p. 17 | Review and Herald, Vol. 92, No. 57. (11/18/1915)

The Florida Camp Meeting

By J. O. CORLISS

ONE encouraging feature of the Florida camp meeting lay in the fact that the evening services were well attended by citizens of St. Petersburg, where the camp was located. The discourses, too, were of a character to impress favorably candid minds.

Elder G. B. Thompson was present, and labored earnestly in behalf of the spiritual welfare of all. Personally, I greatly enjoyed his association in the work. I was also more than glad to meet my old-time coworker in camp meetings, Elder Geo. I. Butler. Although well along in years, his earnest appeals were as his earlier efforts, in behalf of more and stronger devotion to the message of preparation for the Master's return. Elders Montgomery and Heckman also labored untiringly for the success of the meetings. Something of the influence of the services on the people in general is shown by the fact that after an inspiring talk of thirty minutes by Elder Butler, more than one hundred testimonies of praise were given in about twelve minutes. It was good to be present.

All the workers on the ground were kept very busy looking after the tasks assigned them. Elder Martin kept the daily papers well supplied with the interesting features of the meetings, Elder Heald led the music, while Professor Thiel and Mrs. Gregory kept the young people's meetings alive with fresh, stirring matter. Then there were meetings

for instruction in canvassing, home missionary work, and on health subjects.

The statistics of the conference as reported were very encouraging. There had been one hundred and thirty-four members added to the churches by baptism, and two new churches added to the conference. Three new houses of worship had been dedicated, giving each church in the conference, with a single exception, its own place for meetings.

The tithe advanced for the year to nearly $1,000 more than any previous year, while the excess of the weekly twenty-cent offerings ran above $1,600. In addition, the offerings in the camp Sabbath school, and in response to foreign mission appeals, amounted to nearly $4,000. On the whole, the Florida people proved themselves to have generous hearts, and we may well believe that God will reward them according to his rich promises.

J. O. CORLISS.

Southern Idaho

By JAY J. NETHERY

THE work in the Southern Idaho Conference has prospered during the first nine months of 1915. Our membership has increased from 854 to 968. The efforts of the field laborers have been blessed. Two churches were organized last quarter—one at Buhl, where Elder B. M. Grandy conducted a tent effort, and one at Pocatello, where Elder F. D. Wagner and Brother Lee Moran have labored.

The tithe shows an increase for the first nine months of this year of $1,040 over the same period in 1914. The offerings to missions show an increase of $285.

Earnest efforts are being put forth to reach the twenty-cent-a-week goal. The territory in this conference is extensive—over 85,000 square miles. On account of this the expense of carrying on the work is quite heavy. Our members are loyal, and desire to cooperate in every way to further the message.

JAY J. NETHERY.

North Michigan

By J. J. Irwin

DURING the year the Lord has blessed us abundantly. We do not have many workers, but all are busy with the work God has given them to do. Since the first of January, 165 have been baptized, and our membership is now 1,000.

At the camp meeting this year four churches were received into conference membership, of which the one at Zeba is remarkable in this respect, that it is, as far as we know, the first church organized in the Ojibwa language. Another one is at Cooks, near Manistique, Mich. The other two are in the southern peninsula, one at Estey and the other at Star City. Since camp meeting time a church has been organized at Gladstone, where the upper peninsula camp meeting was held.

In the matter of mission funds, we have been steadily gaining in amount each year. This year we expect to go beyond that raised last year. There has been a financial depression in this conference, and it has been a matter of discouragement to some in raising funds, but, in spite of it all, the work is making progress. Our workers are few in number, but they are loyally doing their best to carry the message of truth to the homes of the people.

Elder E. W. Webster, who has done such efficient work for us in the past, has been called to Chicago to take up an important line of work. He was located at Mt. Pleasant, where we held our annual camp meeting, and where a good interest has been aroused by the work done.

We consider that, looking at the work from all viewpoints, this year has been the most prosperous one in our history. Surely the Lord is leading, and it is for us to follow in his leadings.

J. J. IRWIN.

Washington

By J. F. Piper; S. N. Rittenhouse

SEATTLE.— The Sunday following the close of our camp meeting in Tacoma, Wash., found the large pavilion up and seated, ready to begin our meetings in Seattle. Arrangements had previously been made for a location as near the business section of the city as possible. We feel that the Lord especially blessed in the securing of our location, as it was in a place visible from many car lines; thus our tent stood as a monument of truth before thousands of people.

