--- 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: 18 number: 2 published: 1914-12 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* 18, no. 2 (December 1914): 175–180.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1802unse 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: improvementera1802unse start_page: 175 end_page: 180 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1914-12) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1802unse 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 The General Improvement Fund Envelopes have been sent out, and the Y. M. M. I. A. officers arc a^kcd to secure 1(X) per cent of the fund by voluntary contributions. Where this is not possible, officers should secure the balance through entertainments. The office is under hea\\ expense in keeping two men constantly in the held, and the good work these men are doing justifies the Board in asking the full amount of the fund. The full 25c for Scout fees is now required by and forwarded to the National or ganization. Hence, Junior members who have paid their scout fees since Nov. 1, should also contribute 25c to the General Improvement Fund. Boys' Half-Acre Contest The committee on Vocations and Industries of the General Board have decided to conduct a Boys' Half Acre Contest during the season of 1914-15. The same general policy will be pursued as during the season 1913-14, and details of the contest will be announced later. This early notice is given so that boys who wish to prepare their half acres this fall may do so now, and thus be ready in the spring. The prizes to be awarded will not be less than those offered this yeaf. The committee has also decided to conduct a City Boys' Industrial Contest during the season of 1914-15, similar to the one conducted during the past season, in which quite a number of boys took part. For Mutual Workers Ward presidents should check up the work in organization, membership, class study and manuals, and the Era. Start earnestly your vocation work, your contests and M. I. A. Day preparations, and remember December is M. I. A. Fund month. — Organization. Are all complete, with class teachers, committee-, and officers? If not, visit the associations and perfect your organizations. Membership. — Are your committees at work? With what results? How many new members were enrolled? How can you aid by new suggestions?" — Class Study and Manuals. Look into the methods of teaching. Have the students enough manuals? Is the Junior teacher marking the students? Is the vocation counselor taking part in the Senior class? — Era. Is the canvass finished? If not' let it be completed early this month, and close with your full complement of subscribers. — Contest Work and M. I. A. Day. Prosecute the work as per convention circular and Hand Book, page 49. — Vocations and Industries. Are you organized with a counselor in each ward? In your monthly officers' meetings, have a special division for the supervisors and counselors. Look after them in your weekly meetings. — Leadership. Are vou well represented in the Church schools for leadership? Why? Why not? They are in progress. Why not you be up with the times? M. I. A. Fund.— Have you distributed the envelopes and collected the full amount? What is 'your plan for getting the balance? 1f » :' 1 fr-",- - 1 Br ' i s |MIAJ> ! rVVv **• Y. M. AND Y. L. M. I. A. STAKE AND WARD OFFICERS OF PIONEER STAKE These officers were present at the regular monthly officers' meeting held on Sunday, October 11, 1914. The Pioneer stake is forging ahead in all departments of Mutual Improvement work. Notice the motto in the background: "Success comes in cans; failures in can'ts; we can." Civic Improvements These pictures were taken at the meetinghouse grounds, Huntsville,Utah, and show one side of the meetinghouse as' it was before the M. I. A. boys improved the grounds, and the same side as it appeared with flowers, and walks, after they had made the improvement. The picture of the improvement was taken on September 20, 1914. The M. I. A. have a stake committee of two, one young man and one young lady who head the work. In each ward a like committee was formed. The stake committee decided that the association that could show the greatest improvement to the grounds around the meetinghouses in the Ogden stake would get the first prize. Second prize, the association that would grow the greatest variety of flowers: third, the association that disposed of the greatest number of flowers, either by sale, gift to the sick, or use for ornaments in the meetinghouse or otherwise; fourth, the association that would make the best exhibition of flowers at a place to be provided in Ogden. The stake committee chose the kind of flowers that would best grow, and gave the local people information as to where the seeds could be obtained, and the conditions necessary to their growth. Members of the M. I. associations were to do all the work. They have found the results most satisfactory. The church grounds throughout the stake were greatly improved. Large numbers of flowers and plants were grown, and many disposed of. Many people caught the spirit of it in their homes, and in their public buildings, resulting in cleaner and more beautiful premises. "We believe that this work has come to stay in the Ogden stake. On a recent Sunday, at our stake monthly meeting, the Mutual Improvement people were told bow to prepare MUTUAL WORK 177 seed beds, the kinds of bulbs to choose and how to plant them, etc. A covered garbage can willalso be installed in some proper place at each meetinghouse." James Gunn McKay is the stake superintendent of the Y. M. M. I. A. HUNTSVILLE MEETINGHOUSE GROUNDS, UNIMPROVED THE GROUNDS IMPROVED, MEETINGHOUSE, HUNTSVILLE Games The M. I. A. Normal Course Committee name this list of games prepared by Coach Joseph R. Jensen, of the Brigham Young College ot Logan, and kindly furnished by him for use in the schools during the six weeks' Normal Course, if so desired: 17S I M I R < >VEM ENT ERA Games: Swedish Spat, Partner's Relay, Three Deep, Partner's Tag, Indian Club Tag, Scrimmage