RISE AND PROGRESS OF THE OHIO. T. & M. SOCIETY.
By M. E. Underwood
[An essay read before the Ohio T. & M. Society, and published by request of the Society.] In the month of March, 1872, in response to a call from the Ohio Conference Committee, a few brethren and sisters from the different churches in Ohio, collected in Clyde, where, under the faithful labors and instructions of Eld. S. N. Haskell, the Ohio Tract and Missionary Society was organized. At that time the following officers were elected: President, O. Mears; vice president, Wm. Chinnock; secretary, Mrs. Lucy E. Clark; treasurer, John Mears. The State was divided into five districts; or rather, counties were selected from the State, which were to constitute five districts. The counties of Green, Clark, Highland, and Ross, constituted Dist. No. 1; Richland, Morrow, Knox, Licking, and Muskingum, No. 2; Trumbull, Ashtabula, Geauga, and Lake, No. 3; Sandusky, Seneca, Erie, Huron, Ashland, Lorain, Medina, Cuyahoga, No. 4; Defiance, Wood, Paulding, Putnam, Mercer, Henry, and Hancock, No. 5. Directors over these various districts were appointed as follows: Dist. No. 1, J. Q. A. Haughey; No. 2, W. T. Carson; No. 3, Sanford Rogers; No. 4, O. F. Guilford; No. 5, John Mears. In the division of the State into districts, such localities were selected as contained church organizations of S. D. Adventists, or at least isolated persons of our faith, it being the intent to include within the organization every person that could be converted into a working member in the Tract and Missionary Society. After the selection of officers and division of districts, memberships were called for, to which thirty-five persons responded, paying $1.00 each (membership fee) into the treasury, which was to help constitute a fund with which to purchase tracts, &c., for the use of said Society. The earnest, impressive, faithful labors of Eld. Haskell made those present at this meeting feel that it was a work of no small magnitude, and one which required system and order, as well as consecration of time and means and zealous, persevering, untiring effort on the part of those who enlisted in the good cause. With a multitude of new ideas relative to this great work imperfectly fastened on our minds, we separated, and returned to our various homes and fields of labor, where the directors took up the matter in their districts, and appointed such helps as the Constitution provided for them; and unitedly we toiled on, not assembling in general meeting until the following September on the camp-ground, in Mansfield, Ohio. This meeting, held in connection with the camp-meeting, was called, “The First Annual Meeting of the Ohio Tract and Missionary Society,” although it had been scarcely six months since the Society was organized. At this meeting progress was reported, matters pertaining to the interests of the cause considered, some changes in officials made, and territory extended, though districts were not multiplied. It was decided that the entire State should be included in the five districts; so twenty-seven counties were set off to Dist. No. 1; fifteen to Dist. No. 2; eighteen to Dist. No. 3; ten to Dist. No. 4; and nineteen to Dist. No. 5, which extended our field of operation to the boundary lines of Ohio. Since that time the addition of one district has been made, by dividing one of the largest districts into two. Other changes of a similar nature are being considered. Each year has brought its changes in officials and schemes of operation. Mistakes have been made, which, for the time being, were discouraging; but failure can never be stamped upon such a cause as this, and hope in its final success has cheered the heart to renewed effort and zeal in the cause, and a degree of success has crowned the efforts of those who have faithfully toiled in Jesus’ name. Much labor has been lost sight of because not reported. Timid, shrinking ones have felt that they had done so little that it was not worth reporting, forgetting that the earth which we inhabit is made of grains of sand, and the ocean of drops of water. Our meager reports brought together quarterly from the various districts constitute quite a sum total; and it has the happy effect of cheering the hearts of discouraged ones to know that others are doing something, be it ever so little, to advance this good cause. Let none of us fail to add our mite each quarter, while we retain a name and place in the work. As the result of united effort, some good has been accomplished. The delinquency resting upon our periodicals has been lifted, and they have been placed upon the advance-pay system. Hundreds of dollars have been donated to our school, to the book fund, and to various enterprises whose wants have been presented from time to time. Thousands of dollars have been spent in purchasing reading matter; and 1,296,979 pages of tracts have been sent far and wide, not only from the Atlantic to the Pacific, but to foreign lands. Our hygienic almanacs have been extensively circulated, and have found favor in many families in the land. Our largest and best works have been placed in many of the public libraries and reading rooms in the State, and periodicals have been sent in all directions, in hope of awakening an interest in localities where they are entirely unknown, and of breaking down prejudice where it has arisen. Thousands of new subscribers have been obtained for our various periodicals, many of whom are reading with deep interest. Thousands of families have been visited, and hundreds of letters written, to interest the minds of the people in the last message; and oft-repeated, earnest prayers have gone up that God, by his Spirit, would impress the mind, and find way to the hearts of the honest, that the seed might fall upon good ground, and bring forth fruit to the glory of his name. Some fruits have appeared, here and there, from time to time; but eternity alone can reveal the results of this work. We hope and trust that many, very many, will praise God through eternity for the light received through this channel. But how feeble have been our efforts! What a lack of consecration and zeal has there been on our part! How lightly the burden of the work has rested upon us! and, oh! how sad to know that not one-twentieth part has been done that should have been done, and that might have been accomplished. What a rebuke to those to whom this work has been entrusted! What a fearful responsibility is committed to man! and how the advancement of this good cause should engross our thoughts and our best efforts! May this revelation rest with weight upon all of our minds, until we shall give ourselves fully to the work, and seek in every possible manner to advance the cause. The quarter through which we have just passed closes up our fifth year. Our membership has increased to two hundred and thirty. Our officials and members are becoming familiar with the workings of the organization, our reporting system is finding favor generally, and reports are now sent in by the majority of our members. Forgetting the mistakes of the past, our motto is onward. Hope cheers our hearts. We feel that the day is not far distant when this branch of the cause shall become a mighty means in the hands of God of spreading precious truth. We are now about to enter upon the most fruitful quarter for labor during the year. The long evenings of fall and winter afford much leisure for reading. This, too, is the best season for canvassing for new subscribers to our periodicals. In the past we have suffered loss from our untimely efforts, waiting until the people had subscribed for all the reading matter they desired or had means to pay for. Let us correct this mistake, and show by our next quarterly report that we have done all we could to increase our list of subscribers, and send these precious truths to those who are yet in darkness. And may God add his blessing to all our feeble efforts; and when the gathering time shall come, may the fruits there seen show that the Ohio Tract and Missionary Society has acted well its part in sounding the last message of mercy to fallen man.