Mutual Work

MUTUAL, ^ WORK Suggestive Preliminary Program

For November —Our Country's Destiny- Declamation, "The Mission of America," by Woodrow Wilson. (See Era and Journal, October, 1918.) Address, "America the Exponent of World Freedom." Junior girls' chorus, "Light and Truth," Journal, October, 1918.

A Sermon in a Sentence At the M. I. A. convention of the Salt Lake stake of Zion, President Nephi L. Morris was asked to say a few words. He arose and gave a sermon in a sentence. It is particularly applicable to our leadership in the M. I. A. That it might be impressed he repeated it twice. We will repeat it once and ask that all the superintendents of the Y. M. M. I. A. throughout the Church repeat it twice to the officers of the organization in their next monthly meeting: "He assumes a fearful responsibility who shirks one."

Ten "Mutual" Suggestions In response to our request in the last issue of the Era, Fred L. W. Ben- nett submits suggestions for building up the M. I. A. organizations. We cull from his statements: 1.. Start the meetings on time, whether there are 5 or 500 persons present. 2. Popular favorites must not help with the Special Activities all the time. Make it a point to get every one belonging to the organizations to appear on the programs from time to time. Remember the Mutuals are for mutual improvement and not for entertainment only. It is those who are backward that the M. I. A. movement is aiming to help. 3. Special activities must not encroach on the time allowed for class work. 4. Limit a talk or whatever it is to ten minutes, except in very special cases. This has two objects; it gives more persons a chance to participate, and does not allow a tedious person to bore the audience. 5. Advertise the programs in the newspapers, as much as possible. 6. Get as many members as you can working on committees, and in other ways, so that they will be made to feel personal responsibility. 7. Bring the members together, and make the social gatherings as in- formal as possible. See that backward or shy members have as good a time as the others. Encourage the members to address each other as "Brother" and "Sister." A pernicious movement is the practice of introducing young people to each other as "Mister" and "Miss." 8. Allow the movement to prosper by having plenty of funds. 9. Make the meetings so attractive that people will attend from choice. 10. Endeavor to make the spirit of tolerance, humility, love and rev- erence pervade everything that is done, that the members may feel that it is a pleasure to belong to the organization and not attend only as a "duty.

MUTUAL WORK 87

The Mother of a Soldier (To be used as a recitation in the M. I. A. for December, to prepare members for contests to be held in March and April.)

He stood before me — oh! so big and strong! I scarcely could believe he was my child My little boy who never had grown up Who always seemed so carefree, young and wild. But in his grim khaki and its solemn thoughts Had brought a world-old sorrow to his eyes As tenderly he whispered, "Dear, be brave! The mother of a soldier never cries!"

And all alone, in ceaseless agony, I try to hope and work, to wait and pray, But oh, how hard it is to sit at home With all my fears and hopes so far away! Then comes a letter— what a wondrous joy! And trembling I read with tear-dimmed eyes: "Just keep on smiling, honey; don't forget The mother of a soldier never cries!"

— He's dead! just numb, I sit and try to think; All I can realize is a big, dull pain. The world's so empty, robbed of all life's joys. How can I go on living just the same, And keep my courage when my heart is lead, With nothing left to live for or to prize? But hark! His dear voice whispers, "Don't give up! The mother of a soldier never cries!"

No, I will not give up! for there's a thought That gives me strength to live my empty life. A man must die some day. The noblest death Is surely in the glorious heat of strife, Where man, by courage and true sacrifice, Can prove to God his manhood as he dies! And so my heart is gHd, and I see why The mother of a soldier never cries! Rosalind Goldsmith. New York Times, Nov. 4, 1917.

Honor Roll The stakes named herewith have earned the Special Certificate awarded by the General Boards at June Conference for excellent work in M. I. A. Activities. They have fulfilled the requirements entitling them to this Cer- tificate, viz., 50 per cent or more of their wards have scored a sufficient number of points for three months, one of which was the last month of the season, to entitle them to hold permanently the Red, White, and Blue colors: Bear Lake, Beaver, Big Horn, Bingham, Blackfoot, Box Elder, Cassia, Deseret, Ensign, Granite, Idaho, Kanab, Liberty, Millard, Montpelier, Mor- gan, Oneida, Pocatello, Salt Lake, San Luis, Shelley, Taylor, Teton, Tintic, Uintah, Wasatch, Yellowstone.

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