Contests, 1915

466 IMPROVEMENT ERA To compensate for that, a teacher's symphony, may be: "To teach man to be content." "To seek refinement rather than fashion." "To be wealthy, not rich." "To study hard, think quietly," (act honestly). "To listen with open heart." "To bear all cheerfully and bravely." "To let a richness of life spring up unconsciously through the commonplace." "There is no death to the faithful teacher who has inspired the children to go onward and upward. The greatest immortality comes to those who are ready for any sacrifice to do good. Such a life in- creases in a geometric ratio forever."

M. I. A. Day Contests, 1915

At a recent meeting of the joint committees of the Y. M., and Y. L. M. I. A., the following recommendations relative to contest work were made: 1. As to Contests on Sunday Nights: That contests, that is, try-outs or exercises calling for adjudication, be not held on Sunday night. 2. As to Active Membership: That for the present year, we leave the question of what constitutes active membership to the various stakes, encouraging them to raise the standard as high as possible; that for the next year, in order to become eligible for contest work a member must have been in attendance at regular class meetings at least five times prior to April 1st. 3. As to Time Limits: That all contestants in story-telling and public speaking, so desiring, shall be warned by the time keeper at the expiration of nine minutes and ten minutes. Contestants exceed- ing ten minutes shall be discounted 5%; exceeding eleven minutes, shall be disqualified. 4. As To Public Speaking: The contestants are referred to an article in the February number of the Era on page 367, on "Originality in Public Speaking," and each superintendent or ward president should read this to all members entering the public speaking contest. Public speeches for contest must be strictly original, and viola- tions of this rule will disqualify the contestant. 5. The Mixed Double Quartet: The committee further recom- mends that the following be published in the "Journal" and Era. On account of some misunderstanding of our instructions as to the Mixed Double Quartet, we make the following statement: All three numbers (a, b, c,) must be sung at all contests by the members of each Mixed Double Quartet. Judgment will be rendered on each number, but only the winners of c, (Lead Kindly Light) will be entitled to further contest and at the grand finals will be the only group receiving the gold medals. Decisions will be rendered, as above stated, on the a and b num- bers but this decision should not effect the judgment of the c number. The arrangement in relation to this feature of the contest work was made not only in order to lend interest in male and ladies' quartet singing, but to establish specially the Mixed Double Quartet as a permanent organization in each ward association.