The attendance was good, it being difficult many times to find seats for all who came. It was encouraging, too, to see night after night the same faces. The very best attention was given, as the results of the meetings have shown.

As usual, the enemy of the work of God was on hand to detract as far as possible from the interest. We had just got started, when he began to bring forth his attractions to divert the minds of the people from the truth that all so much need at this time. First, a big convention erected its headquarters within a block of the tent, and just as it came time for our meeting to begin, the convention would start its musical program. Then just across the street a health lecturer held forth for several weeks. He mingled truth principles that he had received at our sanitariums with unseemly jokes and with errors. It seems the enemy is most successful in his deceptions when he can mingle truth with error. As a result, some of our audience attended these lectures, and soon grew cold toward the truth in its purity.

Besides the convention and the lectures already mentioned, there was a circus, a carnival, and other minor attractions. We hope that some of the thousands who passed the tent in going to these other places, may some day think of the mottoes and signs they saw as they passed, and be constrained to investigate the truth.

Those who attended our meetings regularly seemed to drink in the truth, and were anxious for more light. This was especially manifest in the way they crowded around those who had the literature to distribute. Each night we tried to give out something that would water the seed sown by the sermon. At times one hundred and fifty or two hundred leaflets were insufficient to supply those who desired them.

We secured the names of those that came forward for the literature, and thus compiled a very large list of interested ones. Then each week a workers’ meeting was called in the afternoon, and all who so desired were given names of persons to visit.

The Lord blessed the effort put forth, and a goodly number stepped out into the light of truth. At this writing we have had three baptismal services. The first was in one of the beautiful lakes that are so numerous in and around the city. At this time fifteen were buried in the watery grave, while relatives and friends gathered on the bank to witness the scene. It made our hearts especially glad to see in several instances husband and wife go down into the water together as a token of their united determination to serve the Lord.

The subsequent services were held in the central church, and, in all, over thirty have been baptized. Many others have requested baptism, but have been advised to study more fully that they may be more firmly established before taking this step.

Nearly all the expense of the meeting was met by the donations given. One night, after we told of our financial needs, the audience responded with over sixty dollars. At other times the offering sometimes reached as high as twenty or thirty dollars.

The tent is now down, and we are doing our best to hold the interested ones together by having Sunday night services in the central church. The results are very gratifying, as the house is usually quite well filled, and the attendance is continually increasing.

We especially desire the prayers of God’s people that those who are honest in heart and are now interested may be constrained, by diligent and tactful effort on the part of the workers, to obey the truth. When we look at the great work yet to be done in this city, and the few workers that are here to accomplish it, we are sometimes almost discouraged. But when we read the words, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me,” we are encouraged to go forward.

J. F. PIPER, S. N. RITTENHOUSE.

Chicago Italian Work

By R. Calderone

WE are glad to report that the Italian work in Chicago is making steady and good progress. Sabbath, October 9, we had the privilege of burying three persons with Christ in baptism. These three have joined our church, which now numbers thirty. We have quite a number of interested ones, and a few are ready for baptism.

The Italian church school is again in operation this year, with an attendance of twenty-four. Seven grades are taught by Miss Amalia Eitel. If our school-room were larger, and we had more desks, we could have more pupils. This church school is proving a great blessing to our Italian work, and we are anxious to see our children saved and have them trained in the Lord's work. Some of the children will in time become valuable workers for the Italian people.

Our publication, La Verita (the Truth), is meeting with excellent success. We sold the last issue of the paper so readily that we decided to print one thousand more copies of the next issue. Most of the papers are sold in Chicago, but brethren and sisters in other places where there are Italian communities have also circulated the paper to good advantage. Are there Italians in your neighborhood, dear reader? If so, we shall be pleased to mail you some of these truth-filled papers. The paper is a twenty-four-page quarterly, with a beautiful three-color cover. It is well illustrated. It contains a table of contents printed in the English, so that one may know what the paper contains. Many of our American brethren and sisters here in Chicago have been selling the magazine without being able to speak one Italian word. The paper speaks for itself; but as it cannot walk, it needs to be carried by somebody who believes in the goal, “The third angel's message to all the world in this generation.” Now is the time to work. The Italians are everywhere, and their number is steadily increasing. We shall be pleased to furnish any one interested in this most important missionary enterprise with sample copies of the paper. Drop us a postal card, and we will gladly furnish you any information we have on hand in regard to the Italians and our work among them.

