--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Josiah E. Hickman collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 7 number: 10 published: 1904-08 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Josiah E. Hickman, "Responsibility of Officers," *Improvement Era* 7, no. 10 (August 1904): 802–804.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0710unse 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: improvementera0710unse start_page: 802 end_page: 804 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1904-08) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0710unse publication_year: 1904 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 1904, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Responsibility of Officers There has already been distributed to you a Manual of Instructions to officers. The member of the General Board, visiting your convention, will conduct a quiz on this Manual and every officer is expected to be able to answer all the questions. At the evening meeting, the following topics will be treated by mem- bers of the General Boards of Y M. and Y. L. M. I. A.: "Town Tramp- — ing its Antidotes and Remedies," "Reverence," and "Our Greatest Needs." No effort on your part should be left unmade to thoroughly adver- tise the convention before your officers and all who are interested. This calls for energetic work and close attention by yourselves and your assist- ants, and we trust that you will make every necessary sacrifice to accomplish the work, and that no excuse will be offered on the day of the convention, but that every requirement will be met and this year's con- vention be the best ever held. With constant prayers for your success and the Father's blessing upon your labors, we remain, Your brethren, Geo. H. Brimhall, Edw. H. Anderson, J. Golden Kimball, Thomas Hull, Bryant S. Hinckley, Committee. RESPONSIBILITY OF OFFICERS.* BY JOSIAH E. HICKMAN, SUPERINTENDENT Y. M. M. I. A., UTAH STAKE, PROVO. The responsibility of officers implies a trust and a duty, not only of money, statistics, and organizations, but of the education, of the purity of the youth of this generation. It devolves upon us to organize the as- sociations and see there is a wholesome growth of the spirit and the letter. An association may have every officer and auxiliary; may have pre- cision in deportment, tabulated program, exact time for beginning and closing, in fact may have all the mechanical adjustments with triangu- lar and hyperbolic accuracy; and yet without the spirit and testimony of the work, there is friction and waste of energy. Just as, in the most perfect machine without oil, most of the work expended in running it is * Read at the general conjoint officers' meeting Y. M. and Y. L. M . A., Salt Lake City, June 5, 1904. OUR WORK. 803 consumed in overcoming friction.So, to reduce the loss in friction, there isneed of more delicate adjustment and perfect lubrication. Then the machine more nearly approaches perpetual motion. We wish the organ- izations of our Church conducted with this self-adjusting spirit that each shall run without external pressure or coercion. I shall deal first with the mechanical phase of this subject; viz., the manipulation of the associations. The duty of the stake officers, as well as those of the ward; is to be alert even before the time for the reopening of the associations to see what material they have at hand. And, if they have any offices vacant, be actively ready to recommend the best talent they have at their command. Before the candidates are chosen and set apart, I feel the work and obligations should be carefully explained; and then learn if they are willing to assume the responsibil- ity. If not, they are not the ones wanted. Every year in our stake we call our officers together; and, after explaining the work, we ask if they are willing to be responsible in their various duties. Invariably we re- ceive the assurance that they are. Yet we find some who have to be followed and urged to fulfill their promises. I have an instance in mind where a president, this year, promised me faithfully five different times that he would do a certain work, and still that work is not done or even begun. It is refreshing to find an officer upon whose promise you can safely rely. I used to think it was only ward teachers who failed in their responsibility, but I find that, even in other organizations, there is the same tendency. The Stake superintendencies are responsible for the completion of their organizations and their active work. They are, to a certain degree, responsible for the ward organizations, also for their success. Yet more directly are the officers of each organization responsible for their own ward, both as to attendance, preparation, and interest. This is the ideal condition, but the friction of discord and the dead drag of indifference check this perfected movement. To overcome these obstacles, the officers should (1) be in sympathy with the work; have faith in themselves; faith in the young people; and faith in their God. (2) Ask no more from the members and sub-officers than they (3) Meet often as officers are willing to do themselves. and review their work and prayerfully discuss conditions, needs and means of meeting emergencies. (4) Be loving and lovable. (5) Be prompt in opening and closing meetings. Don't wait for your audi- ences. We all admire promptness and dispatch. I believe it demoraliz- ing to appoint a meeting at a certain time and be a half hour later in commencing. Not long since I filled an appointment in a neighboring county. When I asked the presiding officer what time the meeting was appointed, he replied: "Seven-thirty, p. m., but you do not need to be there until eight-fifteen, for we cannot get our audiences until a half or three quarters of an hour after the appointed time." An association run on that plan of polite lying, would die of a severe attack of indiffer- ence and procrastination. Why do we hasten to the depot with ungainly strides, when we think we are a quarter of a minute late, and drag to Church, though we are five minutes late? Because the one keeps its word and the other waits till we get there. It won't do! It won't do! A business run on such a plan would need a bankruptcy law to keep it going. Finally, let us be honest with ourselves and those over us. I have been stunned at the stolid indifference of some of our young men I hope — the young ladies are not guilty. — After making faithful promises to dis- charge their duties to the best of their ability and on being set apart, they scarcely ever appeared at the meetings. And, in a few cases, they never made a move to fulfill the first appointment. This indifference is too prevalent even with the more important officers.In our own stakes we find a marked tendency after a young man gets married to relinquish his duties in the association. I wish the young ladies would look into- this matter and correct the evil, if they are to blame. It is not only true of the officers, but of the lay members as well. Now our associations are a phase of that great feast which the master gave. And I was forc- ibly impressed with the statement that when the servants were called to the feast, one had bought five yoke of oxen and wished to be excused;, another had married a wife and could not come. I wondered why these two were put as co-ordinate reasons for their failing to come to th& feast. I surmised that it was because one woman could pull a man as far from the kingdom of God as five yoke of oxen. I wish the young ladies would look into this matter for our sakes. The responsibility of the Stake officers appears very grave when we realize there is placed for their guidance the youth who are in their transition period from childhood to manhood. That period when new forces of life are awakening;when all the luring fallacies and fantasies of society and mind mingle with their scintillating splendor to entice the young from paths of safety and rectitude into the maelstrom of Babylon from which many never return. This period of life is the rap- ids of youth where the most danger is encountered; and yet it is the most precious and valuable period of life. For this is the period when character is formed; when destinies are launched. It is the period when the young receive with greatest readiness, if rightly presented, their deepest religious convictions.