The Shenandoah Valley Cooperation having met at Fairview according to appointment on the 15th day of February 1851 Martin F Miley in chair and Henry L Smoots Secretary. the meeting was then called to order & proceeded immediately to business; the following messengers being present. to wit:

Narrow Passage Shenandoah Cty VA
Elder J. J. Jackson
Martin F Miley

Marsh Shenandoah Cty VA
Martin Boehm
Joseph Orndorff

Zion Shenandoah Cty VA
Amos Crabill
H. P. Bader
Samuel Miley

Fairview Shenandoah Cty VA
Matthais Soots
John Sager
Joseph Swansey
Henry L. Smoots
John Hotsenpiller
Samuel Kern
Henry Maphis

The cooperation then proceeded to receive the report of Brother I. R. Hite, the messenger to the general Cooperation held at Richmond December 15th , 1850, when it was resolved that the report should be made a matter of record upon the cooperation Book.

Rural retreat Feb 13th 1851

Dearly Beloved Brethren,

I as delegate from the Shenandoah Valley cooperation to the general meeting held in the city of Richmond on the 13th day of December 1850, proceed to report to you in cooperation in Fairview the manner in which I demeaned myself as your delegate, aforesaid, as also the courteous reception with which I was received by the brethren. The meeting was called to order by appointing Bro. Woodford to the chair and Bro. Robert T Henly clerk. The meeting then proceeded to receive the delegates from the different parts of the State. I was then introduced to the brethren by Bro. W. F.(?) Hunter, when I arose and asked whether they had any questions to propound; to which I was answered in the negative. I then reported to them the number of congregations which, I have the honour to represent and, also, the amount which the Valley cooperation gave for Evangelising which, from a memorandum kept by Bro. G. W. Abell and the sum paid by me to the said Abell, made the sum one hundred and forty dollars and sixty cents, as per receipts appended as for and in consideration of last years services (ending December 31, 1850) as a general Evangelist of Va. I then according to the instructions of the Valley cooperation pledged one hundred and forty dollars for Evangelising pruposes (during the year 1851) to be paid to the Secretary of the general meeting, to be held in Richmond on Friday before the second Lord's day in November next.

2nd Resolved that Bro. G. W. Abell shall be written to immediately, and solicited to come to the Valley of Virginia to preach, as he was the person whom we instructed our messenger to employ and we are unwilling at present to receive any other person as our Evangelist from the Richmond Cooperation but him; and that Bro. Abell be requested to send no one at this time, unless he accompany him; But with him we should be happy to see as many as can come.

3rd Resolved that Bro. H. L. Smoots be appointed as the person to write to Bro. Abell immediately.

4th Resolved that a committee of three be appointed to ascertain the amount paid over by the cooperation to Bro. I. R. Hite (the general messenger to the Cooperation at Richmond) for the services of Bro. G. W. Abell ending in the year 1850.

Committee
John Sager
Henry P. Bader
Martin Boehm

5th Resolved that the receipts of Brothers G. W,. Abell and I. R. Hite be made a matter of record upon the Cooperation book.

6th Resolved that Bro. J. J. Jackson be appointed to ascertain the amount which, the Brethren in cooperation owe to Bro. I. R. Hite for his trip to Richmond and the writing of an expose.

7th Resolved that the clerk of the Cooperation be paid at the rate of one dollar per diem for his services.

8th Resolved that the messengers of the different congregations be requested to use all due diligence to collect the money unpaid in each congregation until the first of April and to pay the same to Henry L. Smoots, Clerk and Treasurer of the Cooperation.

9th Resolved that a pamphlet of the expose be sent to John D. Furguson as soon as his address shall be ascertained.
(Unanimously accepted.)

10th Resolved that Bro. Martin F. Miley, by his request, be exonerated from the office of Moderator and that Bro. Joseph Rhodes be appointed to fill his place.

On motion of the Moderator the meeting adjourned (until May next) to meet at Shumbouy's (?) meeting house Frederick Cty Va.

[No signatures RAS]

[On the following page appears an undated statement of accounts. RAS]