--- 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: 21 number: 6 published: 1918-04 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* 21, no. 6 (April 1918): 551–555." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2106unse 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: improvementera2106unse start_page: 551 end_page: 555 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1918-04) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2106unse publication_year: 1918 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 1918, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Mutual Work (//MUTUAL 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." ' iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiJK-^ga^M^^teLi^ji.iillllliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii