Mutual Work

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M. I. A. Gathering at April Conference.

A special joint meeting of the stake and ward officers or represen-

tatives of the Y. M. and Y. L. M. I. A. will be held in the Assembly

Hall, Salt Lake City, Sunday morning, April 7, at 8 o'clock. All officers

are urgently requested to be present to consider joint summer work

for the associations. The priesthood authorities of the stakes and wards

are invited to be present.

Heber J. Grant,

Asst. Gen'l. Supt. Y. M. M. I. A.

Martha H. Tingey,

President Y. L. M. I. A.

How to Raise Corn

In answer to our request in the March Era, and in response to the

suggestion of Alvin Allen, Hyrum, Utah, that the growers of corn and

beans tell how they won the prize in the late Y. M. M. I. A. contest,

Mrs. Gottfredson, mother of Morris Gottfredson, who won the first prize,

sends the foil wing very interesting and clear explanation showing how

they did it :

The March Improvement Era encourages the winners in the late Y. M.

M. I. A. corn and bean contest to tell how they won. I feel pleased with

the opportunity. At a meeting on Sunday, John A. Nielson, Jr., our stake

superintendent of the Y. M. M. I. A., read a letter offering prizes to boys

for the best one-eighth of an acre of corn or beans raised in 1917. After

meeting, I asked my son Morris if he desired to enter the contest, and

found him eager to do so. We then considered our plots of ground and

found we had none to spare, except an old lucerne patch grown to grass.

We had that plowed; the sod turned up in great lumps all over the patch.

It looked very discouraging. We had the ground layed off, however, and

as soon as it was dry enough (for we had a great deal of rain) we planted

the one pound of white flint corn sold us by the general board. We

planted it June 1, 1917, and as the directions with the corn suggested:

two kernels in a hill at a depth of one inch and a half or two inches deep,

twenty-four inches apart, and distance between rows thirty-six inches. As

soon as the plants peeped through the ground, which was ten, eleven and

twelve days, we started to haul off clods and pull up lucerne roots.

I think there was never more work put on a patch of ground than

we put on this. It took so long to make it look like a real garden! The

next step we took was to put one shovelful of sand and one of manure

around each plant, and mix it thoroughly with the soil, which took seven

days' hard work for the two of us. The ground slanted a trifle, so that water

ran through the furrows rapidly and because of that we watered it every eight

days during the entire season. It was hoed every ten days during the first

part of the summer. The corn grew rapidly and averaged five stalks to the

hill. When four feet tall we thinned it down to two or three stalks to the hill

and hilled up the rows real well. It matured rapidly, so that bv the

20th of September we took first prize on it at our county fair in Manti.

552 IMPROVEMENT ERA

That patch of corn was the admiration of the neighborhood, and of all

who saw it. I shall think of it always in connection with my dear de-

parted son; we had such pleasure working together therein!

Mrs. Alice Gottfredson.

Manti, Utah, March 4, 1918.

A New Movement for Summer Work in the M. I. A.

The General Boards of the Young Men's and Young Ladies Mutual Im-

provement Associations have unitedly decided that it is desirable to con-

tinue the mutual organizations during the summer months. There are

several reasons for this, among them, first, to give the young people some-

thing to do to protect, interest and instruct them during the usual vacation;

and, secondly, to keep alive in their hearts a desire to assist in the present

national crisis, and inform them upon subjects pertaining to the Allies and

their conditions and interests.

At a meeting which has been called for eight o'clock Sunday morning,

April 7, 1918, this new movement will be thoroughly presented to the

officers of the Y. M. and Y. L. M. I. A., with a view to its adoption through-

out the Church.

The general programs will be on the following lines:

1st — The usual joint meeting on the first Sunday evening of the month,

time to be devoted to the general topic, "Religious Forces That Have In-

fluenced Nations."

2d — On the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month, special gath-

erings or rallies, at which a special program will be carried out under the

general title, "National Efficiency and Our Allies."

As a sample of these programs, we print the first three lessons for April;

other lessons will appear monthly in the Era and Journal in time to enable

the associations to make necessary preparation to carry them out:

Lesson I. — Sunday Evening, Fast Day, April 7, 1918

General subject: "Religious Forces That Have Influenced the Nations."

Subject: Great Hymns.

1. Opening hymn, "The Star Spangled Banner."

2. Prayer.

3. History and inspirational analysis of the following hymns, each title to

be followed by the singing of the hymn by the congregation. Fif-

teen minutes of time will be devoted to each by a speaker selected

for that purpose.

a. "Battle Hymn of the Republic." (See Young Woman' s Journal,

April, 1912.)

b. "God Moves in a Mysterious Way." (See Young Woman's Journal,

March, 1912.)

c. "How Firm a Foundation" (L. D. S. Hymn Book).

4. Closing Hymn, "America."

5. Benediction.

Lesson II. — First Patriotic Rally or Special Gathering, April 9

General subject: "National Efficiency and Our Allies."

