Instructions by John Norton Loughborough

California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists · OAKLAND, CAL. · Dec 31, 1874

Instructions.

By John Norton Loughborough

UNDER this head we give instructions to our missionary officers and workers how to proceed. In regard to district secretary's books, and how they should keep them, we have been questioned. They need about four books, to do their business properly. We can furnish sets of just such books as you need at seventy-five cents per set, just what they cost by the 100 copies.

Your first book will be a record book of the organization of your district, and a record of all your district quarterly meetings. The second book should contain a list of all in your district who have paid their $1 and become members of the Missionary Society. These names should be arranged by churches, or if scattered individuals in your district, arrange them by their P. O. address. The third book is a debt and credit book in which you open an account with each church or with scattered individuals in your district. Your fourth book is a list of all subscribers obtained in your district for any of our papers, whether SIGNS, Review, Reformer, Instructor, or those in foreign languages.

I will now give a little instruction in regard to keeping book number three. Let the following case serve as a sample. It shows the nature of the entry to be made on page one.

District No. ——. 1874. Dec. 15, had on hand in this district, 279 tracts, comprising 5,418 pages. Value at cost, $4.52. Had on hand 40 pamphlets, comprising 4,000 pages. Value at cost, $3.50.

On the same page let there be entered the list of documents received, with the date of the same. The following will serve as a sample: 1874. Dec. 16, received from the director of the district 284 tracts, comprising 5,570 pages; received 50 pamphlets, comprising 5,849 pages, and received 20 copies of SIGNS for distribution. Value of pamphlets, tracts and SIGNS received at this date, . . . . . . . . . . . . $10.75. Received also 15 pass books and 30 blanks for the use of members.

On this third secretary's book you need to reserve at least the first ten pages in which to make your entry of missionary documents received. Then open an account with each church by itself in the same book, number three, as follows: District No. ——, Church of —— 1874. Dec. 20. Dr. to Missionary Society for 20 pamphlets comprising 1,800 pages. 80 tracts, comprising 1,920 pages. 50 SIGNS OF THE TIMES. Value, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5.10. 20 blanks furnished. 30 blanks for quarterly reports.

On the credit page you give the church credit for all moneys they pay to the Missionary Society, whether for memberships, book sales, donations to the Society, or donations to any enterprise acted upon by the T. & M. Society. At the State quarterly meeting we shall give distinct directions in all these matters to the directors, so that they may assist the officers in carrying it out in their respective offices.

The Librarian in each church receives his missionary pamphlets, tracts, and documents direct from the director, and needs to keep a book similar to number three of the district secretary, reserving the first ten pages in which to make an entry of all pamphlets, tracts, and missionary documents received from the director with their respective value. Then he wants to open an account with each member of the Society in his respective church, charging each member with the number of pamphlets, tracts, &c., they may receive, the number of pages, and the respective value, and giving the individual members credit for all moneys they receive for the Society whether in donations, book sales, or for memberships, or for any missionary enterprises.

It is expected that each librarian will only let members have pamphlets and tracts on presentation of their blank books, and when the pamphlets and tracts desired by a member are counted out, it is the duty of the librarian to see that the member makes a minute of the number of pamphlets, tracts, &c., the number of pages, and the value of the same, on his blank book. Until further notice figure your pamphlets and tracts at the rate of 12 pages for one cent, and bound books, 800 pages $1.00. J. N. L.