Elimination of Dead Material

MUTUAL WORK 463

Organization and Membership

Elimination of Dead Material BY PRESTON D. RICHARDS

Some officers and teachers in ward associations are always an obstruction to progress in M. I. A. work. They may be considered as dead. One of the most important and difficult problems with which we have to deal is how to get rid of these dead ones. There has recently come to our attention a case which we are sure will afford much help to stake officers who have similar prob- lems in their own stakes, and we are sure there are similar cases in we were about to say, every stake of Zion. The wide-awake stake aid had observed, during his visit to the regular meeting of the ward association, that the second counselor to the president was the moving spirit and the real leader of the as- sociation. On account of his labors, the association was doing good work in the way of preliminary programs and class work, and, in fact, it was considered one of the good associations of the stake. After the dismissal of the meeting the stake aid made careful and discreet inquiry into the work of the officers of the association and his observation was confirmed, viz., that the second counselor was the real leader. The other officers and members disliked to complain or talk of the matter and this made it difficult for the stake aid to learn ths real condition, but after persistent inquiry he discovered that, the other officers of the association were discouraged and the second counselor told him he expected to resign at the close of the season's work. He learned that the president, notwithstanding he was a thoroughly good man, was not popular with young people, he could not see into their hearts, he had forgotten his own feelings when a boy. . . .

The officers and members had honored the president in his posi- tion for three years, but all that time he was dead to the glorious possibilities and golden opportunities of M. I. A. work. He was a clog in the wheel, an obstruction in the pathway of progress. The wide-awake stake aid reported the case to the newly appointed wide- awake stake superintendency who called on the bishop of the ward learn and explained the situation to him. The bishop was surprised to that the ward president was not efficient, he had supposed that as president was the the association was doing fairly good work that the man to whom the credit for this condition was mainly due.realHeleaderwas also 'surprised to learn that the second counselor was the in the association. The bishop was convinced that for the good o the young people of the ward a new president should be appointed and bishop the authorization the stake superintendency secured from the to call on the president and talk the matter over with him. Ac- cordingly the superintendency called on the ward president at his

: , ^^Z^^^Mi^^ s oc atlon is now the change, and the pointed out as one of the banner associations in

Zi0n dead material, and let the Come, brethren, discreetly remove the work advance.