Our Work: A Method of Roll Call; A Rebate on the Era; Necessity of Officers’ Meetings; Collection Days for the General Improvement Fund; Advice to Writers

OUR WORK.

A METHOD OF ROLL CALL.

In many of the large associations, the matter of calling the roll on every night of meeting has become a source of much annoyance and waste of time. Various means have been adopted to overcome these objections. The best method that has yet come to light was presented at one of the late missionary meetings, by a model class of the Twentieth, Salt Lake City, ward. It consists in the use of "cards" and "attendance lists," At the first meeting of the season, in a new association, or at any meeting of an association already organized, a card is distributed to each and every member of the association present, which card reads as fol- lows:

WARD Y. M. M. L A.

MEMBER'S CARD.

Mnw.p.

(Cross out corresponding number No on roU can every Tuesday.)

The secretary of the association enters the names in the order of the numbers upon the roll book, and the members retain the cards. The at- tendance list, in a tab, is passed around from one member to another, each member marking upon this attendance list a cross or a dash upon

150 IMPROVEMENT ERA.

the particular number corresponding with the card handed to the secre- tary. This attendance list is in the following form, and, as may be^seen^ contains two hundred numbers:

ATTENDANCE LIST. As the Tab is passed around, please mark out the number you have received. If you have no number, come to the secretary at the close of session and he will give you one corresponding to that on the roll book. Place a dash over your number if prepared, and a cross if unprepared.

1 26 51 76 101 126 151 176 2 27 52 77 102 127 152 177 3 28 53 78 103 128 153 178 4 29 54 79 104 129 154 179 5 30 55 80 105 130 155 180 6 31 56 81 • 106 131 156 181 7 32 57 82 107 132 157 182 8 33 58 83 108 133 158 183 9 34 59 84 109 134 159 184 10 35 60 85 110 135 160 185 11 36 61 86 111 136 161 186 12 37 62 87 112 137 162 187 13 38 63 88 113 138 163 188 14 39 64 89 114 139 164 189 15 40 65 90 115 140 165 190 16 41 66 91 116 141 166 191 17 42 67 92 117 142 167 192 18 43 68 93 118 143 168 193 19 44 69 94 119 144 169 194 20 45 70 95 120 145 170 195 21 46 71 96 121 146 171 196 22 47 72 97 122 147 172 197 23 48 73 98 123 148 173 198 24 49 74 99 124 149 174 199 25 50 75 100 125 150 175 200

A colored pencil attached to the tab may be used in marking out the numbers; or two pencils of different colors may be used to indicate "prepared" or "unprepared." If this latter method of marking is pre- ferred, the instructions on the attendance list should so indicate. This method of calling the roll is only suggested to the associations by the General Board, and is not recommended as a rule to be generally

OUR WORK. 151

followed. Cards and attendance lists may be obtained at any printing office at very reasonable rates, especially if it should be decided by a stake to introduce the system in all its associations, when the printing could be done at one time, and cards could be furnished at 15 cents per hundred, and roll call pads, containing fifty sheets, for about the same price.

A REBATE ON THE ERA.

At a recent meeting of the General Board, it was decided to return to every association twenty-five cents on each subscription to the Era obtained in the ward where such association exists; provided, five per cent of the total Church population of such ward were secured as sub- scribers for the magazine. Last year this offer was made to the stakes, but was found to be somewhat unsatisfactory, and, in a measure unjust, because one or two associations which failed in securing the required number of subscribers were the cause of the whole stake failing in obtaining its rebate, not- withstanding many of the wards in such stake had fully performed their part. It has, therefore, been decided to offer to the wards the same re- bate, where they secure the required number, that was offered to the stakes last year. The Era is already giving a rebate of twenty-five cents, to every subscriber in that it furnishes a manual free; and by the expenditure of a little effort on the part of the officers,an additional twenty- five cents may be obtained on each subscriber for the benefit of the local

associations. It is an easy and effectual way of securing current expenses,

and we hope to have it to say that over $1000 has been refunded to the associations on Volume 3. Who will^be first?

THE NECESSITY OF OFFICERS' MEETINGS.

Letters have been received from some of the M. I. A. missionaries now laboring in the field, complaing that some of the stake superinten- dencies are not thoroughly awake to the necessity of holding regular stake officers' meetings. In stakes of this class, also, as might be sup-

152 IMPROVEMENT ERA.

posed, the local association officers are not urged to hold such meetings. The results to the cause of mutual improvement are disastrous, or not at all satisfactory. Stake officers are again urged to comply with this re- quirement, and to hold their stake meetings at least twice each month, or, better, once every week. It is impossible to keep pace with the progress of the work unless such meetings are held. It is here that the

officers obtain an understanding of the work, where methods are dis-

cussed, appointments made, reports given, and the general condition of the associations, their wants and failings, as well as advantages, are dis- cussed, and plans made for the betterment of associations which are be- hind, and the adoption of such methods as will generally advance all the organizations. It is absolutely necessary for the officers of the local associations to

meet together, and in like manner discuss their plans and methods, and also the method of presenting their lessons, in order that they may have thrifty and prosperous gatherings. The time is past when all that was required of a president was to be present at the meeting and preside without doing anything further for the benefit of the association. He must now study, plan^ and arrange his affairs so as to interest his member- ship and set his aids to work. This can be done in no way so effectively as by holding regular weekly officers' meetings.

