Mutual Work

Mutual Work M. I. A. Day and Contest Work Stake Pennant Contest Report Sheet The following suggestive blank for scoring has been prepared by the Committee for reporting to Stake officers. It is given in answer to many requests: Please credit the ward M. I. A. with points in the State Pennant Contest as follows for the month of iDate of Meetings 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Mixed Double Quartette Boys Chorus Girls Chorus Male Quartette Ladies Quartette Advanced Seniors, Extemp. Public Speaking. Senior Public Speaking Retold Story Drama Reading Course Totals Remarks : Joint active enrollment for month. .President. Note: See 1915 Convention Circular, August Era, and Journal, for method of scoring. .•''•.'• Note: Report on the back of this sheet, the personnel, the activity in which they scored, and the date of scoring. These appearances must be made in M. I. A. gatherings. Answers to Questions on bpecial Activity Work. 1. There will be no scoring for additional appearances in the drama. , , . , • j 2 In group work all members of the group must be new in order to scor • as an initial appearance. When only parts of groups are new the scoring will count as additional appearances. . 3 All additional appearances of musical groups should, a tar as possible, be made with new selections. Old numbers, however, may be repeated and score as additional appearances.

MUTUAL WORK 183 4. All initial appearances are counted on the individual and not on the event— that is to say. the first appearance of an individual in an event is his initial appearance. He may choose a subject or a story which has been handled previously. In group work, the group is the individual. 6 y 5 All wards should keep lists of stories and story-tellers speeches and speakers, musical selections and personnel of each group' drama and cast, names of books and members reading each one, to- gether with the date the scoring was made. These names should be handed in to the secretary. 6. Points will be reckoned in proportion to the annual active en- rollment, not by the monthly active enrollment, or monthly attend- ance. 7. Only the books of this year's reading course may be used to score for stake pennant. 8. Groups reading these books in private homes may score for pennant. Stake Work Questions for December The Stake Work Committee has prepared the following questions for stake superintendents to enable them to check up the ward officers in their stakes, on the topics mentioned. These questions should be asked of the ward officers, and at the monthly meting of stake and ward officers should be checked up, so that the stake officers will have a knowledge of the condition of the associations in their stake: 1. State your best method of promoting individual efficiency in class work? 2. What did you do in your senior and junior class leader de- partments at your last monthly officers' meeting? 3. What program is being used in your stake for the sub-junior class? (See p. 29, "Y. M. M. I. A. Hand Book.']) 4. What check have you made on the distribution of manuals in your wards, and what suggestions have you made for their proper use? 5. What definite steps have you taken in promoting contest work, including stake pennant, leading up to M. I. A. Day? 6. Have you completed the raising of the Fund and the canvass for the Era? Athletics and Scout Work A Great Demonstration On Saturday afternoon, October 9, a contest and demonstration in scout activities was held at Wandamere by the M. I. A. Scouts of the Pioneer, Salt Lake, Ensign, Liberty, Granite, and Jordan stakes. The events as carried out were: Tent raising, stretcher carrying of in- jured, first aid bandaging, relay knot tying, freak race, fire lighting and water boiling. The first place was won by the 31st ward troop of the Liberty stake, with a percentage of .975, John D. Bowers, scout master; second place by Waterloo ward, Granite stake, L. G. Wood, scout master, with a record of .950. Waterloo won in the semaphore signaling con- test time 5.42; 31st ward, second, and Farmers' third. The message sent was: "To President Wilson and Bride-elect: Congratulations and best wishes. Y. M. M. T. A. Boy Scouts "

184 IMPROVEMENT ERA The contest was arranged by the Salt Lake Scoutmasters' Asso- ciation, and much credit is due C. H. Spencer, Jr., and associate officers for their efficient work. After the contest the boys built their camp- fires and cooked their suppers. Later a bonfire rally was held. Stories, talks, songs, and scout "stunts," made up the program. Top — Semaphore Signal Contest Center — Stretcher Carrying Contest Lower — Tent-raising Contest, Oct. 9

MUTUAL WORK 185 Out on a "Hike" The Rexburg and Sugar City, Idaho, M. I. A. Boy Scouts took an outing in August, leaving Rexburg at 5 a. m. They walked twelve miles by noon, and then rode twelve miles, going into camp at 4:30 p. m. They remained away three days, enjoying every minute of the time. There were fifty in the company, and they were directed by Frank J. Kirby, scout master, and J. L. Ballif, stake deputy scout com- missioner. The cut at the top shows the boys at seven o'clock stop- ping for breakfast on the first morning. The central cut shows them in Pincock's spring, twenty-five miles away from home, enjoying a bath. The bottom cut shows the scouts of Rexburg and Sugar City in a group. REXBURG AND SUGAR CITY SCOUTS

186 IMPROVEMENT ERA Joint Work Roll Call. For the sake of uniformity, and in order to save time in the read- ing of minutes in local associations, the joint committee of the General Boards recommends the following: That minutes shall be read before the joint assembly immediately after the second hymn; the secretaries of the Y. M. M. I. A. and Y. L. M. I. A. reading them alternately, the one not reading furnishing to the other information as to class work. Class Study Be Practical in Applying Main Thought. Attention has been called to the need^ of remaining with the main topic of each lesson given in the manuals in order that the class might finish the lesson and get the best good out of it and not waste the time in unprofitable discussion. There is a tendency to emphasize certain minor points or to remain with one sub-topic too long, to en- able the class to cover the main practical points of the lesson. This should not be, but the teacher should so prepare the lesson, and lead in its presentation, that all the topics may be covered, and the main, practical points impressed upon the members of the class during the evening. Friends Among the Soldiers. Elders Merrill and Ricks, Montreal, P. Q., Canada, October '15, 1915: "Because of the refusal of the mayor of Montreal to give us permission, we have been denied the privi- lege of tracting and holding open-air meet- ings here. This, how- ever, has not retarded the progress of the work, as we are very successful in getting gospel conversations with people whom we meet from dav to day. We are especiallv for- tunate in making friends among the sol- diers who are in train- ing here. The enclosed photograph shows the elders with recruiting assent Hughes, a mem- ber of the famous 'Black Watch.'"