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VT. T. & M. SOCIETY

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The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 1, 1876

FromThe Review and Herald, Review and Herald, Vol. 47, No. 22.

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VT. T. & M. SOCIETY.

By A. S. Hutchins

I desire to call the attention of the officers of our Tract and Missionary Society to some duties which, agreeably to the Constitution of the Society, are binding upon us.
Article V., Section 1, reads: “It shall be the duty of the President (1) To see that there is a uniformity of action throughout the entire Conference; (2) To see that each Director carries out the duties of his office in his district.”
Section 2: “It shall be the duty of the Secretary (2) To keep an account of the money received from each district, and the number of pages of tracts and pamphlets, and the number of books furnished to the same, and the value of the whole; (3) He shall notify the Director of any district that may have drawn the amount of books to which it is entitled, so that he may raise more money from that district; (5) To keep a summary of all reports received from the several districts, and the amount of money received in response to calls, crediting it to the respective districts, whether it be for membership, donations, or any enterprise connected with the cause of present truth; (7) He shall keep a debit and credit account with each district; (8) To keep a record of all the doings of the Society in such a manner that whenever the President or directors wish to know whether any district is failing to do its part in the several branches of the work, the exact standing of each district, and of the entire State, can be told in every interest connected with the Tract Society.”
Section 3: “It shall be the duty of each Director, (8) To see that there is forwarded to the General Treasurer quarterly whatever funds may have been received in his district, and report the same to the Secretary.”
Section 4: “The duty of the District Secretary shall be (1) To keep a debit and credit account with each church in the district, and a record of all business done with that church that relates to the Tract and Missionary work; (3) To keep an account of the standing of his district with the Tract Society of the Conference.”
An observance of these requirements of the Constitution on the part of the different officers of the Society, would correct many unpleasant things existing among us, which must be removed, or disorder and confusion will be the result, and the worthy object of our organization be largely lost. If we intend, as an organized body, organized for the purpose of united and harmonious action in spreading the last warning notes of mercy, to follow the order and system prescribed by the Constitution, every officer should most certainly make himself familiar with the duties and requirements of his position. He should know his relation to other officers, and the general working of the cause. He should know just what is expected of him, and should promptly and correctly do duty; and when this is done by each officer and all the members of the Society, then will every branch of the great work move like clock-work.
All the books and accounts should be correctly kept. The Secretary is dependent upon the reports forwarded him in keeping his books. Now if these are but poorly prepared, or unintelligibly expressed, he is not only embarrassed, but unable to make intelligible records.
If financial reports are given in a mixed and confused manner, or are made by “guess so,” or from a leaky memory, these things must appear on the Secretary’s book, unless he has the time and patience to write again and again for an explanation. Furthermore, no district can have an intelligible financial basis with the State if the business is not done correctly with the Secretary; and here is just where several of our districts stand. A recent examination of the Secretary’s book reveals the fact that while some of the districts have a financial standing from which we can at once read their indebtedness to the State, or the indebtedness of the State to them, it is utterly impossible to determine the standing of other districts. This is by no means the fault wholly of the present board of Directors; but with your help, brethren, we will have matters different. We can form a basis which may in the future be guarded and kept by observing the requirements of the Constitution.
Our Secretary, T. H. Purdon, is a good accountant; but he has lying before him reports which he cannot understand sufficiently well to enter upon his books. This should not be so. And though I have already said more than I intended to, allow me to make the following suggestions as to financial reports:
1. The Director of each district should, at the end of each quarter, forward to the General Treasurer the T. & M. funds in his possession, defining clearly what these funds are for.
2. Do not fail to report the same to the Secretary yourself, whether you send the money directly to the Treasurer, or by the hand of the President, or some other one. Don’t trust this to some other person. Be sure to state the amount to a cent, and whether it is for membership, donations, or for some other enterprise connected with this work.
3. In connection with this, report to the Secretary the amount of books bought of the President for your district for the quarter just past. And if you have a bill of these books from him, as you always should have, please follow his figures unless you know them to be incorrect; and even then the better way would be to first harmonize the matter with him, otherwise, your report and his together will confuse the Secretary.
I found on the Secretary’s book, by order of the Director, a charge against one of our districts 27¼ times as large as my report to the director. He concluding my figures incorrect, and wishing all to be made right, gave directions as he did. Please let us save the Secretary all the unnecessary burdens we can.
4. It is hardly necessary here to say that each director, if a good accountant, will have a suitable book in which he will enter all monies paid to the General Treasurer correctly, the amount, with date of payment, and how sent, and what the money was for. He will also keep a full account of all financial matters in his district.
“Cursed is he that doeth the work of the Lord negligently.” Order, system, and promptness, should characterize the servants of the Lord in doing his work. Such may cheerfully toil on in the great work of the Master, while patiently waiting to hear him say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” A. S. Hutchins.