Our literature offers a most splendid opportunity for every member to be an active missionary; and as the foreign work in this country is a most neglected part of this great cause, we appeal to you, dear reader, to help us give the message to the hundreds of thousands, yea, millions, of Italians in this country. All requests and orders should be sent either to the North American Foreign Department, 2645 Ogden Ave., Chicago, Ill., or to the undersigned, 1419 W. Austin Ave., Chicago, Ill.

R. CALDERONE.

Newspaper Work an Open Field

By C. S. LONGACRE

My observation and experience in newspaper work this past summer have given me a new vision of the great possibilities in this promising field.

No doubt the most powerful agency today is the press. It has outstripped the platform in its facilities to reach the people and to mold public sentiment. It makes and unmakes rulers, judges, and legislators. Its messages travel with the wings of the wind to earth's remotest bounds.

We have not always made the most of our opportunities of proclaiming in this manner the wonderful truths of God's Word and its message for this time. God, in his infinite wisdom, perfected this marvelous means of carrying the news of his everlasting gospel to all the earth in the shortest period of time. He is depending on us to embrace the opportunities presented to us on so many occasions, and to make known to the world through the press the knowledge of his salvation. But we are so timid and backward that we do not take advantage of this agency as we should.

At the camp meetings which I attended this summer, I was glad to see our conference presidents wide-awake in reference to this matter. A special press bureau man was appointed to write up daily reports for the newspapers. The newspaper editors vied with one another in seeking reports of our meetings.

At the Waterloo, Iowa, camp meeting, the Associated Press reporter visited the

camp grounds and informed us that word had been sent to him from the Associated Press headquarters in Boston to keep informed as to what Seventh-day Adventist speakers would say about the present world-war conflict from the viewpoint of the Bible prophecies. The writer's lecture on "The War and the Battle of Armageddon" was published in the Associated Press reports, and was read from Maine to California.

The Topeka Daily Capital, a newspaper of Kansas, with a circulation of over 34,000 copies, printed daily reports of the Emporia camp meeting, ranging from two to five columns; yet this camp meeting was located nearly one hundred miles from Topeka. It published a total of 436 inches of reports, or over 36 feet of solid matter, containing more than 20,000 words on the message for this time. Ordinarily it would take considerable money to get that much of our message into the hands of 34,000 persons.

An excellent plan was devised by the Kansas Conference to induce the Topeka Daily Capital to give extensive reports of the meetings in Emporia. An arrangement was made to supply 1,000 new subscriptions for a period of two weeks, covering the time of the camp meeting, and the newspaper in turn agreed to give full reports.

As a result of these extensive reports in the leading State paper, the Kansas City Star sent its leading reporter a distance of two hundred and fifty miles to secure a good write-up for its own paper. He was very favorably impressed with our principles, and said that our people supply the best-written reports that are sent to the Star by any denomination.

The plan of the Kansas Conference to supply 1,000 new subscriptions for two weeks, at two cents a copy, had good results, and ought to be put in operation at all our camp meetings and large gatherings.

Five laudable achievements were accomplished by this plan. These are as follows:—

Our people received full, printed reports of the principal sermons and proceedings of the conference.
The people had the opportunity of getting the message in their own homes.
It greatly stimulated the attendance at the meetings, and broke down prejudice.
It gave other newspapers an incentive to publish the reports.
The conference received one half of the proceeds from the subscriptions supplied. Thus, 20,000 words of our message were put into 34,000 homes, not only without cost, but at a financial profit to the conference.

When the Kansas Conference officials placed before the campers the matter of obtaining 1,000 subscriptions, those present pledged themselves to the amount of nearly 2,000 subscriptions. Many of these papers were sent to members of their families at home, to absent church members, and to interested neighbors.

This past summer the Religious Liberty Department succeeded in defeating three Sunday law campaigns through newspaper agitation. These newspapers were supplied with strong articles setting forth the principles of religious liberty, and giving our reasons why religious legislation should not be encouraged in a free country. As a result, public sentiment was awakened, and the public officials took a strong stand against such laws. We ought to take advantage of every opening to set our principles before the public through the press.

