Order by S. N. Haskell

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, Cal. · May 27, 1875

Order.

By S. N. Haskell

ON this subject of harmony and order in the T. and M. work, I will quote a few excellent remarks from the pen of Bro. Haskell. Of the T. and M. work as a whole he says :—

It costs no more to move aright and thus save confusion in this matter than it does to move wrong so as to bring the work into confusion. We believe that all that is wanting is an understanding, then a little care will keep everything moving like clock-work in the missionary enterprise.

Of the T. and M. work he says :—

The plan recommended, and which is found to work well thus far, in substance is as follows :—

1. Each director should hold a district quarterly meeting.

2. This quarterly meeting should be held not more than four weeks, and not less than one week, previous to the State quarterly meeting.

3. It will be perceived that all the various districts in a Conference will be thus holding their quarterly meetings within the range of four weeks of the same time.

4. The district secretary should send a report to the State secretary of the workings of the Tract Society in the district, including the doings of the district quarterly meeting, so that he may receive it in season for the State quarterly meeting.

5. This report should state, first, the number of members of the Tract Society in the district; secondly, the number of reports returned by the individual members, stating the amount of labor performed, taking up each item separately. The nature of these items may be learned from the blanks passed out by the librarian to the members each quarter.

6. The time and place of the general quarterly meetings should be agreed upon at the previous general quarterly meeting.

7. The president or vice-president and the State secretary should attend every general quarterly meeting.

8. The director and district secretary should attend every district quarterly meeting.

9. Just previous to the district quarterly meeting, the director should see that each member of the Tract Society in his district is furnished with a blank report, and also see that it is returned to the district secretary.

This can be done as follows: If there are scattered members not living in the immediate vicinity of any church, send them a blank report by mail. But members of the Tract Society living in companies, can be supplied through the librarian of said company or church; there should be a librarian in each church or company. The president of each Tract Society should see that the appointment for the general quarterly meeting is published in due season. If the president, directors, or the district secretaries, by lack of interest or a misunderstanding, should fail to do according to the system adopted, the secretary should feel a responsibility in the matter and notify them. Thus the secretary of each Conference Tract Society fills as important a position as any officer in the society, relative to the general working of the system of missionary labor.

Thus far, the missionary labor has been a success, and we look for far greater results in the future than anything we have as yet seen. We feel rejoiced to see the interest taken to work in harmony, as it is manifested in different parts of the field.

S. N. HASKELL.