--- 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: 19 number: 4 published: 1916-02 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* 19, no. 4 (February 1916): 372–376." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1904unse 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: improvementera1904unse start_page: 372 end_page: 376 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1916-02) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1904unse publication_year: 1916 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 1916, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Mutual Work Mutual Work Social t Work Music for Dances The following lists of waltzes and two-steps have been recommend-ed by Prof. Sweeten, of the Odeon Dancing Academy. They may beobtained for orchestra use through local music dealers or by sendingdirect to the publisher. He also recommends two orchestra albums:"Sousa March Folio" (Carl Fisher edition), and "Hall March Folio''easy to play ( Carl Fisher edition). These may be had of CarlFisher, Cooper Square, New York; small orchestra and piano, incl.cello, net $3.25; full orchestra and piano, net $4.50; extra piano 50cents, any other parts 30c each. WALTZES Name Author Publish^ :r Les Sirenes Waltz Waldtenfel Fisher Die Hydropaten Gungl Fisher Souvenir De Baden-Baden Bousquet Fisher Krolls Ball Klarnge Lumbye Fisher Auf Flugeln Der Nacht Faust Fisher Blue Danube Waltz Strauss Fisher In Florida J. Gernest Berge Co., N. Y. Satanella Roberts Fisher Wiener Bluet Strauss Fisher Mon Reve Waltz Waldtenfel Fisher Ange D'Amour Waldtenfel Fisher "A Toi Waltz to Thee" Waldtenfel Fisher Barcarolle Waltz Roberts Fisher Santiago Corbin Fisher La Berceuse Waldtenfel Fisher Dream on the Ocean Gungl TWO-STEPS Fisher The Dazzler Heed Fisher New Creation Braham Fisher Conclave Loserf Fisher Dreadnaught Loserf Fisher Frolicsome Frolics Meredith Fisher Black Rock Losey Fisher Society Swing Frantzen Haviland, N. Y. Miss Liberty Daly Daley Co., N. Y. The King's Escort Losey Fisher Co. Spic and Span Losey Fisher Co. National Spirit Hager Fisher Co. The Fascinator Scheid Fisher Co. The High Flyer Heid Fisher Co. The Observer Barnard Fisher Co. The Ultimatum Allen Jocabs Fisher's address is Coc -per Square. New York. MUTUAL WORK 373 Stake Work Questions for February Stake superintendents are requested to report promptly to theGeneral Secretary, answers to the following questions by March 1st.Let us have a report from every stake, this time, brethren: 1. What method did you adopt, aside from stake pennant con-test, to get this season's reading course books read? 2. Name the subjects of the special lectures and the debates heldthis season in your stake. 3. What plans are being considered in your stake for summerwork? 4. Name some Y. M. M. I. A. problem or problems that you wishto have considered at the June general conference. 5. If you meet on Tuesday, what is your program for Feb. 29th? 6. What date have you set for your closing meeting? We sug-gest April 4th. (See Hand Book, "The Closing Meeting," page 17.) 7. There is no provision for a program for Feb. 29. We suggestthat in wards where the fund collection has not been completed, thatarrangements for completing the collection by entertainment be madethat evening. Two Answers In answer to the questions sent out by the Stake Work Commit-tee for December, and which appeared in the Era for December, page183, we have received many replies which have been a great help tothe committee. We ask the officers of the associations throughout theChurch to read the questions in the Era, and then to read the follow-ing replies,—one from a stake which evidently needs considerablework to place it upon a successful basis; and two others from stakeswhich are in good condition. We request the officers of each stake toask themselves to which class they beyong, the first or the second: FIRST CLASS 1. Our best method in promoting individual efficiency in classwork is by general discussion on class work and teaching in monthlymeetings together with co-ooerative search for methods. 2. Last meeting was devoted almost entirely to vocational workwith the ward counselmen as our class leader committeeman wasaway. 3. We are endeavoring to follow the Hand Book instructions onsub-junior work. 4. All Board members are instructed to ascertain the exact num-ber of manuals in circulation and we are informed that the associa-tions have a good supply of them. 5. We have sent out definite instructions concerning the pennantwork and have mailed score blanks to all associations. The date ofM. I. A. Day has not been definitely decided but will be. 6. We are getting near the finishing point on the Era and Fund.We are going to make a big effort to see that you are not disap-pointed on these matters. 1. Our best results in obtaining individual efficiency in class workis secured by the teachers taking a particular interest in the welfareof the boys in the Junior class. That is, our best leaders become part 374 IMPROVEMENT ERA of the lives of their students. In the Senior class the only way tosecure individual preparation is to have the leader call upon the mem-bers who have assigned parts, sometime between the two meetingsand talk over the lesson. 2. At our monthly officers' meeting held last month we did notdivide the Junior and Senior class leaders but we met conjointly. 3. We are not having a sub-junior in our stake. 4. We have kept a perfect check on the distribution of manualsin the wards, and are very successful in having the members bringthem to class for each meeting. 5. We have a Stake M. I. A. Pennant, and the Contest Work isgoing along nicely. The Reading Course is in every ward with thepossible exception of one. 6. Our stake officers meet once each week conjointly with theYoung Ladies and take up matters of mutual interest, and then sep-arate for our special work and then re-convene and dismiss. EachSunday night our entire Board is visiting some ward. SECOND CLASS 1. We have not been able to evolve any method at all. 2. We have not been able to get a representation of more thanone ward at any monthly meeting, hence was not able to do anythingmore than general instructions. 