Subject : France.

1. Opening song, "Marseillaise."

2. Our Ally, France.

a. "The Friendship of France and America."

b. "The Present Leaders of France."

c. "Display and Explanation of the French Flag."

MUTUAL WORK 553

d. "Incidents of French Valor."

e. "Historical Slogan of the Battle of the Marne, 'They Shall Not

Pass.' "

3. Songs, "Over There," or "Joan of Arc."

Lesson III. — Patriotic Rally, or Special Gathering, April 23

Subject: National Efficiency.

1. Songs of Home and Country. Fifteen minutes of time for practice,

a. "Keep the Home Fires Burning."

b. "Red, White and Blue."

c. "Old Kentucky Home."

2. General Topic: Help From Home.

a. Producing plenty, wasting nothing. (See poem, page 406, March

Era, and article by Dr. Brimhall, April Era.)

b. Ready with all; meeting requirements — meatless, wheatless, eatless,

heatless days.

c. Write a letter.

Write the Soldier Boy a Letter

Write the soldier boy a letter:

Wheresoever he may be,

He is training for the battle,

That shall set the nations free;

Tell him how his mother loves him!

How his father's heart approves him!

Sister, don't be a Forgetter!

Write the soldier boy a letter.

Write the soldier boy a letter!

Send it, Friend, across the sea;

He is fighting in the trenches,

Facing death for you and me;

Oft his heart is sad and weary,

Oft his days are bleak and dreary,

Brother, don't be a Forgetter!

Write the soldier boy a letter.

Write the soldier boy a letter,

Louder than the cannon's roar,

Deadlier than stroke of lightning,

Bursting shells around him pour;

Brave he struggles through the danger,

Wondering: Will distance change her?

Sweetheart, don't be a Forgetter!

Write the soldier boy a letter.

— Ruth May Fox.

Stake Efficiency Reports

We appreciate the promptness of the stakes that have sent in ef-

ficiency reports for February, published in this number of the Era. The

month of March was the last month of the season, and we look to receive

promptly a renort from each stake showing the final standing for the sea-

son of 1917-18. We hope the stake reports will include a report from

every association in the Church. We were very anxious that the associa-

554 IMPROVEMENT ERA

tions should continue in every activity to the end of the month. Every

president was urged to make an extra effort to have his membership,

class work, and every other activity hold out to the end, so that we

might close our meetings with enthusiastic memories of the past season

and in full swing in every department.

We shall look for the March efficiency reports by the 10th of April,

with full confidence that they will be the best of the season.

Then we have the summer work, of which we will hear in the special

officers' meeting at conference, Sunday morning, April 7, 8 o'clock. See

also program and explanation in this number.

Efficiency Report

Taylor Stake

Secretary Lloyd O. Ivie reports the Taylor Stake unable to give a regular

stake efficiency report owing to a lack of reports from the wards, but sends

a verbal report of the condition of the wards which have reported for Febru-

ary which are Raymond Second, Lethbridge, Rarnswell and Taber. No re-

ports having been received from Magrath, Welling, Raymond First and

Stirling.

Scout Work in Chicago

Elder R. Clarence Miller writes to Scout Commissioner Dr. John H.

Taylor: "The success of the M. I. A. scout work-in Chicago is very satis-

factory; our troop has gradually grown from six members to thirty, with

many other boys trying to obtain membership. We have boys from the best

homes of Chicago representing several different religions, Jewish, Catholic,

and several protestants, and, of course, our own. There are only four

'Mormon' boys who are regular in attendance. The parents of the boys

whom we have met are glad to have their boys under our leadership. In

fact they are enthusiastic in helping us whenever they can. For one month

last summer, the northwest district of Chicago held a 'Work Camp' at the

beautiful section of the country around Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. It

was a wonderful success, 150 lovely boys full of life and energy, with

three scout masters, set sail from Chicago on Lake Michigan, mak-

ing the trip of 300 miles in twenty-four hours. The camp was in

the region of about 3,000 acres of cherries; we had contracted to pick

300 acres for the Reynolds' Canning Company. Each boy earned nearly

enough money to pay his transportation and expenses for the entire trip.

One boy had about $12 in his pocket when he landed in Chicago after the

trip. Besides picking cherries and doing farm work, the boys had their

pleasure in hikes, swims and games. Many examinations were given in the

various degrees of scouting. We were very proud of the thirteen boys we

had there. They were successful in winning the large banner given to the

troop who had the highest grade of efficiency. Points were given for

inspection, deportment, work and games. The boys came back full of

'pep,' more manly, and bigger and better scouts all around than when they

went. My new appointment as conference president here will allow me

to continue my work with the boys whom I have learned to love very much.

I expect to remain here some six or eight months longer. Please send me

the M. I. A. Hand-book, also the Senior and Junior manuals and other in-

formation which you have as to organizations, etc., this year. I am in-

tensely interested in your success at home, and rejoice to hear of the won-

derful strides made during the past year." '

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