probable wants of their several Districts.