Mutual Work

Mutual Work. Annual M. I. A. Conference. The annual, conference of the M. I. A. will be held in Salt Lake City on June 2, 3, and 4, 1911. The Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association officers will meet on Friday, June 2, at 2 o'clock, in Barratt Hall, and again on Saturday at 10 a. m. These two meetings will be devoted entirely to matters pertaining to the activities, studies, and affairs of the Y. M. M. I. A., including missionary work, manuals, debates and orations, athletics, programs for conjoint and quarterly meetings, music and drama, reading course, and library, and instructions from the General Board relating to the work in hand for the coming season. On Sunday morning a conjoint meeting of the organizations will be held in the Tabernacle at 10 o'clock, at which the subject of preliminary programs, and social affairs will be treated by speakers and discussed by representatives of each of the associations. At the Tabernacle on Sunday afternoon, at 2 o'clock, President Joseph F. Smith will speak on "How to Observe the Sabbath Day," and Elder Heber J. Grant, on "What June 27th Means to Utah.'' Another general meeting will be held at 7 o'clock in the Tabernacle at which Elder B. H. Roberts will deliver a lecture on "Higher Criticism." In all the meetings there will be singing by first-class musical organizations, including the Tabernacle choir, the Granite stake M. I. A. competing choruses for 1911, the Ensign Stake Male Quartet, and other singers. On Friday evening, June 2, at 7:30 a general reception and dance will take place in the Bishop's Building. President Joseph F. Smith and members of the General Board will be in attendance. On Friday at 9 p. m., there will be athletic exhibitions and contests at the Deseret gymnasium, including volley ball, games, folkdances, wrestling, fencing, swimming and general gymnastics.

752 IMPROVEMENT ERA. On Saturday afternoon at one o'clock, the first athletic meet of the M. I. A. will take place at Wandamere Park which will include baseball, jumping, running, vaulting and other exercises, with medals for the winners. Rates have been arranged upon all the railroads, and it is expected that every stake of Zion and every association will be represented. Annual Convention Dates. The General Boards of the Young Men's and Young Ladies' Mutual Improvement Associations have made the following appointments for conventions of the Mutual Improvement Associations prior to the season of 1911-12. Two officers meetings will be held each day, one at 10 a. m., and one at 2 p. m. A general public conjoint meeting will be held at night wherever convenient. At this meeting, following the opening exercises, brief reports should be made by the presiding officers of the Y. M. and Y. L. M. I. A., and the balance of the time will be occupied by the visiting members of the General Boards. In case these coventions for any reason cannot be held on the dates named, the superintendents of the associations will immediately notify the secretaries of the General Boards of any change contemplated : August 20: Alberta, Yellowstone, Wayne; August 27: Taylor, Beaver, Fremont, Malad, Pocatello, Woodruff, Teton; September 3: Bear River, Cassia, Jordan, Weber, North Weber, Ogden, Parowan, North Davis, Rigby, San Juan at Moab; September 4: Panguitch; September 10: Ensign, South Sanpete, Uintah, Granite, Bannock, Emery, Pioneer, Snowflake, San Luis, Liberty, Hyrum, Salt Lake; September 11: Kanab; September 12: St. Johns, Duchesne; September 13: San Juan at Mancos; September 15: St George; September 17: Big Horn, Oneida, Blackfoot, Summit, Millard, Juab, Nebo, Alpine, Bingham, Carbon, Tooele; September 24: North Sanpete, Union, Benson, Morgan, Utah, Bear Lake, Cache, Star Valley, Box Elder, Maricopa; September 27: St. Joseph; October 1: Sevier, South Davis, Wasatch. Los Angeles M. I. A. The Y. M. M. I. A. of the Los Angeles Branch of the Church held the closing meeting of a very successful season on Tuesday, April 10. The members met during the season every Tuesday evening at the small

MUTUAL WORK. 753 mission Church. The manuals were faithfully studied and considered the most instructive and beneficial of any yet published. The officers, Brothers Hyrum G. Smith, J. H. Preece and Thad Stevens were able men and full of integrity. The spirit of M. I. A. work was strong in them, and while their opening attendance was not very encouraging they worked hard and long with the result that their labors were adequately rewarded. Both junior and senior classes were organized mission chapel, and competent instructors placed at the head. Los Angeles. At the close of the season all concerned were satisfied with the work accomplished. Gerald Anderson says that it was one of the best associations in the Church. Oratory and Story Telling. The Mutual Improvement Associations of the Union stake held their annual conference, April 28, and 29. On Saturday evening an oratorical and story-telling contest was given, the young men taking the oratorical and the young ladies the story-telling. Elder F. C. Bramwell writes that everybody had a rousing time. "The occasion is one long to be remembered. The spirit of the occasion was intense, and all present felt much gratified with the excellent accomplishments." The subject for the oration was the "Making of a Citizen." Each contestant had eight minutes for discussion. David B. Stoddard of La Grande won the first prize. The judges were the County Superintendent of Schools, the President of the La Grande High School, and A. S. Geddes. Concert and Conference. The Sevier stake M. I. A. held a succesful conference at Elsinore on Sunday, May 9. A delightful concert was given by the associations on Saturday evening in the assembly hall of the beautiful new ward meetinghouse. It consisted, amongst the rest, of vocal and instrumental numbers by members from the various wards of the stake; a comedy farce by the Junior girls of Richfield, and well-played, high class numbers by the Anona male orchestra. The officers' and public meetings on Sunday were fairly well attended and the exercises were of a practical and uplifting character, the whole being a credit to the directing officers and members of the association. Stake President R. D. Young attended every session.