Bulletin, February 1930
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Fktibvaby, Nineteen Tiiibty
BIGGER AND BETTER THAN EVER
Booklets Prepared for Public Need
Classes Well on the Road to Book Quota I The New Flashtones
The Pioneers Are Going to Make Theirs Too
Three months have passed, during- which 1,007,579 books and booklets have been left in the hands of the people as a witness that Jehovah is God. Or these, 548,245 are clotli-botind books, 337,654 10c booklets, and 121,680 People# Friend. While the anointed have marveled as they have ret I In the Year Book the annua! report of the great Increase in the work during 1921), they have continued to increase their kingdom Interests; for during the past quarter they have placed actually 135,338 more cloth-bound books than during the same jjeriod last year. This is largely due to the filet that this year the special fall drive was wills the set of Studies instead of People# Friend booklets. But, because of this special effort with the sets, the classes and sharpshooters have placed 225,341 books, or 30.0 percent of their year's quota, during tho first 25 percent of the year. Surely the laird's blessing has been upon their efforts as they have preached the Kingdom gospel. If they keep up this g<HHl work, they will be able to “knock the spots off" their year's quota of 750,000 books. During this period they placed 154.299 10c booklets and 73,947 5c booklets, which, when added together, amounts to 18.3 percent of the year's quota. Witile this comes short for the 25 percent of time passed, still it Is very encouraging when one considers that during the first quarter of last year only 13.5 percent of the year’s total booklets bad been placed and only 19.2 percent of the total books. Compare the latter with the 30.0 percent of this year’s book quota already accomplished, and remember also that during last year the auxiliary colporteurs' activities were included, whereas tiiis year their reports are excluded from the classes' figures. Surely the prospects are bright for a wonderful year in proclaiming the kingdom message.
. During the past three months the number of sharpshooters reporting has increased considerably. This is to be commended, and we hope that in the very near future all the sharpshooters will report regularly, every month. The sharpshooters have thus far been keeping up with their quota, and we hope each sharp-
December’s Witness
shooter will realize more and more the privilege of witnessing and go forth with renewed zeal In the preaching of the Kingdom gospel.
The pioneer colporteurs have also been doing some good work; but the i increase is not quite so remarkable, due to the fact that during both years about the same number of pioneers have been in the field and these have worked steadily during both periods with the books, and have averaged about the same num-lier of hours a week in the service. ; However, they have placed 6,335 more bound books than during last year's first quarter. In 10c booklets there has been a drop from 184,118 to 157,429. With the quota for the year Increased to 1,725,000 books and 1,250,000 booklets for the pioneers, it means that so far they have placed 16.1 percent of their book quota, and 15.7 percent of their booklets, including I't-oplcj Ti’t'cmi with the 10c booklets. Last year, at this time they had placed 23.01 percent of the total books placed , during the year, and 21.5 percent of j the booklets. But this does not by : any means indicate that the pioneers will not be able to reach their quota. You Just watch them from now on. While there have not been loss than 1,075 enrolled during the first quarter, an average of only 823 have reported regularly, each week, and some of these have been sick. The (Continued on page 2, column 2)
Books
Booklets
Classes and S3
47,644
71,014
Auxiliaries
10,841
10,502
Pioneer®
88,125
72,179
Total for Month
“148,610
“153,850
Total to Date
548,245
459,334
Quota
8.7W.0W
2,750,009
for IBSA Week
What might, with propriety, be considered “the red letter day” of the great Kingdom witness, up to the present at least, Is but three months off. The seven books by Brother Rutherford in their new and attractive “Flashtune” carton will be shipped to the classes during the latter part of February and should be received by the directors during March or early in April. These are not to be offered to the public, however, until the beginning of IBSA Week, April 26, and should not be opened up until n few days prior to that date. If they are opened up aud dust permitted to accumulate on the books and cartons it will take away from their attractiveness. Therefore we ask all the service directors to cooperate in this, and all the friends to be patient and wait until the duetime for t lidisti'iuutiou of tlic ‘"trashtone" cartons. The additional expense of acquiring the new “Flashtone" cartons makes it necessary to add five cents to the regular rate to the classes and colporteurs.
