---
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: 11
published: 1914-09
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. 11 (September 1914): 1086–1088.'
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera17011unse
  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: improvementera17011unse
start_page: 1086
end_page: 1088
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1914-09)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera17011unse
  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

<!-- page:1086 -->

Mutual Work
               Y. M. M. I. A. Manual for 1914-15
      The Senior text book for the Young Men's Mutual Improvement
Associations, this season, is entitled "The Vocations of Man," and
contains chapters on the need of vocations, division of labor, classification of man's activities, etc., agriculture, the trades, business, engineering, architecture, medicine, law, politics, teaching, art and music iournalism, mining, manufacturing, research, science, inventions, etc. Each
of the subjects is treated under the following headings:         (1) number
of people employed; (2) personal qualities desirable; (3) preparation
necessary; (4) effect on the individual; (5) compensation; (6) opportunities for advancement; (7) conditions of success; (8) how to enter;
(9) relation to other vocations and the community.
      Dr. F. S. Harris, the author, has entered thoroughly into the details
of the work, and has provided valuable data on every subject presented.
It should be one of the most instructive and practical manuals that
lias ever been placed before our young men.            The stake vocations
and industries supervisors and the ward counselors, are invited to
pay close attention to the lessons this year. They will be of great
value and assistance in their vocation work, as well as highly beneficial to the young man seeking to know what to take up for his life's
work.

         The Y. M. M. I. A. Junior Manual, 1914-15
     The junior manual will consist of fifteen lessons on conduct, illustrated with about one hundred stories, in the series on "The Development of Character," now being studied by the junior classes. Among
the chapters are these: service, sacrifice, belief in Providence, prayer,
example, habit, obedience to counsel, courage, visions, inspirations,
dreams, duty, truth, work, idleness, cleanliness, temperance, leisure,
recreation, games and pleasure, and reverence. Officers of the association are referred to the "Y. M. M. I. A. Hand Book," page 23, for instructions on how to organize and conduct junior classes effectively, and
so that the boys may be recognized at the close of the season with the
M. I. A. junior class-pin. Attendance, conduct, and the knowledge of
the text are among the requirements. There were thirty-five wards in
twenty-four stakes, and about 350 junior class members who received
pins in 1913. The stakes should be doubled, the wards at least ten times
as many, and the members indefinitely multiplied for the season of
1914.  Get vigorous class leaders, and begin the work early. The lessons are attractive, and the stories of great moral value as w,ell as being
useful in story-telling and public-speaking.

           Y. M. M. I. A. Reading Course, 1914-15

For Seniors:
                         —
    "Their Yesterdays" Harold Bell Wright; price 50c.
                                                    —
    "The Story and Philosophy of Mormonism" Talmage; price 35c.
                     —
    "The Fair God" General Lew Wallace; price 50c.

<!-- page:1087 -->

MUTUAL WORK                                1087

For Juniors:
     "Chester Lawrence"    —
                         Nephi Anderson; price 75c.
                            —
     "The Young Farmer" George B. Hall; price $1.00.
     "From Cattle Ranch to College,"— Russell Doubleday; price 50c.

                 Change of Officers in Canada
  A change in the superintendency of the Y. M. M. I. A. of the Taylor
stake was effected at the late cconvention held in Raymond, Canada,
August 12 and 13, 1914. Elder Mark H. Brimhall, who has served the
organization as superintendent for over eleven years, resigned his position as stake superintendent and was released because of his being required to move out from the settlement to a ranch some eight miles
away. Elder Mark Y. Croxall, of Raymond, was sustained as superintendent, with L. P. Skouson first, and D. C. Selman second counselor,
and Octave Ursenbach secretary.
     In the retirement of Superintendent Brimhall, the Y. M. M. I. A.
loses a faithful officer who has devoted his energies for many years to
the building up of the organization. He has faithfully put into practice
the instructions of the General Board to the organizations, and as a
result perceptible growth has characterized the membership in his
stake. The Era congratulates Superintendent Brimhall upon his labors
in which he has doubtless found much pleasure in watching the growth
and development of the young men morally and intellectually under his
jurisdiction.  We congratulate the new superintendent and trust that
he may be as successful in the work.

                           The Short Drama
     After consideration it has been thought best to offer only the one
act farce for this year.   This may be obtained at the Deseret News
Book Store, or the Salt    Lake Costume House, Salt Lake City, for 15c
per copy.
     This farce is for ward, stake, district, stake and inter-stake contests, not for the June conference contest.
                                —
     "The Obstinate Family" a farce in one act.
     Points for judgment:
1.   Stage setting and stage business 33 1-3%.
     Note: Each company should have the same outside setting on the
         stage as per diagram given below. This stage setting should

                       6ARDEN SCENES

                                O   o   o     °

         be made jointly by the contesting companies. The arrange-
         ment of the furniture and properties of the inside is left tc the
         individual companies.

<!-- page:1088 -->

1088                    IMPROVEMENT ERA
     The characterization of the individual parts and the sustaining of
     the characterization   33 1-3%.
     The team work (by this is meant the supporting of one character
     by another) the listening, and "by play" (action when not speak-
                   ;

     ing; the promptness in picking up cues; in getting on   and off the
     stage, and the keeping up of the movement of the play   33 1-3%.

EACH YEAR M.         I. A. SCOUTS HIKE OVER THE PIONEER TRAIL.
               ASCENDING LITTLE MOUNTAIN, JULY, 24, 1914

M.   I.   A.   SCOUTS AROUND THE PIONEER TRAIL-MARK, SUMMIT OF
                      BIG MOUNTAIN, JULY 23, 1914
