---
title: Improvement Era
description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930.
authors:
  - Preston D. Richards
collections:
  - periodicals
tags:
  - magazine
  - improvement-era
periodical: Improvement Era
volume: 18
number: 5
published: 1915-03
publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
publisher_place: Salt Lake City
language: en
type: magazine
reference: 'Preston D. Richards, "Elimination of Dead Material," *Improvement Era* 18, no. 5 (March 1915): 463.'
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1805unse
  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: improvementera1805unse
start_page: 463
end_page: 463
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1915-03)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1805unse
  publication_year: 1915
  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 1915, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright.
---

# Elimination of Dead Material

<!-- page:463 -->

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.