Our people ought to avail themselves of the facilities offered by the Press Bureau, which is prepared to send articles for publication upon any subject which arises relative to our great message. The Press Bureau is doing a wonderful work in getting the public press to herald the truth for these times, but it might accomplish a much greater work if our people throughout the field would ask to be supplied with suitable articles, to meet the various issues as they arise. All they need to do is to sign these articles and hand them to the newspaper editors. God has given us a remarkable fund of literature, and we ought to be thankful that his providence has also supplied world-wide facilities through which we can herald this message quickly to all men, without expense, through outside agencies. May the Lord open our eyes to our present opportunities. C. S. LONGACRE.

Field Notes

A NEW church has been organized at Penelope, N. Y.

FIVE persons recently united by baptism with the church in Atlanta, Ga.

A NEW church of twenty-one members has been organized in Toronto, Ontario.

A CHURCH of forty members has been organized at Bandon, southern Oregon.

ELDER B. PETERSEN reports the first baptism ever held in Manchuria, China.

THE church at Star City, Mich., has received eighteen new members by baptism.

THE workers at Eagle Bend, Minn., report the baptism of thirty-three persons.

TEN new members have been received into the Crawford, Nebr., church by baptism.

A SHORT time ago six persons united with the church at Johannesburg, South Africa, by baptism.

TWENTY-TWO candidates were baptized by Elder J. H. N. Tindall at Indianapolis, Ind., a few weeks ago.

TWENTY-THREE new believers were baptized in Boston, Mass., by Elder K. C. Russell, on a recent Sabbath.

A NEW church known as the West Side Seventh-day Adventist Church has been organized in Portland, Oregon.

THE new church building at Cedar-edge, western Colorado, was dedicated to the worship of God a few weeks ago.

A BUSINESS letter from Elder James Bellinger, of Whistler, Ala., states that since their camp meeting twelve have been baptized.

THE church at Mosheim, northern Texas, recently received five new members, and a Sabbath school has been organized at Oak Grove.

TEN adults have begun to obey the commandments of God as a result of the tent effort recently held at Lennoxville, Quebec.

ELDER W. H. BRANSON, of the Cumberland Conference, reports the organization of a church of nineteen members in Johnson City, Tenn.

A CAMP meeting for the colored was held in Guthrie, Okla., this fall. A splendid interest was manifested, and at its close eight persons received baptism.

THE report comes from Auburn, western New York, of the baptism of eleven persons, and the organization of a new church with twenty-nine charter members.

As a result of German work carried on in Sheboygan, Wis., eleven adults received baptism a few weeks ago. Seven persons have recently united with the Madison church.

THE tent effort for the colored in Greater New York is still being carried on, and fifty-two have accepted the truth and received baptism thus far. Elder J. K. Humphrey is in charge.

THROUGH the efforts of Elder and Mrs. C. G. Bellah, forty-two persons have now united with the company at Townley, Mo. Elder J. S. Rouse reports the baptism of seventeen persons, and the organization of a church of twenty-eight members, at Monticello.

ELDER T. B. WESTBROOK writes of the tent effort at Pueblo, Colo.: “At the closing service nearly one hundred came forward and signified their intention to be true to God.” At Woodland Park seven have been baptized, and a church of nine members has been organized.

A RECENT letter from Elder J. W. Lair, of Watertown, S. Dak., says of his work in that conference during the past year: “Sixty-one have taken their stand for the truth. Thirty of these have been baptized, and the other thirty-one will soon take this step. About forty-five others are deeply interested. We expect to organize a church in this place soon.”

A FEW weeks ago fourteen adults signed the covenant in Froid, Mont. At the close of the Kalispell tent effort fourteen united with the church there by baptism. Through the efforts of Elder Paul Iverson fifty-four new members have been added to this church since March, 1915. The organization of a Sabbath school and the baptism of nine new believers is reported from Victor, Bitter Root Valley. Brother N. C. Erntson writes of the baptism of five persons at Conrad.

Begin Every Day with God

By Theodore L. Cuyler

BEGIN every day with God. Keep a clean conscience, and a good stock of Bible promises within reach. Keep a strong, robust faith that can draw honey out of a rock and oil out of the flinty rock. Never spend a day without trying to do somebody good, and then, keeping step with your Master, march on toward home over any road, however rough, and against any head winds that blow. It will be all sunshine when we reach the kingdom, and there is no night there.—Theodore L. Cuyler.

