The ruling of Bishop Bristol that the present Conference session is to be recognized as the first session of the Nebraska Conference and that with the union the old Conferences lose their identity entirely, gives pertinence to the following brief retrospect, which in a measure will preserve the continuity of Methodist history in the state of Nebraska.
   In June, 1854, Wm. E. Goode was sent to establish the work of the Methodist church in what was then known as the Territories of Kansas and Nebraska. This he did by organizing the Kansas and Nebraska Mission Conference, which made its reports to and received its appointments from the Missouri Conference. In the fall of 1855 Nebraska Territory, including the Dakotas, became a Presiding Elder's district of the Iowa Conference, and Wm. E. Goode looked after it in connection with the work in Kansas, which remained connected with the Missouri Conference.
   The Kansas and Nebraska Conference was organized and its first session held at Lawrence, Kansas Territory, October 23rd, 1856, Bishop Osman C. Baker presiding. The appointments show three districts, two in Kansas and one in Nebraska. Of the latter Wm. E. Goode was made presiding Elder. It contained but eight appointments, with two church buildings and 255 members.
   On April 4th, 1861, in the Methodist Episcopal church in Nebraska City, Nebraska Territory, the Nebraska Conference, embracing the entire Territory of Nebraska, was organized and held its first session, with Bishop T. A. Morris as its presiding officer, H. T. Davis as Secretary and Hiram Burch as Statistical Secretary. It was divided into two districts, the Omaha and Nebraska City, W. M. Smith and H. T. Davis being the Presiding Elders. Nineteen pastoral charges, with four church buildings and 748 members were reported. The total receipts for salary was $4,124.26. Aside from those mentioned, the membership roll includes such names as those of Martin Pritchard, W. A. Amsbury, Z. B. Turman, T. B. Lemon, J. B. Maxfield, J. W. Taylor, and J. L. Fort, all now deceased, but men who were associated prominently with the development of the church in this state. From the printed reports and resolutions it appears that the church at this early day was greatly interested in Christian education, temperance, Sunday School work and the national problems. Strong resolutions supporting the government in its war with the South were passed. H. T. Davis and J. G. Miller were the General Conference delegates in 1864.
   At the 21st Annual Session of the Nebraska Conference, which met in York, September 14, 1881, the following resolution was adopted: "Resolved, That under the enabling act of the last General Conference, we deem it wise at this time to divide the Nebraska Conference into

the 'Nebraska' and 'North Nebraska' Conferences, the Platte river to be the boundary line." At the same session the succeeding General Conference was memorialized to fix the west line of the two conferences at the west line of range 12, west of the 6th principal meridian in the state of Nebraska.
   The North Nebraska records show two Presiding Elder's districts, the Omaha with eighteen appointments and J. B. Maxfield as leader, and the Norfolk with seventeen charges under the leadership of J. B. Leedom. The Conference began its existence with 2349 members and 255 probationers. Some of the most prominent names in the annals of the church in Nebraska are found on the roll of this conference session.
   The General Conference held in Cincinnati, Ohio, in May, 1880, created the West Nebraska Mission Conference, and on the seventh of October of the same year Bishop H. W. Warren organized it at Kearney. P. C. Johnson was elected secretary and Z. S. Rhone statistical secretary. The mission, which included more than the west half of the state, contained 1084 members and 235 probationers. Its twenty-two appointments were to be found principally along the Platte and Republican rivers. Its property interests comprised seven churches and five parsonages, valued at $11,650, nearly half of which had been paid during the year. On the roll of this mission also appear some of Nebraska Methodism's stalwarts: T. B. Lemon, Asbury Collins, C. A. Mastin, and others no less worthy of note.
   Pursuant to an enabling act of the General Conference of 1884, the West Nebraska Mission Conference, by a small vote, resolved itself into an annual conference on September 15, 1885. The session was held in Kearney, and Bishop Andrews presided. At this time there were sixty appointments and 3895 members and probationers, with thirty-seven churches and twelve parsonages.
   Seven years later the conference took advantage of another enabling act and again divided, forming the Northwest Nebraska, which met at Alliance, September 27, 1893, Bishop Walden presiding. The new Conference contained but one Presiding Elder's district, to which A. R. Julian was appointed, and twenty-seven appointments.
   On the enabling act by which the Nebraska, North Nebraska and West Nebraska conferences reunited, the Northwest Nebraska voted in the negative, feeling that its interests were not sufficiently one with those of the other conferences to justify its uniting. When the boundaries of the united conferences were fixed a considerable strip in the northwest, which seemed logically to belong to the Northwest Nebraska, was transferred to it, placing within its bounds several vigorous and rapidly developing churches.
   For the facts contained in the above, the Secretary acknowledges his indebtedness to the retiring secretary of the old Nebraska conference, O. T. Moore, and to Dr. C. M. Shepherd. Without their assistance the pressure of other duties would have made this historical statement impossible.

   Students should carefully read the provisions of the 1912 Discipline relating to examinations, and the following Rules, with the Scheme of Examination on the following page.
   1. Opportunity will be given for examinations in the spring and fall. The time and place for spring examinations will be designated by the District Chairman. Fall examinations will be given on the day preceding the session of the Annual Conference. The Board insists that at least half of the work he completed at the spring examinations. It is both unfair to student and examiner to permit the work to be neglected until fall.
   2. Sermons and essays must be in by July 1st. The examiner is authorized to refuse to accept such if they come in late or show evidence of haste and lack of care in preparation.
   3. Students will state in writing to the Registrar what books they have read in the work of the year.
   4. A fee of fifty cents will be required of each student whether he takes the full work or not.
   5. The Registrar is authorized to record credits from Registrars of other Conferences and from accredited schools, without referring the same to the examiners. The examiners will pass on the question of substitution of one book for another in the course, but in no case can another study be substituted for the one required. Diplomas from theological or other institutions will not be accepted for any part of the course of study.
   6. Examiners will notify the student when he fails in any examination in time to prepare for a second effort at the last examination of the year. Silence on their part will indicate at least a passing grade. In case of a failure the examner (sic) wll (sic) prepare a new set of questions for the subsequent examination.
   7. Neatness and orthography in the papers submitted will be taken into consideration in giving grades.
   8. Where alternate books are indicated the first shall be chosen.
   9. The Conference requires that progress be made in the course, and if an undergraduate member does not report to the Board for two years his name will be called in open Conference and he will be asked to locate.

J. HENRY STITT, Registrar.R. N. ORRILL, Chairman,Peru, Nebraska. Fairbury, Nebraska.

Omaha District, J. F. Haas. Holdrege District, Henry Zinnecker.
Neligh District, E. E. Bowen.Kearney District, E. C. Newland.

R. N. ORRILL Chairman, Fairbury, Nebraska.J. HENRY STITT, Registrar, Peru, Nebraska.