This is one of our more enduring and community-wide organizations. Its earliest minutes, written in German script, record the meeting of October 24, 1890; some of our readers may appreciate the original text with, what we believe, some corrections in brackets:

"Die Tavistock Bransch fur die Ober Canada Biebel Gesellschaft, versammelten sich am 24. October (Oktober) 1890 in der baptisten Kerche (Kirche) Tavistock, L. Wildfang Presitant (Prasident) wahr (war) for Sitzer (Vorsitzer), Prediger Samul (Samuel) Krup erofnete (eroffnete) die Versammlung mit Singen und beten (Beten), die beamten (Beamten) fur 1890 sind folgende -

L. Wildfang - Presitant (Prasident)
C. Eichenauer - Schreiber und Schatzmeister
Comitte (Komitee) - F.Krug, G. Fleischauer,
J.D. Adams, John Zimmerman, J.G. Field,
J. Richardson, J, Pfremder, (Pfruempter)
W. Mogk, Henry Hansuld, W. Stein, A.C. Miller
Sauth Easthope (South) - Adam Leinweber,
Henry Hartung
S.N. Mayer, agent, hat die versammlung in einem guten Vortag gehalten.
(Kollekte) Colecte an der Versammlung ........... 3.43
Biebeln verkauft ......................................... 24.94
(Kollecter) Colecter - Hartung und Schwalm ..... 25.50
Wildfang und Edna Krug ................................. 5.50
Mrs. Capling ................................................ 6.10
Lizzie Crantz, Annie Maier .............................. 6.90
                                                                ________
                                                                 $ 72.37
Bezahlt fur sein Geldschicka Coltr ................. $ 2.75

From these minutes we could assume that the Upper Canada Bible Society had a branch here even earlier than this date.

Mr. Wildfang continued as president until 1909. The secretary-treasurers then and later were: C. Eicheinauer, 1890-91; J. Richardson, 1892-1898; Chas. Cameron 1899-1902; H.A. Glaspell, 1903; A. Steckle 1904; John F, Krug, 1905-06; Wm. Peppler, 1907-1912; Rev. E.H. Bean, 1913-15; Wm. Peppler; 1916-1917; John Zimmerman, 1918-1926; Henry Peppler, 1927-1929; Frank P. Corp, 1930-59; Wm. F. Seltzer, 1960-67.

After Mr. Levi Wildfang the following had the chair: A.E. Ratz, 1910-15; A.T. Bell, 1916-20; P.W. Morgenroth, 1921-27; John Zimmerman, 1928-29; Henry Mansz, 1930-41; Robert Walter, 1953, who had been vice-president since 1930; Millus Leis, 1954-67.

It was customary to hold a directors' meeting shortly before the annual one. In the early minutes we read of Dr. Steele acting as Depositary, evidently one who bought and sold Bibles for the branch, for the annual minutes report his transactions; e.g. Dec 6, 1987 his sales were $24.58, his inventory $47.73. For a long while there was no vice president; meetings were often set by the Head Office at Hamilton and Agents were sent out on request to the annual meetings at the branch's expense; e.g. $1 to Mr. Liebler for accommodation, or else Mr. A. E. Ratz would volunteer to entertain the guest including meeting him at the train. In the early minutes representatives are recorded as coming from Tavistock and from Harley's Church. Since their representatives carry the names of H. Hartung. A. Leinweber, Fred Oehm, we would guess this was a misspelling of Herlich's.

The raising of funds for the distribution of the Bible was always a problem. For the most part it was done by volunteers, "named" by the various pastors of the Baptist, Evangelical and Presbyterian Churches; later the Lutheran and Amish Mennonite denominations joined these early zealots. For a long time these collectors seem to have been students or Sunday School teachers. In 1894 the Misses Reid, Bornholdt. E.M. Falk, C. Weitzel, Fleischauer, Burt, Woon, Irwin, Smith and Stein collected $87.20. On November 24, 1898 Mr. Green of The Gazette offered to print circulars to advertise the annual meeting as his contribution. In 1909 the names of these collectors were to be sent in by the Superintendent of the Sunday Schools, on this basis: Zion 4, Knox 4, Baptist 2, Sebastopol 2.

If the agent was not asked to appear at the annual meeting, the programmes varied, according to the church-hall where it was held. In 1909 we first read of lantern-slides, later termed lime-light views, with a lamp supplied by Mr. John Lemp.

In 1925 the onus of collecting was passed on to the various Ladies' Aids, and as early as 1919 was done by letter. The financial low was hit in 1922 with only $41.40 being turned in. In 1928 two collections were made because the 1927 one had lapsed.

For ten years from 1942-52 no meetings were held, but contributions are recorded for 1946 to 1952: $150.95, $221.76, $315.95, $236.55, $421.58, $294.25, $366.11. This fine showing we owe to the participation of the Amish Mennonite congregations in Tavistock, Cassel, 16th Line and in some years Poole, and the Wellington Street Lutheran Church since 1940. The gain in submissions to the Bible Society is outstanding; it rises from $387.22 to $489.20 to $519.45 to $781.25 to $892.98 to $956.48, to $1025.56 to $1510.54 in 1964. Some of this gain since 1962 is partly attributable to the inclusion of the Holy Week collections that are taken in the services hold in the various churches at this time, and the entry of the 16th Line and Harmony Churches.

In 1962 the regional headquarters were moved from Hamilton to 424 Waterloo Street, London, Ontario.

Space does not permit giving credit for unselfish labour in the interests of this phase of Christian life, but we must record two life memberships granted by the Canada Bible Society in 1955 to Mr. Robert Walter and Mr. Frank Corp.