Publishing Department

By N. Z. Town

N. Z. TOWN — General Secretary W. W. EASTMAN — N. Am. Div. Secretary

Literature Sales During 1914

ELDER H. P. HOLSER, one of the pioneers in this message, in speaking of the publishing work in 1890, the year that our first canvasser was sent to a field abroad, says:—

“The past few years have taught us something of the part that the art of printing will act in the closing work. The publishing work is like the proposed machine of Archimedes, except that it has the advantage of having a place to stand to move the world; but the great power of the press will be of little effect if its products are not placed in the hands of the people. This work of circulating the printed page will, doubtless, be one of the greatest in the closing message.”

These statements, written twenty-five years ago, were prophetic of what we are witnessing today. If our literature work did have the advantage of a place to stand and was moving the world in 1890, how much stronger a place it occupies today, and how much greater influence it is having in turning people’s attention to the truth.

In 1890 we had seven publishing houses and branches, whose assets were $959,260.95. We were publishing at that time 24 periodicals, and were issuing literature in 12 languages. At the present time we have 39 publishing houses and branches, with assets amounting to $1,602,846.58, in which are employed 735 persons in the production of denominational literature. The last two publishing houses to be added to the list are that of Iceland, in the Far North, and that of the Philippines, in the Far East. Our literature is issued in the form of approximately 375 bound books, 350 pamphlets, 1,300 tracts, and 134 periodicals, in 80 different languages. There are 2,076 colporteurs engaged in the distribution of this literature, 885 in North America, and 1,191 in other countries.

With the close of 1914 our publishing work completed seven decades of history. The accompanying chart gives a graphic representation of the development and growth of this branch of the work during these years. At the left-hand side of the chart the first four decades are given, one below the other, beginning with 1845. The total value of literature circulated during those forty years amounted to $464,000. Beginning with the fifth decade, the chart shows the growth of the work year by year. We regret that this chart does not represent a steady growth upward, but, like Israel of old, when we arrived at Kadesh Barnea, in 1891, we turned back and wandered several years in the wilderness because of our unbelief. But, thank God, there were a few Calebs and Joshuas who never lost faith in our literature work, and who have had a large part in bringing about the splendid results we see today.

Our hearts were made glad when, in the year 1907, we passed the million-dollar mark. We then began to look toward $1,500,000, and were able to pass this mark in the year 1910. Since that year, we have had our goal set at $2,000,000. In the first part of 1914, we had high hopes of reaching our goal. When the war broke out in Europe, our faith almost failed; but the Lord has been better to us than all our hopes, and the year’s summary, which we have just completed, shows a grand total of $2,109,000, a gain of $240,000 over the previous year. The grand total for the seven decades amounts to $21,663,000. It is interesting and also encouraging to see that the value of literature circulated during the last decade is almost twice as much as that of the previous sixty years, and the amount circulated during 1914 is larger than the grand total for all the forty-five years from the beginning, in 1845, to 1890, when Elder Holser expressed such confidence in our literature work.

The question now arises, What shall our future records be? We have left space on our chart for the next five years, and have placed the possible goal at $2,500,000. If time lasts, we believe that, with the blessing of God, we shall not only reach this goal, but pass far beyond it during the years indicated on the chart.

In closing his article, Elder Holser says:—

“The work of the colporteur will never move of itself. It will probably become more difficult as more of our publications are circulated and greater opposition is raised, but our increasing experience and zeal should far more than counterbalance the increasing obstacles. As we near the end, our faith should lead us to exertions beyond human power. We should lose sight of the world and its attractions, and bend all our energies to spread the closing message. The climbing may be hard, but let us persevere. Soon the shining summit of glory will be reached, and oh, the bright fields of Eden that will then spread out before us! The eternal weight of glory will then be ours.”

Shall we not at this time manifest the same faith and confidence in the possibilities and importance of our literature work?

