--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Todd, Douglas M. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 6 number: 2 published: 1902-12 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Douglas M. Todd, "Return Surplus Junior Manuals—Are You Holding Officers’ Meetings?," *Improvement Era* 6, no. 2 (December 1902): 156–157.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0602unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera0602unse start_page: 156 end_page: 157 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1902-12) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0602unse publication_year: 1902 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1902, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Return Surplus Junior Manuals—Are You Holding Officers’ Meetings? PLEASE RETURN SURPLUS JUNIOR MANUALS. Presidents of associations' are asked to note this request. We have sent out thousands of Junior Manuals, many of which are not disposed of by the association officers. Such oflScers are now requested to return immediately to the General Secretary, Thomas Hull, Salt Lake City, all the Manuals that are not sold, or that they think will not be used in their associations. This, in order that we may make use of them in other places where they are needed. Hence, we repeat again, return your surplus manuals immediately to the General Secretary Y. M.M.I. A. ARE YOU HOLDING OFFICERS' MEETINGS? Every stake and every ward organization should have regular coun- which the main purpose should be to get cil meetings of the ofl5cers, in the spirit of their work in its various details and divisions. Make na other appointments for that hour, but remember your council meetings. OUR WORK. 157 Elder Douglas M. Todd gave the officers some pertinent advice on the subject at our June conference, which officers will do well to consider and act upon: "It has been suggested that many of the young men want to know what to do at those meetings. I never have found any difficulty along that line; rather, the question comes up, How shall we have time enough to get over the important business that comes before us. Designate the evening, and try to make everything else 'conform to that. I believe mu- tual improvement work ought to be your special work in the ward. Of course, you can do many other things— be block teachers, Sunday school teachers, etc.; but mutual improvement work ought to be your specialty in that ward. We do not want to lay down rules for you to follow in your meetings. We can offer you suggestions, but you can lay them aside for something thatfits your case. You ought to have a regular order of business. Commence with prayer, and it would be a good thing to have singing also. We have time enough to come before the Lord in a proper way. Read the wiinutes of the last meeting, because they give the important points of business that are not finished. In the stake council meetings, one important point will be a report of your visiting members reporting the various associations which they have visited. I believe many of you can very profitably work out more systematic schemes for doing this work than you have at present. Hearing these reports will take up a good portion of the time. Of course, you always have the question of the mission work, of the Bra, the Fund, and all other outward machinery of our associations before you. Occasionally, you will have the question of conferences and quarterly meetings. That should be the order of business. I believe the secretary ought to open his minute book with that order of business. Then there will be com- — munications communications from the General Secretary, which ought to be attended to. Then there will be miscellaneous business. I am satisfied that any body of young men, who meet with a desire to get the spirit of their work, will find much to do. In the ward meetings, the same points may be emphasized. There will be class work always be- fore you. It would be a good idea if the officers were better prepared in the lessons. The enthusiasm of your class will depend upon your own en- thusiasm. Too many of our officers go into meeting entirely ignorant of the lessons which are going to be presented; and I fear that difficulty has increased during the past year. It is not a question of how to do these things, it is rather the disposition to do them that is lacking. Try and cultivate the disposition; do not delay."