In 1796 the minutes of Kennett recorded a plan their committee had devised for the establishment of a permanent fund. As has already been suggested, one of the greatest weaknesses of the whole system was that everything was done upon individual choice.[761] That is probably the first thing to strike the reader’s attention as he looks over the plans devised. We will state as concisely as possible the chief points. [Sidenote: Kennett plans for raising funds summarized] (_a_) Subscriptions were voluntary, and if a note were given it bore interest at 5%; (_b_) There was a regularly constituted board of trustees for the funds; (_c_) Record was to be kept of receipts and expenditures and reported to the monthly meeting; (_d_) All money paid in was to be vested in real property as soon as possible; (_e_) Disagreement among the trustees must be settled before the monthly meeting; (_f_) Funds were to be used for paying salaries or keeping buildings in repair provided the amount of the principal fund be not lessened.[762] From reports of the success in establishing schools in Kennett meeting,[763] one must believe that their trustees managed the funds wisely and that subscriptions were generously made, but their exact financial state is not given. [Sidenote: Similar plans by Darby, London Grove, Buckingham, Sadsbury, and others] Similar plans were devised by many other meetings, such as London Grove,[764] Darby,[765] Sadsbury,[766] and Buckingham.[767] In all the outstanding characteristics are the same as those mentioned in the Kennett plan. One very interesting characteristic which frequently recurs, is that in the fifth rule of Kennett which allows that the funds may be used also for the poor, who are not members of Friends.[768] Other forms of support besides the subscription just mentioned were, (1) _legacies_, given on terms determined at the will of the donors, (2) _fees_, and, occasionally, (3) _issue of bonds_ for rather small sums, which were needed in case of emergency, such as completing a school house which had been begun. An instance of the third method occurred in 1701 when Philadelphia Monthly Meeting agreed that £100 be raised in that manner for completing the work on the school house.[769] Many similar instances were found in records of other meetings. The rate system was so commonly used as a means of support in the early schools that it needs no special attention here. Some of the rates paid for teaching will be noted in a later presentation of masters’ salaries. Legacies have been very frequently mentioned in previous chapters and it is here necessary only to call attention to the chief characteristics of the bequests and refer the reader to previous chapters if he wishes to examine the text of them.[770] The common characteristics are: [Sidenote: Main characteristics of the bequests made]