COLLECTION DAYS FOR THE GENERAL IMPROVEMENT FUND.

Stake officers as well as officers of local associations are reminded that the first week in December is collection week for the general im- provement fund. This matter should be immediately considered by the stake superintendencies, who should thoroughly 'and properly instruct the presidents of associations to exert their utmost efforts to get every member to pay this small subscription during the weeks set apart for the collection, namely, the first week in December and the first week in February. It devolves first upon every officer himself to comply with this requirement, when he may consistently ask every member to do like- wise. All the money thus collected is to be sent to the treasurer of each stake who will forward the whole amount, as received, to the General Treasurer, Thomas Hull, Salt Lake City, Utah. The fund is used solely for

OUR WORK. 153

mutual improvement purposes, and is accounted for at the officers' meet- ings at the annual conferences. Last season, the amount was reduced from fifty cents to twenty-five cents and more than double the number paid last year than paid the year before. It is to be hoped that the number this year may again be doubled, because we recognize that if the membership can be induced to help the cause financially, even to this small amount, they will take a greater interest in the progress and welfare of our associations. Again we urge the stake presidencies and the presidents of associations to take hold of this matter with a deter- mination to accomplish better results than ever before.

ADVICE TO WRITERS.

The following suggestions to young writers, was made among others •some months ago, by the editor of the Cosmopolitan, and are worthy of special study: "Two chief defects seem to present themselves in your manuscript. First: Its uninteresting character. Second: A rambling disconnected style. Both arise, in a great measure, from the same cause. You failed, in beginning your manuscript, to think out clearly just what you desired to do. On the contrary, you evidently took up your pen and proceeded to put on paper such things as might chance to come into your mind while in the process of writing. "The first essential for good writing is clear thinking. If you do not know what you want to say, the chances are strongly against you saying it. Consequently, before beginning your description, you should have taken a sheet of paper and jotted down in regular order what seemed to you the important points of interest at your disposal. "The chief labor in writing is thinking. This must be done before you put the result on paper. If you had made any efforts to find the points of interest in the subject chosen, you would probably have dis- covered that you had taken a theme that was of trivial importance and of little interest to you. You cannot make soup out of stones alone. There are, in this world, an endless number of subjects of the widest interest. You must be familiar with some; and certainly caij become familiar with many more. Select something that is worth while. If you find, after thinking it over, that your information is insufficient, visit a library,

make a thorough study of the matter of which you are about to treat.

154 IMPROVEMENT ERA. and then, with the fullest information in your possession, set about a careful analysis of all your points connected with it, using large brackets against the main heading, dividing it into such general headings as the subject seems capable of, subdividing these headings into minor ones, and these minor ones into still further ramifications of the subject. You will then have before you a bird's-eye view of your theme. You may now proceed to select what seem to you the chief points of interest, re- jecting those which are unimportant or trivial. "Your next thought will naturally be how to build up this informa- tion in a manner best calculated to attract and hold the attention of the reader. You will accordingly make a new group, marked 1, 2, 3, etc., in the order in which you propose to treat them. Then proceed to write your composition. You will find the labor a comparatively easy one, be- cause the work of preparation will have been done thoroughly. "When the last sentence of your composition has been written, go back over the work and make a study of the faults of rhetoric, looking carefully to see if you have duplicated your ideas. Cut out unsparingly unnecessary words and phrases. Study how to express yourself with greater force, with more grace and elegance. Above all things, seek clearness of expression. "After you have done this; read your manuscript over again in order to get an idea of the general impression it would make on the mind of the average reader. Determine whether you have omitted anything of importance to your argument or description; and see if by any new

arrangement a better effect might be produced upon the reader. "Then go over it to correct any faults of grammar or spelling. Final- ly, if you have the perseverence necessary for really good work, you will lock up your newly completed essay in a desk so that it will be hid- den from view, and sit down and make a new analysis of the subject with- out regard to the old one, repeating all the processes that have been described for your direction. You will be surprised at the marked im- provement that your second paper will present over the first. "Successful writing means work. * * * * Great geniuses do not have the power to throw off masterpieces. They are men who labor patiently, sometimes developing one thought through weary months. Upon one occasion, Daniel Webster, after an apparently extemporaneous speech in the United States Senate, was congratulated upon the genius that en- abled him to use an expression which seemed to his auditors to be par- ticularly felicitous. 'Extemporaneous?' he replied. 'Why, that was the work of my three weeks' fishing trip last summer;' thus illustrating the saying that genius is an infinite capacity for taking pains."