--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Young Men's Mutual Improvement Associations collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 17 number: 6 published: 1914-04 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "Young Men's Mutual Improvement Associations, \"Mutual Work,\" *Improvement Era* 17, no. 6 (April 1914): 604–605." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera176unse 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: improvementera176unse start_page: 604 end_page: 605 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1914-04) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera176unse publication_year: 1914 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 1914, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Mutual Work Mutual Work Y. M. M. I. A. Class Pins Class pins for the Junior classes of the Y. M. M. I. A. will be ready for distribution upon application, about April 30, through stake superintendents, to the General Secretary of the Y. M. M. I. A., Moroni Snow, No. 20-22 Bishop's Building, Salt Lake City, Utah. The conditions for obtaining the pins are set forth in the Junior Manual under the heading "How to Organize Junior Classes," page 103. Every request for pins must be accompanied by a list of the boys in the class, their addresses, their age, and the per cent of their standing in the three requirements; namely, attendance, knowledge of the text, and conduct. Where, in the judgment of the class leader, endorsed by the ward president, a boy has received seventy-five per cent or over, on an average, in these requirements, he is entitled to a membership pin, when the conditions are complied with. There will be no charge for the pins this season. Lists of class members applying for pins, with age, proper address, and per cent marks, after each name, must be endorsed as follows: We certify that each of the members named above, in the Junior class of ward, stake, P. O., is entitled to a membership pin. Class Leader. Ward President. Stake Superintendent. Send the pins to: (Name) (P. O.) (State) What of the Boys during Vacation? This question arises in the minds of hundreds of parents everv spring. It often taxes the ingenuity of the wisest among them. All agree, however, that the boy who can devote a part of his time to some useful industry, is better off than the one who spends all his time in play. But where shall we find something for all our boys to do? This question has received some attention from the Committee on Vocations and Industries of the General Board, and two plans have been considered. One plan takes into account the boys and young men living in the gardening and farming communities, and the other those residing in our cities. The first plan has been worked out in detail and accepted by the General Board. It recognizes the fact that nearly all boys like to have something of their own. If a boy has something that really is his own, generally he will become interested, and try to increase his substance. In the communities where it is possible, why not give the boys a half-acre or more of land for themselves? At least, let it be theirs exclusively for the season, to cultivate as they deem best, and when the harvest is gathered let them have the profits derived from the crop grown under their management, and through their industry and work. Such a proposition will doubtless interest hundreds of boys and young men. This is the thought back of the committee's suggestions, and to add zest to the plan a "Boys' Half-Acre Contest" has been provided for. The plan in detail is as follows: For the encouragement of industry in the gardening and farming districts, and to impress upon our boys and young men the value MUTUAL WORK. 605 of intensely cultivating the soil and profitably marketing their products, the committee on vocations and industries of the General Board of the Y. M. M. I. A. make the following recommendations: 1. That a contest he held among the members of the Y. M. M. I. A. to be known as the Boys' Half-Acre Contest." 2. That all Y. M. M. I. A. members from the age of 12 to 18 years, inclusive, be eligible to enter the contest. 3. One-half acre of ground shall form the unit for this contest, but each contestant may enter one, two, three or four units. 4. Two or more young men may work two or more units together, forming a club or partnership for this purpose, but there must be at least one unit of ground for each member particpating in such partnership or club. All partnerships or clubs shall be restricted to not more than five members each. 5. The participant or participants in the contest are to decide for themselves what crop shall be planted, the frequency and amount of irrigation, how it shall be cultivated and marketed, and as far as possible, each shall do his own work, hiring only such work don:: as he may be unable to do. An accurate record shall be kept of all work hired done, both as to the amount of time the hired person spends and the amount he receives for his labors. 6. An accurate record shall be kept of all the expenses pertaining to the cultivation of the ground and the marketing of the crop, and the returns shall also be carefully and accurately recorded. The expenses shall include labor, seed, fertilizer, etc 7. A record shall also be kept of the actual time that the contestant himself works on his unit or units. 8. The contest shall be conducted by the committee on vocations and industries, affiliated with the state and national boys' and girls' clubs. It shall be conducted under the direction of the stake committeemen, assisted by the state leader of boys' and girls' clubs. Each stake shall form a unit in the contest. At the end of the season the report of each contestant shall be certified to by his ward committeeman and bishop, and shall be sent to the stake committeeman, who shall arrange for judges to decide the merits of the different contestants, and shall award a prize for the best general record made. The stake committeeman shall also endeavor to interest the leading business men of his section and others in the contest, and have them offer prizes for the contest. 9. At the conclusion of the contest' in each stake, the stake committeeman shall send to the committee on vocations and industries of the General Beard the four records which shall have been adjudged to be the first and second, third and fourth best, and from the records thus submitted a final decision shall be rendered for the work done throughout all the stakes, by a committee to be arranged for by the committee on vocations and industries, recognizing, first,_ second, third and fourth best. All boys and young men entering this contest are also eligible to compete in the county and state contests of the boys' clubs, and are in line to win the state championship. 10. The contest shall be determined on the following points, namely: the crop yield, marketing of the crop, record and net results. 11. The winners of the final contest shall be given honorable mention in the Improvement Era, and presented with a suitable token signifying their achievement. Parents, help us to help your boys by giving this movement your enthusiastic support. Do what you can to make your boy a winner. The interest awakened now may be the beginning of a useful and successful career. Who knows? Get circulars from your committeeman.