3. Have no sub-junior classes; no sub-junior members. 4. We have made no check of the distribution of the manuals.We can get no response to our letters from any of the wards in ourstake. 5. Have done only some preliminary work. 6. Have not completed the Era but are still working at it. Athletics and Scout Work The Danger Point "A costly building in the course of erection is never left unsuper-vised. "Any attempt to substitute poor and weak materials for thosewhich the specification cal for is detected and frustrated. "No intelligent farmer leaves the development of his orchard orhis potato patch to chance. He guards them from the ravages ofworms and bugs, keeps the trees pruned and the weeds out of thevegetables. "Only in the building of character do men take desperate chances. "It is more difficult to keep an eye on a boy than on a buildingor a tree. Things happen faster with him. If he's a real boy some-thing is happening in his vicinity every minute and his vicinity movesas suddenly as that of a flea. Nevertheless he needs to be watched—not because he's bad but because he's absorbing impressions whichmean either growth or decay. "We will assume that he is safe while he is in bed. Now quit yourgrinning. We all know that you used to poke your nickel novel underyour pillow when mother came up to see why the light was burning,and that the struggles of later years have made you wish a thousandtimes that somebody had yanked you out from under the comfortables MUTUAL WORK 375 and held you under a cold shower bath every morning when you weredue to rise and shine. We will assume that the boy is safe while he isin bed, because he is at home where his parents can get at him. "He is safe while he is at school. In the olden days we used tobe roasting eggs down at the "bear's den" sometimes when we weresupposed to be in school, but modern methods of checking up attend-ance, and the price of eggs, have sort of discouraged these short vaca-tions. (Not that we paid for the eggs, but the hen farmer can nowafford to keep somebody on the job.) "He's safe while he is in church—that awful headache started bythe first tap of the bell on Sunday morning is sure to keep him Qtlict ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ■ "There is an awful leak somewhere through which a lot of per-fectly good hours drop out and hit the dirt. "Somebody's got to plug that hole so full of interesting work andplay that every hour will be kept clean and contribute to the young-ster's nourishment. He's bound to use them all. "'His parents ought to look after him?' Certainly, but do they?How about that commercial traveler, away on three-months' trips?How about the barber, in the shop till eight or nine at night? Howabout almost every man? Could they, if they wanted to? "The fact is that only about one man in a thousand can make onekid behave. Give him a dozen and he goes crazy. The ability tohandle a bunch of young savages is a clear and distinct call to service.In the name of the Stars and Stripes we beg of you not to stick cottonin your ears. " * * * * Yes, your family needs you—it sure does—but didvou ever look at it in this way? Your sons and daughters must playwith somebody. They didn't think of 'Tshcabibble' all alone, nor thoseother words that you washed out of their mouths with soap. In short,the whole gang is going one way or the other and somebody's doingthe steering. Better grab the wheel yourself before the fellow in thechauffeur's seat gets so big that you can't throw him out. "It all comes down to this—you simply can't afford to drop thattroop of scouts. It's too much work for one man and you need toget some others into the game. "Get your scouts re-registered, show them how to earn a uniformand do some things which will make them proud of themselves, keepthem busy." The above inspirational editorial appeared in a recent number ofScouting. I pass it on, believing that a man can do no greaterservice for his brother and his Church than to lead a "crowd" of boysto an appreciation of better things. The men of tomorrow are theboys of today. "Here's to the Apache of the street!.Lawbreakers of today, lawmakers of tomorrow;Ruilders of cities; kings and princes of America—My boy, your boy, everybody's boy,God bless them all!" Oscar A. Kirkham\ "A Good Turn" The M. I. A. scout master at Fountain Green, Utah, submits thefollowing incident which occurred with a member of the troop of No. 1M. I. A. Boy Scouts. We take pleasure in publishing the incident asit may possibly encourage others who are working in the same line to 376 IMPROVEMENT ERA do "good turns." He lieads the incident "Conquering the Flames:""On Sunday, December 26, 1915, a group of young friends calledon Harry Holman, age 14, of troop No. 1, and invited him to accom-pany them on a skating party. Harry, however, disregarded theirinvitation, and remained at home and spent the afternoon with hismother. Later in the afternoon, as his mother glanced through thewindow she was astounded at the threatening flames which wererapidly licking their way from the top of a burning buggy to the shedin which was stored some $1,200 worth of property. Harry rushedfrom the house, seized the shafts of the buggy, and hurriedly rolled itfrom the shed, and was later able to control the flames by means ofa water hose." It seems to us there were two "good turns." It would be inter-esting to discuss which was the greater, and which will have thericher effect on the character of the boy. "Good Turns" Scoutmaster D. D. Tebbs of Mt. Pleasant, Utah, gives the follow-ing account of a "good turn:" "Sever?l boys did 'good turns' by chop-ping wood for the widows, and helping them out with work in a num-ber of ways. One boy took it upon himself to milk one old lady's cowevery morning." A DAY S CATCHFall River Meadows, on the Snake River, Idaho, Willard Johnson