What Will Our Agents Do? by William Clarence White

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, Cal. · Jan 24, 1884

What Will Our Agents Do?

By William Clarence White

THOSE who wish to increase the circulation of our periodicals will find the present a very favorable time to work. The long winter evenings furnish more time to read than any other season. And how important that this precious time be occupied in reading Bible truths for the present time.

In thousands of families the subscriptions for secular and religious papers taken during 1883 have now expired, and the decision must soon be made as to what papers shall be taken for 1884. Will not every one of our friends and subscribers say a good word for the SIGNS at this important time?

A judicious correspondence will induce hundreds to give a year's subscription for our paper, who would not do so at any other season of the year. We hope our Vigilant Societies will devote their best energies to this branch of the work for the next few weeks. We have a very good circular containing prospectus, testimonials, and our premium offer, which will be furnished free on application to the Secretary of your State Tract Society.

There should be agents appointed in all our churches, not only to solicit new subscriptions, but to solicit renewals also. We fear that very many will cease to read the paper who would renew their subscription if solicited to do so by the one who secured their first yearly or trial subscription. There are many cases where more good will be accomplished by securing the reading of the paper a second year than by obtaining two new subscribers. Will our people take hold of this work?

At the State quarterly meeting in Healdsburg, the importance of this work was appreciated by the brethren present, and when we called for volunteers to make a thorough canvass for renewals of subscription to the SIGNS, Review, Good Health, and Instructor, about twenty came forward, and we found good agents for every place represented at the meeting.

So much interest was manifested in this work that a class of seventy members was organized to learn how to canvass for our papers. In this class the lessons were presented the same as by Bro. Boynton at the General Conference. All members of the class were greatly encouraged as they saw how easy it would be to do better work than before. Some members of the class took quite a list of new subscribers on their way home from the meeting.

Wherever our agents are working, we hear of good success. A brother who was employed by the Oakland V. M. Society took seventy-seven subscriptions in six weeks, besides doing much other missionary work. Thirty-eight of those were for a year. A sister working in Northern California and Southern Oregon has lately sent us over one hundred names for the SIGNS, besides sixteen for the Instructor. Of her 109 subscribers for the SIGNS, 22 are for a year, 3 for six months, 32 for three months, and 52 for one month. Her first letter ordered 35 for one month and 4 for a longer time. Her last letter ordered 2 for one month, 20 for three months, and 9 for a longer period. We are much pleased with this improvement in the length of the subscriptions.

We believe that with experience many of our agents will take trial subscriptions for three months instead of for one month, as formerly. This will be much better, as one month is too short a time to become thoroughly acquainted with the paper. This is an excellent time to work. Golden opportunities are passing. What will our agents do?

W. C. WHITE.