--- 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: 24 number: 4 published: 1921-02 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* 24, no. 4 (February 1921): 363–366.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2404unse 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: improvementera2404unse start_page: 363 end_page: 366 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1921-02) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2404unse publication_year: 1921 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 1921, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Mutual Work MUTUAL WORK 363 Biographical Sketches;" and for thirteen years a repeating course of three volumes under the title, "The Development of Character:" 1, "Lessons on Conduct;" 2, "Lessons on Courage;" 3, "Lessons on Success." For 1920-21, "Campfire Stories." Appropriate Songs In the circular for special M. I. A. activities, it is recommended that the contest idea in community singing be developed. The complete memorizing of the words of the songs and the singing of them with the proper spirit is suggested; furthermore, it is suggested that one song be taken for each month, and that the song be sung at least once on each program; also that two or three times during the year, the preliminary program period be taken for a contest session in community singing, grouping the association for the contest into the following groups: Advanced Seniors, Seniors, and Juniors. Then certain songs are suggested for such contest singing: "High on the Mountain Top,'" "We Thank Thee, God, for a Prophet," "The Starspangled Banner," "Battle Hymn of the Republic," "Silver Threads Among the Gold," "Love's Old Sweet Song," "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny" and "Old Black Joe." In other words, the contest numbers are divided into four classes of songs, hymns, patriotic songs, old familiar songs, and Southern melodies. In this contest singing, it is taken for granted that the officers of the Association will select songs for any evening suitable for that particular occasion. We have had complaints from different parts of the Church setting forth the fact that, in places where the associations meet on Sunday evenings, songs have been selected inappropriate for Sunday services. For example, "Old Black Joe," and a number of songs of a similar character, which, to minds of the worshipers on a Sabbath day, seem entirely inappropriate to be sung at an assembly of that kind and on that day. These songs are all right in their place, being good moral songs, but to many they appear, if not sacreligious, certainly inappropriate to be sung at an entirely religious meeting upon the Sabbath day; and have a tendency to shock the finer feelings of visitors and of the worshiping assemblage in general. Certainly no contest singing should be engaged in on the Sabbath day. While this is the case on the Sabbath, these songs would be entirely appropriate at a regular mutual meeting on Tuesday, or any other week day. The preliminary program period, in case the Association meets on Tuesday, or any other week day, may appropriately be used for contest community singing. If any congregational or community singing is indulged in on the Sabbath day, it should be without contest and with such songs as are appropriate to the day. In this connection, we may also state that a number of Associations which have been visited have been careless in the choosing of their selections, and have sung songs that are not appropriate or desirable even for week-day meetings. Choristers, and others who have charge of the selection of music and songs and who are leaders of the singing, should be careful in selecting and presenting music and songs which are appropriate, good and moral in their nature, and not which have a tendency to the contrary. Music, too, should be of a refining character and not of a kind that one would probably meet with in the ordinary dance hall or place of amusement. Our officers and leaders of singing are enjoined to correct any inconsistency in these matters that may have crept in to their organizations. :ua IMPROVEMENT ERA Y. M. M. I. A. EFFICIENCY REPORT FOR DECEMBER, 1920 Q. . E Class •j st A. or Ward 1c c Officers' X u -&• STAKE V M ! M.I. & -Tr. w Programs Meetings Participation Officers' '3 "> a v v a.'