Ball Relay, Basket Ball Relay, Indian Club Relay, Indian Club Basket Relay, Baste the Bear, Potato Race, Relay Pursuit Race, Human Race, Fleet Close Games, Snatch Close Games, Snatch the Handkerchief, Standing Toe Wrestle, Up and Over Relay, Statue Games, Dodge Ball, Sculptor, Shuttle Relays, Prisoner's Base, Battering Ram, Leap Frog Relay, Wheel Barrow Race, Tug of War, Roaster Fight, Oat Bag Games, Oat Bags, Mat Tossing, Circle Piling, Stake Guard, Oat Bags, Poison, Schlag Ball, Long Ball, Sing Ball, Indoor Base Ball, Play Ground, Base-Ball, Follow My Leader, Indian Club Circle Pull, Obstacle Race. Shut the Relays. These games can be found in the following books: Jesse Bancroft's "Books nn Plays and Games," $1.50; "Spalding's Games," 10c. Stecher's "Plays and Games." Mary Johnson on "School Games," "Play and Recreation," by Henrv Curtis. M. I. A. NORMAL CLASS, CASTLE DALE, EMERY STAKE ACADEMY This class was conducted byD*r. John H. Taylor and Miss Clarissa A. Beesley, of the General Boards. Readers of the Reading Course The following members of our organization in the Pioneer stake have read "Their Yesterdays," one of the books of our Reading Course: W. O. Harvey, J. A. Hancock, EI. H. Bardley, W. A. Pettit, Eli Eliason, J. R. Pettit, A. J. Sperry, W. L. Coles, E. G. Carlson, D. E. Hammond, William Cook, William Leary, Jr., H. Bernard Tanner, Robert Sorensen, Orson Carstensen, Elmer Anderson, James Hill, R. H. Marchant, W. H. Kenitz, P. W. Jones, Thomas Lambert, Roy Heath, Joseph A. Kingdom The following- have read "The Young- Farmer:" Parley Nielsen. Norman Nielsen, John Swenson, Edward Sorensen, Alfred Anderson, Lewis Nielsen, Prank Anderson, Robert Kehl, Douglas Budd, H. Bernard Tanner, A. J. Sperry, D. E. Hammond, Lorna Keene, Eli Eliason. The following have read "Chester Lawrence:" H. Bernard Tanner, Ml I UAL WoKK 179 it'iiiun Hansen, a. .1. Bperry, E. <;. Carlson, Andrew Godwin, Lome Keenc, R. H. Marchant, Amos Jenkins, W. A. Pettlt, Eli Eliason. The following have read "The Story and Philosophy of Mormonism:" T. liernard Tanner, Robert Sorensen, A. J. Sperry, William Leary, Jr., Louis Fetzer, R. H. Marchant, W. H. Kenitz, F. W. Jones, Thomas Lam1,1 it, Chester Knight, Joseph A. Kingdon, W. O. Harvey, J. A. Hancock, Oeorge Woodbury, W. A. Pettit, Eli Eliason, C. A. Carlquist. I'll.- following have read "The Fair God:" A. J. Sperry, D. E. Hammond, William Lttary, Jr., Nephl MacLachlan, W. A. Pettit. Ell Eliason. Edgar Jensen has read "From Cattle Ranch to College." The Rexburg M. T. A. Normal Course Class, November 2, 3, and 4. consisted of 40 young men and 80 young ladies. Oscar A. Kirkham writes, "We finished at Rexburg in a blaze of glory with a grand ball." President Mark Austin was very enthusiastic over the work, and gave the General Board members the time of the monthly Priesthood meeting to introduce their work to the Priesthood." The M. T. A. Normal Class, Cardston, Alberta, Canada, October 15, and 17. The M. I. A. work here for leadership was charac- 16, terized by a good spirit, and good attendance. We look for good results to follow. Canada stands at the front as one of the enthusiastic stakes of Zion in this matter of leadership. "For fine, healthy amusement and instruction, these three days cannot be surpassed. The benefit is inestimable," says the "Globe." 180 IMPROVEMENT ERA New Order for Scout Fees Last season, the twenty-five cents paid by the junior members of the Y. M. M. I. A., was counted both as the M. I. A. Fund and the scout fee. (See Y. M. M. I. A. Hand Book, p. 35). This was made possible because the National Organization of the Boy Scouts of America, divided the twenty-five cents with our organization. The amount received by the National Organization has proved insufficient for the development and support of their work. On October 1, 1914, the plan was changed, and the National Organization now asks for the full twenty-five cents. Since the registered scout receives the full benefit of this fee, the General Board has decided that it must be paid independently of the M. I. A. Fund, which is required, in addition, for the work of our associations. Scouts who paid their twenty-five cent M. I. A. fund before November 1, 1914, will be considered as having also paid their scout fee, as in the past; but after that date, scouts will be asked to pay their scout fee of twenty-five cents for registration with the National Organization as well as their M. I. A. Fund of twenty-five cents. The minimum registration fee of $3 is required from each troop, even though there are fewer than twelve boys enrolled. However, when there are fewer than twelve boys enrolled, additional boys may be registered at any time within one year from the date of registration, up to twelve boys, without the payment of additional dues. If there are more than twelve boys, twenty-five cents additional to the $3 must be paid for each boy to be enrolled. Please notify your stake and ward officers of this change, so that they can adjust themselves at once to this new order of handling the scout fee. Some Suggestions on How to Canvass for the Era In one of the northern stakes, as in many other stakes, the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association officers have taken hold of the Era canvass in earnest, and as helps have sent to each of their ward agents the following or similar instructions: 1. Co-operate with the Priesthood in your ward and get the bishop to appoint an assistant to work with you. 2. Organize your forces and begin immediately to get the 5%, which should be secured in the month of October, or early November. 3. Renew the old subscribers first. 4. Call upon all the ward officers and teachers beginning with the bishopric. 5. Canvass the ward thoroughly so that every home may have the opportunity of subscribing. 6. Report your progress every week to the stake officer , having the Era in charge; reports of the progress of each ward will be made by him to all the wards in the stake. The instructions are still applicable to those stakes and wards that are behind with the canvass. Clear it all up before January 1.