HOW TO FILL OUT BLANK REPORTS.
Perhaps anything upon this point will seem unnecessary to many; but there are some among our Tract Society members who consider it a great task to fill out a blank report, and often the matter is delayed until it is too late, and no report is given. Others say they cannot fill out a report, and do not try. Hence the number of reports returned in the various tract societies does not average one-half the number of members. This is not because one-half the members do not do anything; for in those particulars respecting which the State secretary’s books give information, they invariably show that from five to ten times more labor has been performed in the Conference than is reported by the members. This shows how far short the reports of the tract societies generally come of representing the labor performed by their members. Also the district secretaries, whose duty it is to make up a general report from the individual reports returned, often find it difficult to determine what is intended by the reports, and it is impossible to obtain a correct report for this reason. Every attempt in the direction of reporting to the society is highly appreciated, and we would not offer one word of discouragement to those who have failed to do so correctly; but if it is important that the labor of the society be reported, it is important that it be complete, embracing a report from all its members. Every partial, incorrect report does injustice to the society, and is a disgrace to its members. Our object in these few lines is, if possible, to rid the matter of reporting of the dread attached to it in some minds, and make the burden so light that every tract society member will come nobly up, and perform his duty in this respect. First of all, be particular to keep an account of what labor you perform, as you perform it, and under the different heads specified in the blank reports; viz., families visited, letters written, all money received which pertains to the missionary work, and for what, the number of subscribers obtained for each of the periodicals, the number of copies which you pay for and send to your friends, and that the society sends by your request, number of all S. D. Adventist periodicals which you give, almanacs