Lake Union Conference Canvassing Notes
By J. B. Blosser
The past year has been one of peculiar interest to me in the canvassing work. The year opened with some bright omens of an upward tendency in this work. Particularly was this so at the Mount Vernon Academy, where we held an institute, and about twenty went out into the work. Their work has been quite successful, and their bright, happy faces were seen at the camp-meeting at Mansfield, where they bore their testimony to the Lord's blessing in their work during vacation. No doubt a large number will go from that school another year. There were a number of institutes held last spring in other conferences, and a good work has been done. More than usual interest has been shown at the camp-meetings in this work the past summer. At the southern Illinois camp-meeting the larger part of the camp attended our daily meetings. In Ohio the interest was good, and their new field secretary writes me that several have joined the ranks since camp-meeting. In west Michigan we were late in getting started, but several good meetings were held. In north Michigan the work received the usual hearty attention. In Wisconsin we had a new departure this year in the way of canvassers' meetings. Nearly every minister in the conference made a short, pointed talk that showed in no uncertain manner his attitude to this work, Elder McReynolds leading in his old-time, enthusiastic way. In Indiana we had some good meetings, and a good interest was shown in this work, but the time of the program was so fully occupied with the various interests that very little time was left for this work. In east Michigan an enthusiastic meeting was held in which all the leading brethren took part, each presenting some phase of the question. A number of old canvassers signified their determination to re-enter the work. The following summary will show that those who have been in the work the past year have been successful. This work was done in August by twenty-nine agents: 707 hours' work, 1,141 orders, valued at $1,840.90, which is over $2.50 worth of sales an hour. After deducting a fair amount for loss of time in delivering, etc., this demonstrates that, in these older conferences, much successful work may be done. From an army of strong young people in our schools, a large corps of workers should be developed in this home field who will get an experience that will fit them to go to the regions beyond to publish this gospel of the kingdom to the ends of the earth. J. B. BLOSSER,
Lake Union Field Secretary.