Instructions by John Norton Loughborough

California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists · Oakland, Cal. · Jan 14, 1875

Instructions.

By John Norton Loughborough

In past numbers of the SIGNS we have given some instructions, and we design to continue this from time to time that all may understand the workings of the system in its various branches. When a person sees the object to be gained in taking a certain course, they more readily apply their minds to master the means of gaining that object in order that they may work toward the desired good. Before advancing with duties of other officers it may shed some light to quote what Bro. Haskell says in True Missionary No. 2, relative to the duties of presidents of T. and M. Societies.

"It is expected that the president will understand the entire working of the tract society in the Conference to which he belongs; that he will know at all times what is going on in each district, and will bestow his labor more especially in those districts where it is most needed, in order to keep up an interest in every enterprise connected with the cause of God. And the larger the Conference, the more responsible is his position, and the more necessary that he should be in the field. He should be in constant correspondence with the secretary, as the secretary in keeping the books will be able to give many particulars which he would not otherwise have the means of knowing.

"The prosperity of every tract society depends very much upon union of action. I do not believe that any tract society can prosper unless this is the case. Each district should be engaged in the same enterprise at the same time. A united and harmonious effort should be put forth in every advance step taken. It is where we all lift together that the cause moves. It is therefore the duty of the president to see that this is the case. He must be on the field of action at such places where there is the greatest lack of interest, to give such instruction as will assist the directors in carrying out the object of the society. Also he should examine the books of the district secretary and see if they are properly kept. And through the directors he can learn whether all are promptly paying Systematic Benevolence as they should. He should also make inquiry if there are not some worthy poor who have not the periodicals, as SIGNS and Reformer. There are many times when personal influence will be needed in each district, in bringing about that uniformity of action which is necessary for the prosperity of the society. It will be nothing strange if there should be some discouraging circumstances to meet. But there is no room for discouragement in a cause like this in which all Heaven is interested, and when God himself has ordained it shall prosper. It is for us to do our duty in the fear of God, and leave the results with him.

"If those who have borne the burden and heat of the day could have courage when there were scarcely any friends of the cause on earth, and when they had no financial resources to back them up, nor scarcely any publications to carry into new fields, what will be said of us who really know nothing of hardships and privation, if we get discouraged while every S. D. A. Conference in the country is anxious to work for God if they can have proper instruction.

"It is a privilege to take responsibilities and bear burdens in a cause like this. Therefore no president of any tract society should think of resting satisfied until each district in his Conference is making one united effort to carry out the purposes and object of this work."

Brethren and sisters, members of the Cal. T. and M. Society, as president of your society I hold myself ready to instruct, counsel, encourage and help in every way possible, and to carry out, as far as possible, what Bro. Haskell has plainly told us should be done, and I expect on your part hearty co-operation. I shall illustrate in this paper, as far as possible, the points which now especially interest us; namely, how each in our office shall go about our duties, and properly keep our books.

I made some black-board illustrations before the board of directors with explanations, which, by request, I place in this paper. Explanations which instruct both the eye and mind at the same time are most effective and lasting.

The question with secretaries, librarians and business agents is to know the nature of the business they are expected to do, how they are to do it, and with whom they are to do it. The work commences with the General Missionary Society, or rather with it and the publishing houses with which it is connected. At the yearly session of the General Society I suppose it will expect from our State Secretary a report of the workings of our society embracing a summary of its workings for the year.

Our State Missionary Secretary is the person through whom all our credit business on the periodicals at Battle Creek should be done. The reason of this is they charge the business to the State missionary society of California; if the business is all carefully done with one person here it will be kept straight, and confusion will be avoided. The State secretary looks to the district secretaries for these items of business; so if any district has business to do on the periodicals at Battle Creek business should be sent to the secretary of that district, and he sends it to the State secretary. You can see that by this means the business of each district is done through one person; and it is easier for the State secretary to keep his cash account with the respective districts straight. The district secretary gets his items of business on periodicals from the business agent of each church, while the business agent of each church gets his business items from the individual members of his church. This matter we will illustrate with the following diagram:

Diagram Illustrating T. and M. Work. A, Publishing house at Battle Creek. B, our State Secretary. C, D, our district secretaries, of which we have nine. E, F, G and H, represent the librarians and business agents of each church. The dotted lines, a, b and c, represent the individual members who wish to do business through the T. and M. Society, with the publishing house at Battle Creek.

Suppose a, or b, or any other member represented by the dotted lines, wish to pay a subscription on the Review, Reformer, or Instructor, they go to E, their business agent, give him the name and post-office address, pay him the money stating distinctly the length of time they expect their money to pay. E, the business agent sends this subscription to C, the district secretary, requesting him to charge it to that church, and forward the name to the State secretary. C, on receiving said name forwards it to B, the State secretary, requesting that it be forwarded to Battle Creek and that B, charge the same to the district for which C is secretary. B, the State secretary, forwards the same to Battle Creek, requesting that it be charged to the Cal. State T. and M. Society.

Thus the general publication office does all its business in each State with one person. Our State Secretary, B, does her business with each district through one person, the district secretary. The district secretary does all his business on the periodicals with the business agents of the churches in his district.

The question may now arise, How about the money for the periodicals? It should be paid by the individual member to the business agent before he sends on the account to the district secretary. The business agent should pay all the money received for periodicals or other T. and M. enterprises under his jurisdiction to the director before the close of the quarter. The directors should carry the money belonging to the State Treasury to the State quarterly meeting with an account of the same, which account should agree with the items sent to the State secretary by the said district. If this course is pursued it can be told at the State quarterly meeting how the account of the State stands with the Office at Battle Creek, or how the account of each district stands with the State treasurer. After an auditing of the accounts by the directors present they can draw orders on the State treasury for the payment of these accounts. All accounts of the churches with the district, of the districts with the State, and of the State with the publication office at Battle Creek should be squared up each quarter.

But some may ask, Why all this? why not let each one who pleases do credit business with the office at Battle Creek, and have it charged to the State? Because in three months the account would be so tangled up that, to use an old adage, "a Philadelphia lawyer could not straighten it out." With the way we here recommend you can all see that the account is kept straight all the time, and will balance as nicely at the close of the quarter as the balance sheet of a bank.

The credit business done by any of the districts in this State with the office of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES should be done through the district secretaries. The account of one district in this State has already got into confusion, with only one month's operation, because of no system in their manner of doing the credit business. Had it not been that the SIGNS' office, in making the charge to the district, has, fearing confusion, taken the precaution to put down each item of business, it would have been a puzzle to solve.

Of course these regulations on subscribers relate to credit business only. Those who wish to do business with either the SIGNS' office or the Review office, and send specie by express, drafts or postal orders by mail to the amount of their business can do their own business on the periodicals. I trust as we learn and put in practice this T. and M. system we shall see and realize its beauty and efficiency. J. N. L.