N. Z. Town.

Harvest Ingathering at Emmanuel Missionary College

By W. E. Howell

One of the most enthusiastic reports on the Harvest Ingathering that we have received from our schools comes from Emmanuel Missionary College. President Graf writes:—

“We divided the whole school into nine bands, taking it for granted that everybody was going to have some part in the Harvest Ingathering. As a result, 131 students and teachers engaged in soliciting, 35 remained at home and contributed the proceeds of their work, and

23 are writing letters and helping in other ways; so that 189 had a definite part in the Harvest Ingathering. The total amount reported in chapel the next day exceeded $400. The goal set for us by the union conference is $500, and we are quite determined to reach it. The best we have ever done in the past was last year, when we gathered about $150. The results obtained from this day lost from our school work have abundantly rewarded us for the effort put forth.”

W. E. HOWELL.

Educational Department

By W. E. Howell

FREDERICK GRIGGS — General Secretary W. E. HOWELL — N. Am. Div. Asst. Secretary

Ministerial Reading Course

This course for 1915 is now drawing toward its close. We have received quite a number of reports from readers who have already completed the course for this year, and all are looking forward with much interest to the course for 1916. The Educational Department is presenting to the autumn council recommendations on the reading for next year, and as soon as these are acted on, due announcement will be made.

The following letter that has just come in is a fair sample of what our readers are saying about the benefits of this course:—

“I received the new ‘Gospel Workers’ on the fourteenth of August. Since then I have carefully studied it through, marking many places of special interest to me. I had before this studied the old ‘Gospel Workers’ through twice, and I thought it could not be improved upon; but I have come to the conclusion that this new book is much more helpful to the workers.

“I sincerely appreciate the work of those who have labored in compiling this work. I am sure that Sister White was inspired to write these good things, and I am just as sure that the Lord gave much heavenly wisdom to those who arranged the subjects in this book. They have aimed at making a book that would be most helpful to our workers, and they have hit the mark. I am especially pleased with the helps for further study at the close of each section.

“In short, I am enjoying my Ministerial Reading Course very much, and if the Lord will help me, I will never give it up. I have already read once through the ‘History of the Ancient World,’ the next book in our course, but I plan to read it carefully through once more before reporting on it.”

W. E. HOWELL.

A Good Record

By M. E. KERN

THE Missionary Volunteer secretary of the North New Zealand Conference, in writing about their last most excellent conference session and camp meeting, said some very interesting things about the product of the Avondale school:—

“It is interesting to know that of the twenty-four conference laborers in New Zealand, fifteen are ex-Avondale students and two are ex-students of the Oroua Mission School, formerly known as the Pukekura Training School, of this conference. The principal of the Oroua Mission School, his wife, and several of our café workers were at one time Avondale students. I am thankful for a training in one of our schools. The happiest years of my life were spent in Avondale, and to me it is a sacred spot. Many of my schoolmates are now actively engaged in the Master’s service, as ministers, Bible workers, teachers, missionaries, canvassers, or superintendents of mission fields. The principal of the Australasian Missionary College, and his wife, were my schoolmates. In England, China, Japan, the East Indies, the Solomon Islands, the New Hebrides, and other islands of the Pacific, these faithful student workers are giving the glorious light of the third angel’s message to those whose minds have long been darkened by sin. Of the twelve workers in Fiji, nine received their education at Avondale.”

A record like this might be written of each of our training schools. Well does the writer add:—

“What a boon our schools are to our young people! How many they save from the snares of the evil one! The safest place for our young people is in one or another of our institutions.”

“The safest place!” How good those words sound in this time of peril. We rejoice to see so many students in our schools. But there are thousands who ought to be there that are not. Will not parents, church officers, and friends yet do something to get that boy or girl in their home or church into school this year? It may be the turning point of a life. M. E. KERN.

A Situation to Remedy

By M. E. Kern

The leader of a Missionary Volunteer Society writes: “I am sure you haven’t any adequate idea of the combined responsibility and pleasure, puzzle and embarrassment, with which I am struggling.”

Among other perplexities it is said: “I find by reading the object and aim that there is not a member of our company who is eligible for full membership. The older ones are married people, all above thirty years of age; the younger ones are mostly children, and only one of them belongs to the church, and he is not willing to join or take any part, at least no responsible part, in the meetings. I have thought of continuing our organization as a Junior Society, for the sake of having an organization.”

The last sentence indicates a desire not to drop the young people’s work because it seems to be organized irregularly. That is right. What is wanted is reformation not revolution, better organization rather than disorganization, increased activity rather than cessation of effort.