~ 1 Meetings - C 'Zip. in Stake Ward Teach. Utah Alpine 5 10 10 5 5 5 5 5 Bear River 10 10 10 5 5 10 10 5 Beaver 5 10 10 5 5 5 5 Benson 10 10 5 5 5 5 5 Box Elder 10 10 10 5 5 10 10 10 Cache 10 10 5 5 5 10 10 5 Cottonwood ... 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 Deseret 10 5 5 10 5 5 5 Enoign 10 10 10 5 10 10 10 Franklin 10 10 10 5 5 10 10 5 Granite 5 5 5 10 5 10 5 Hyrum 10 5 10 10 5 10 10 5 Kanab 10 5 10 10 10 5 10 Liberty 5 5 5 10 5 5 5 10 10 Millard 5 10 10 10 10 5 Nebo 10 10 10 5 5 10 10 5 North Davis ... 5 5 10 5 5 10 5 5 North Sanpete 5 5 10 5 S 5 10 10 North Weber . 5 10 10 5 5 10 10 Ogden 5 10 10 5 10 10 Panguitch 10 10 5 5 10 10 5 Pioneer 10 10 10 5 5 10 10 5 Roosevelt 5 5 5 5 5 10 5 5 St. George 10 10 5 5 5 10 5 5 Salt Lake 5 10 10 5 5 10 10 5 San Juan 10 5 5 5 10 5 5 Sevier 10 10 5 10 5 10 10 5 Summit 1 10 io 10 5 5 10 5 5 Tooele 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 Uintah 10 10 10 5 10 5 5 Wasatch 5 5 10 10 5 10 10 5 Weber 5 10 10 5 5 5 10 10 Idaho Ber.r Lake . 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5* Bingham ... 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 Blackfoot 5 10 5 10 Boise 5 10 10 5 5 10 10 5 Cassia 10 10 10 10 5 10 5 10 Fremont ... 10 10 10 5 5 10 10 5 Lost River 10 10 5 10 5 10 10 10 Malad 10 10 5 5 10 Montpelier 10 10 10 5 5 10 5 5 Oneida 10 10 10 10 5 10 5 5 r Pocatello ... 5 10 10 10 10 10 5 o Portneuf ... 10 10 10 5 10 5 Raft River 5 10 5 5 5 10 5 Rigby 11-15 5 10 5 5 5 10 5 5 Shelley 7-8 10 5 ....5 5 5 10 5 5 MUTUAL WORK 365 , E u bo <~u bo u -PL, S.HS STAKE o o j 41.13 , 41 o : H Twin Falls 5 10 65 Yellowstone 10 10 80 Arizona Maricopa 7-8 .... 10 5 80 St. Johns 10 10 80 St. Joseph 10 5 60 Snowflake 10 5 55 Wyoming Star Valley 10 5 55 Colorado San Luis ..?. 10 5 45 Young 10 10 60 Taylor (Canada) 10 10 70 Moapa (Nev.) .. 10 5 60 Union (Ore.) .... 10 10 55 The report for January is next. Go right after it. This io the best working month of the year for the Y. M. M. I. A. Take a pride in letting us have a complete report of all the stakes for January by February 5, or soon theieafter. Notice above that some reports are incomplete. They — are noted by the number of wards reported thus Rigby 11-15 means eleven out of fifteen wards were reported. It should be said that many stakes marked 5 have a much larger percent of enrollment hut not enough to make ten. Cottonwood has 5 in all its marked activities, but has as high as 89% in a number of these. So with other stakes. Logan and South Davis reported too late for classification, with Logan 55, and South Davis 75 points. Stakes Classified as per Points Box Elder 85 North Sanpete 75 Uintah 65 Star Valley ... 55 Nebo , 85 Boise 75 Portneuf 65 Union 55 Lost River ...85 Fremont 75 Twin Falls ....65 Roosevelt 50 Ensign 80 Weber 75 Alpine 60 Beaver 50 Franklin 80 Kanab 70 Benson 60 Deseret 50 Hyrum 80 St. George 70 Cache 60 San Juan 50 Pioneer 80 Salt Lake 70 Millard f Bingham 50 Sevier 80 Wasatch 70 Summit 60 Malad 50 Cassia 80 Montpelier 70 Rigby 60 Cottonwood ...45 Oneida 80 Taylor 70 St. Joseph 60 Bear Lake 45 Pocatello 80 Liberty 65 Young 60 Blackfoot 45 Yellowstone ..80 Granite 65 Moapa 60 Raft River 45 Maricopa 80 North Davis ..65 Panguitch 55 San Luis 45 St. Johns 80 North Weber 65 Shelley 55 Tooele 40 Bear River ....75 Ogden 65 Snowflake 55 C 4) D B « 2 e 2 SJ 8-5 &*££ 5 g B — 3 >> A £ IHlSg. c S - c 2 a ° >» «r « > 3 co a £> -> " to > 3 -h S - - o > - ' r 'OS w U 4) p o . , a a * « B S a2 W I I «w »"" £ 8 u ™«°- .5a-3 S s s SIS o of > — TJ tu V cs - CD hi- s s 2 *"£ s© a 3 » s —fi*! ° %a i — — w , a u -3 15-3. 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