Historic Roll Guidelines

The historic roll is a historical record of the membership of the congregation. Basic rules:

Names should be entered chronologically as members are received into the congregation.
Each new member is given a unique, sequential number in the roll.
When a member dies, leaves the congregation, or is removed by action of the session/council/board, that information is entered in the appropriate column.
No name is ever crossed out or erased.

Below are rules for each column.

The rules can also be downloaded for user convenience.

Historic Roll Guidelines (PDF, 74 KB)

Check

This column is traditionally used to mark those members who have been removed.

This practice facilitates a quick scan of the page.

Roll Number

This is the permanent number assigned to each member when they are entered into the historic roll. For each new entry, use the next number in sequence.

Name

Use upper and lowercase letters (not all capitals) to clearly indicate which letters of a name are to be capitalized.

Print the surname first, followed by a comma, then the forenames and/or initials.

Do not use the titles Mr., Mrs., Ms., Miss, Dr., etc.

e.g.

de Vil, Cruella (√)
DE VIL, CRUELLA (x)
de Vil, Dr. Cruella (x)
de Vil, Mrs. Damian (x)

Reference

This column is intended for the member’s address at the time of joining the congregation. It is never updated, even if a person moves.

Received

Enter the date on which the person became a member of the congregation.

How?

Enter the means by which the person became a member using one of the following abbreviations:

T by certificate of Transfer from another congregation
R by Reaffirmation of faith. This is used for a person who has already been baptized and confirmed but whose membership has lapsed due to inactivity, and therefore, no certificate of transfer can be issued.
C by Confirmation (sometimes referred to as Profession of Faith). This includes adult baptism.

If a member is received by different means, choose a logical abbreviation and explain it in a footnote on that page.

From where certified

This column is used for a transfer of membership to indicate the name of the congregation from which the person is transferring.

Removed

Enter the date on which the person ceased to be a member of the congregation.

How?

Enter the means by which the person’s membership terminated, using one of the following abbreviations:

T by certificate of Transfer from this congregation
D by the Death of the individual
S by action of the Session (or B for Board, C for Council)

The governing body is responsible for revising the historic roll at least annually. Names of inactive members who have been absent for too long in the opinion of the governing body (perhaps three years) should be noted as removed. However, an effort should be made to contact the individuals to be removed, as a courtesy.

Document in the session/board/council minutes all decisions to remove a name from the roll.

If a different method of removal is to be documented, choose a logical abbreviation and explain it in a footnote on that page.

Footnotes

Leave a few lines at the bottom of each page for entering footnotes.

To enter a footnote, place an asterisk at the end of the name. In the footnote space, place an asterisk followed by the number of the entry to which the footnote refers, then write the footnote. Footnotes are used to provide explanations for irregularities.

e.g.

* 104 Date of death unknown
* 127 Married name: Bell
* 176 “Affirmation: Affirming a dual commitment: Roman Catholic and United Church