| Report
of General Meeting of the Doukhobor Community Held at Verigin, January
25th, 1910
There were present one-man delegate and one-woman
from each village, also some honorary members. The number of people
attending was about fifty men and fifty women.
The meeting was opened by each person reading a
Psalm, and all joining in the singing of the hymn, "Glory to
God", and by common expressions of hearty gratitude to God
for the success of present life.
After this there was long and serious conversation
in regard to the universal meaning of Christ's teaching. It was
clearly explained from the conversations that Christ in His teachings
gave us to understand that God is a universal God. So there were
some examples taken from the life of people before Christ's time.
People at that time understood Divinity as a destructive force,
taking for instance the worshipping of thunder, winds, fire and
other elements. People of such belief often themselves committed
actions of destructions. Wars and ether illegal actions were allowed.
Christ clearly explained to us that the most superior
force, by which the universe is Ruled, is the force of good and
people wishing to worship this good force must first themselves
be good. By doing so one would become nearer and adapt himself to
the good force of the universe what is called "God". The
winds and thunder are temporary occurrences, but the world is guarded
by this force of Good.
After that, various questions of economy were presented to the
meeting for consideration.
(1) It was stated to the meeting that this year
was closed by the payment of all Debts in full, the funds for which
came from outside works and the sale of grain.
(2) The delegates from each village presented a report of the quantity
of wheat, oats, barley, flax, peas, etc remaining.
(3) It was decided by all present that from this
date until the arrival of new crops, six bushels of wheat be retained
for the personal use of each person, and that in the spring one
bushel of wheat and one bushel of barley be sown for each individual:
the remainder of the land to be sown in oats. Flax and peas can
be sown in accordance with the desire of each village. The majority
of the members of the meeting expressed their wish that each village
should keep on sowing flax and peas, and, to keep feed for the stock,
one hundred bushels of oats for each team of horses and fifty bushels
of barley for each yoke of oxen.
(4) it was decided that by the 15th of February
each village must have the grain for people, seed grain, grain for
horses and oxen separated. The seed grain must be carefully cleaned
and stored in good granaries, and all balance of grain in each village,
after 15th February will be hauled to railroad points for sale.
As per the reports the community has at present, the grain for sale
will amount to seventy five thousand dollars. Shipments of grain
will be made as heretofore, through the community offices. All moneys
received from the sale of grain will be deposited with the Home
Bank of Canada at Winnipeg and withdrawn when required.
(5) All merchandise will be purchased, as before,
through the community office at Verigin and those villages, which
have credit accounts, will receive goods to the value of same. All
villages having a credit account, are willing that goods be bought
for villages which have none. And in view of this it was decided
at this meeting that no person should purchase goods individually.
(6) An inventory of all property belonging to the community beyond
the village outfits was made and is attached to general accounts.
(7) The community has in all villages about four
hundred teams of working horses, valued at $350.00 per team, which
amounts to one hundred and forty thousand dollars, five hundred
yokes of oxen, valued at $100.00 per yoke, amounts to fifty thousand
dollars, five hundred milk cows, valued at $35.00 each, amounts
to seventeen thousand and five thousand dollars. Besides that there
are full outfits for horses and oxen as: harness, farm implements,
wagons, sleighs, etc. All affairs of the community consisting of
42 villages are in good shape.
(8) The community accounts for 1909 were presented
by V. A. Potapoff, S. Reibin and M. W. Cazakoff. Accounts were found
correct in every respect and approved by all present. The copy is
attached here within.
(9) Vasil Potapoff and Simeon Reibin requested
the meeting to allow them to resign their positions. Their resignations
were very reluctantly accepted, and the meeting tendered them a
hearty vote of thanks in acknowledgement of their services in the
interest of the community in the past.
(10) It was decided to proceed with the election
of managers of the community affairs. The following were elected
for 1914 for purchasing goods and implements and distributing same
to villages: Nicholas Fofonoff, of village Vernoe, Vasil Hleboff
of village Lubovnoe, John Podovinikoff, who was in office at Verigin
before, Alex Reibin, of village Vosnisennie, Pard Potakoff, of village
Bogomdannoe, M. W. Cazakoff was re-elected as a manager of office
and ministerial affairs.
(11) As the community had good heavy crops and fall success in
life during the year 1909, it was decided by all those present to
send no men on outside work this coming summer, but instead to increase
cultivation acreage at home.
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