T. AND M. OFFICERS; WHO SHOULD THEY BE? by Dudley Marvin Canright

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 13, 1879

T. AND M. OFFICERS; WHO SHOULD THEY BE?

By Dudley Marvin Canright

The more I learn of the tract work, the more I examine books and become acquainted with the workings of the society, the more I am impressed with the fact that great care ought to be taken in selecting proper persons to fill the offices of librarian, district secretary, and State secretary. There is so much penny business to be done by these officers that unless they are very careful and prompt, mistakes will be made. It is not every one that is able to fill these offices, try as hard as he may. It is not every man that can preach, nor every person that can teach school successfully. There must be natural qualifications for these offices. So in selecting tract and missionary officers, it is very important that we have persons who are the best adapted to the work. Let us notice some of the necessary qualifications.

1. Keeping books is one of the principal duties of each of the officers except the director; hence either the librarian, the district secretary, or the State secretary should write a good plain hand. If these officers cannot do this, the books will present a very bad appearance, and in a short time they will be blotted, and scratched, and blurred. They will not look neat and business like. Good penmanship, then, is the first requisite.

2. These officers should be very particular to do the business on time. If this work is laid aside to be done when convenient, it discommodes everybody, and throws everything into confusion. Therefore these officers should be persons who are quick, and ready to attend to their business.

3. They should be persons who are courteous and accommodating. As they will have to deal with so many brethren and sisters, necessarily they will have to put up with a great many little annoyances. This cannot be avoided; hence if they are snappish, and irritable, and easily provoked, they will soon make trouble somewhere. They should be persons of a gentle, amiable temper, and then they should cultivate affability.

4. It is very important that these persons be located in a proper place. It would not do to have a church librarian live in the country, where no one can get at him. As far as possible, the librarian should live very near the place of meeting, so that members can get books whenever they come to meeting. The secretaries should live near the post-office, that the business may be done promptly.

5. After a person has filled one of these offices for a time, has got the run of it, and has learned how to do it, he should not be allowed to go out of office lightly. It is no small matter to get a new set of officers, who have everything to learn, to do the work correctly; hence if an officer has done his duty tolerably well, every encouragement should be held out to him to retain his position, and to learn his business more perfectly. As few changes as possible should be made.

6. No one should be put into office simply through favor; nor to distribute the offices around, and so please everybody. The most efficient person is the one to put in office. The responsibility of selecting these officers comes largely upon the directors and the president. When they have selected a person, it is their duty to see that he is thoroughly instructed in the duties of his office. D. M. CANRIGHT.