In the business world the Standard Oil Company, the United States Steel Company and the Ford Automobile Company are conspicuous examples. The past ten years has also witnessed combinations of religious and missionary organizations, such as the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America, The Home Missions Council, The Council of Women for Home Missions, The Federation of Foreign Missions Boards, and a number of others which exist for the purpose of obtaining the fullest information on all aspects of their particular fields of activity and to secure the execution of important lines of endeavor which can not rightly be undertaken by one Board. "The Council of Women for Home Missions, formed in November, 1908, was organized that there might be a medium through which National Woman's Home Mission Boards and Societies might consult as to wider plans, and, co-operatively, do more efficient work for the Homeland." [Footnote: Annual Report, Council of Women for Home Missions.] Seven standing Committees are the direct agencies through which most of the work of the Council is done. These committees are Home Mission Study Courses and Literature, Home Mission Summer Schools, Home Mission Interests in Schools, Colleges, and Young People's Conferences, Home Mission Interests among Children, Home Mission Comity and Co-operation, Home Mission Interests among Immigrants, Home Mission Day of Prayer. The Council is a greatly needed clearing-house for the multitude of matters of first importance to efficiency of service and to all Home Mission Boards, which are not the particular responsibility of any. Another important source of Home Mission inspiration and information are the interdenominational study classes which have been formed "to bring the local Women's Home Missionary Societies into united service for Christ and our country; to encourage devotional fellowship and mutual counsel concerning the spiritual life and Home Missionary activities among women's Home Missionary organizations in local communities." The Home Mission summer schools are also valuable in promoting the study of the textbooks from year to year and in providing the opportunity of hearing from missionaries concerning their service and fields. A background of prayer, Bible study, and Christian fellowship adds much to the helpfulness of these special summer assemblies. "Let us try to realize the significance of the fact and in these eight summer schools that are affiliated with the Council and in the Home Missions institute conducted by the Council itself at Chautauqua, nearly 5000 women devote a week or more of their precious summer vacation to perfecting themselves as leaders in missionary work in the local churches. We should never cease to feel the inspiration of this, and to welcome the promise of great things for the spreading of the kingdom of God held out in the full consecration of the highly developed powers of such a goodly company of Christian workers."