Minutes: Monthly Missionary Meeting, October 14, 1883
12018-05-21T18:58:47+00:00Cecilia Robinsondbf5499cc5366ba7dd1ab7a6e5a00d835a94ee7d11Page 1 containing the minutes from October 14, 1883 when Mary Eliza Church makes a motion to form a young womens' missionary society. She is subsequently appointed to a committee of three along with Leonora Thayer and Anna Metcalf to write the first constitution of the society.plain2018-05-21T18:58:47+00:001883Student Life: Religious Organizations Records, 1852-2010Images provided by the Oberlin College Archives may be downloaded for educational use only by Oberlin College and the Oberlin School District. For all other uses--including reproduction in any media--permission must be requested from the Oberlin College Archives. Please see http://www.oberlin.edu/archive/using/services/application.htmlOberlin College. ArchivesminutesCecilia Robinsondbf5499cc5366ba7dd1ab7a6e5a00d835a94ee7d
12018-05-22T12:36:55+00:00Young Ladies Missionary Society4plain2019-05-01T17:56:20+00:00In the fall of her senior year Terrell made a motion to form a Young Women's Missionary Society. The event occurred on October 14, 1883 at the regular Sunday evening prayer meeting at Ladies Hall. The motion carried and with whirlwind speed a committee of three, including Terrell, was formed to prepare a constitution for the new society. This experience proved seminal, as Terrell went on to found other women’s organizations, and was commissioned to write the creed for the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority in 1914.
The constitution was swiftly adopted with minor revisions. Adelia Field Johnston, principal of the Ladies' Department, was elected President; other offices were filled by students. The new society made connections with similar groups in the region almost instantly, and 35 members and Mrs. Johnston "drove to Wellington to attend a young ladies missionary meeting. The day was pleasant and the roads excellent. They found a dainty lunch served in the church parlors awaiting their arrival. The meeting was an informal one and of much interest. A delightful time is reported by all in attendance" (Oberlin Review, November 17, 1883).
Although Terrell was not nominated to any office, she was active in the society, which numbered about 80. At the society's third meeting on December 9, 1883, she spoke on a topic that became a recurring theme in her orations and writings, "The Colored Girls of the South.” The minutes indicate that she described “their social condition and their special temptations and perils.” Following Terrell’s talk, “Mrs. Johnston gave an account of what is being accomplished for that class by missionary effort,” though it is not clear if this account was given in support of Terrell’s talk or if it was a rebuttal.