At first thought it would seem best to continue with these older ones as the regular church missionary society, and to continue the children as a Junior Society. That may be just the thing to do. Much depends on local conditions. The following from the Missionary Volunteer Leaflet on “Organization,” was approved by the General Conference Committee in 1908:—

“Where no organized church work exists, seek to enlist in the Missionary Volunteer Society all who will take part, till the church may enter upon organized work.”

Since then the church missionary work has greatly grown, and there is not the need for the Missionary Volunteer Society’s fostering the missionary work of the whole church that there was then.

It nearly always pays to “make haste slowly” when it comes to reorganization.

Organization is the means to an end. Never exalt the means above the end. Rather than cause any hard feelings by changes, go along as at present, and gradually bring out the ideals of our work which lead to the recommended form of organization. This will lead to a change of form. It is not a matter of the greatest consequence what this society of married people over thirty years of age is called, or whether it follows the programs recommended for the church missionary society or those for the Missionary Volunteer Society.

Adults can usually follow young people’s lessons better than young people can follow lessons prepared for adults. If these persons are “young married people” and want to be counted as young people, let them be counted so for a time yet—till they get older. Surely by the time the children of this society get to be young people, these older ones will step along and make room.

In regard to the age limit, the Educational and Missionary Volunteer Council in June of this year voted:—

“We recommend the following plans for the local Missionary Volunteer Society:—

“a. No definite age limit can be drawn between old and young. Those who are considered and count themselves as belonging to the young people may unite with the Missionary Volunteer Society, also persons who may be no longer young, but who are chosen to lead. In general, we think of twenty-five to thirty as the approximate dividing line, but local conditions and individual feelings should determine this matter.”

As to the plan where the numbers of old and young are small, it was voted:—

“c. There is a great advantage in having young people meet together if they have good leadership, even though the number may be small. Where it is impossible to have a separate meeting, let old and young meet together, in which case the young people should still have a leader, or both leader and secretary, who shall report the work of the young people to the conference Missionary Volunteer secretary. In arranging for the meetings, the following plans may be used: (1) The program of the combined meeting to be arranged so as to include some features of the Missionary Volunteer programs; (2) if the majority in the combined society are young people, the society may be a regular Missionary Volunteer Society, and the adult members report to the church missionary secretary; (3) it may be arranged for each society to have charge of the meetings each alternate week.”

As to the work for the children in this church, it would surely seem best, as they are so much younger, that they should meet separately. It is true that the Juniors are not required to be church members, but they are expected to sign the Junior pledge, which says:—

“Loving the Lord Jesus, I promise to take an active part in the work of the Junior Missionary Volunteer Society, doing what I can to help others and to finish the work of the gospel in all the world.”

It may be that these children are not yet ready to take this step. It would do no harm, though, to keep up some form of organization, and work just as fast as possible to the point where there will be a band of earnest Christian children

who will become members of a Junior Missionary Volunteer Society. Until such time, the society need not be reported to the conference Missionary Volunteer secretary as a Junior Society, but that fact need not be emphasized with the children. The beginning of the real Junior Missionary Volunteer work may well be the organization of one or more prayer bands. M. E. KERN.

Missionary Volunteer Department

By M. E. KERN

M. E. KERN General and N. Am. Div. Secretary

C. L. BENSON Assistant Secretary

MEADE MACGUIRE N. Am. Div. Field Secretary

Value of Missionary Volunteer Work in Australia

I HAVE been much exercised by the fact that we seem to be losing so many of our boys from the church. In response to an inquiry on this question, our Australasian Union Missionary Volunteer secretary bears a testimony concerning the value of our Young People's Missionary Volunteer Society that is worth passing on. She says:—

“In the first place I do not think we lose very many young men who have ever taken an interest in the young people's societies. The majority go to the school, and then into the work. We have a large number of young men in the work out here. Of course we have some who have never shown any interest. Some of these, especially where the fathers are not in the truth, have been put to work where they do not have the Sabbath, but I do not know of many.

“I really do not think we lose many who have attended our church schools, and have been interested in our young people's societies; but it is a puzzle to know how to get those who never attend the schools and societies, and whose parents are not interested enough themselves to influence them. We can only hope and pray and work.”

Let church officers foster this work, and let us see that our young people share in the benefits of this organization, which is proving such a blessing to our youth everywhere.

M. E. KERN.

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