Colporteurs, pioneers and auxiliaries, will not receive consignments of the sets in “Flashtone” cartons. Therefore they should arrange to include these in their regular orders In March, so that they will have their stock ready for the big Kingdom drive, April 26 to May 4. (Continued oil page 2, column 3)
What You Did in Three Months
The Harp of God
Classes
20.361
SS
1,061
Auxiliary’ Pioneer
Total 73,302
5,326
46.554
Deliverance
13,101
3,630
38,961
56,470
Creation
15.173
4,013
41,447
61,428
Reconciliaiioii
9,703
2,939
3),293
44,628
Government
12,076
3,414
34,400
50,657
Fife
29,095
1.1)44
7,059
35.098
73,196
Similes (sets)
14,657
2,128
5.587
22,88S)
Miscellaneous Books 13,151)
■150
2,710
12,016
28,335
Total Books
215.387
9,954
44,026
278,878
548.215
Miscellaneous Booklets 1-18,461
5.838
25,926
157,429
337.654
Peoples Friend
71,41)0
2,457
8,313
39,420
121,680
Total Literature
435,338
18,241)
78,265
475,727
1,007,579
Average Workers
Weekly 3,819
5,022
Average Hours per
Worker 3.67
8.95
20.S5
Average Reporting at least
once each month
1,003
1,026
Comparative Results on Quota Basis for First Quarter
BOOKS
BOOKLETS
INCREASE
This Tear
Last
Tear
Tills Year
Last
Year
Books
BkltS
Classes & SS 225,341
228,246
84,957
89.501
Classes, SS & Aux.
1.40,381
138,745
35,447
31,645
Auxiliary Colp’s 44.026
84,2;-lt)
8,579
2,5'4
Pioneers 278,878
272,523
196.8'19
181.118
C.8-55
12,731
Totals 54.8,245
412,907
459,334
322,863
135.3:48
136,471
In the above figures for
last yi-nt
■ Pt.vp'ir-s
Frit: ad
book] cl H
are nut
included,, as they were not inchidi
id hi the
quota i
tmt they
are Tor
this yeitr, heuee shown with this year's huokhits.
Something Should Be Left in Every Home
A total of 2,750,000 booklets for distribution during this year has been decided upon as being the quota for 1030. During the first three months only 459,334 were placed by the classes, colporteurs aud sharpshooters, and, gradually, ns they have been pressing their activities with the bound books there seems to be a growing tendency to slight the booklets. The booklets also contain the Kingdom message and have been specially prepared to meet a public need. Of course, first and foremost, every one wants to place the bound books in the hands of the people, and should try to do. so; but just stop aud think of the many calls that you make each day you are out tn the service where the people refuse the hooks for one reason or another. If you don’t show them the booklets, how can you expect them to know- about them ? -
In many sections of the country thousands of people are facing privation and want. As the oppression increases, so does the suffering. Are these people to be left hungry for the comforting message of God’s kingdom because they are not in position to take the bound books you offer them? Remember that your commission is to preach this Kingdom gosjtcl. How can tiiis be better accomplished than by leaving a hook or booklet in their hands to read? The rates on the booklets have been made especially low in order to meet tiiis public need. Don’t forget that the new arrangement offers them 4 of these Ide booklets for only 25e, and 9 for 50c, and if anyone is too poor to spend that much he can get a single booklet for 10c, or a People# Friend for 5c. Hence there is food for all, and none need to be left hungry. We are confident that if the colporteurs will give a little more attention to these attractive booklet offers, they will find themselves able to leave more litem turn in many more of the homes. This will have the two-fold effect of leaving a greater witness rind helping them considerably in meeting their exfienses.
Furthermore, the booklets do a great work in preparing the territory for the next worker to call with the books. One colporteur writes us her experience. She says: “I was told by a Catholic lady that the Mtc/'c Are the Pead? booklet is stirring the Cul.imllcs of S—•—. She said it is the most talked-pt book that has ever Im placed here, and one poor won tan who .lost, her husband had Hived and cried for the book il'/ico'e. Arc the Ilettdl lin-til limy got It for lier.”
i it' a special effort Is made by all I (Continued on pago 2, i-olnmn I)
IT’S GREAT! THIS COLPORTEUR WORK
Only 12 Hours a Week and You’re an
Auxiliary Colporteur
403 Questionnaires Sent Out
On January 0 another letter was seat to the classes to be distributed to ull the Lord’s anointed. Il was u very Important letter. Did you .get your copy? If not, see the service director at once and find out why.
Ttfis letter mentions how we have looked forward to the time when the Lord would arrange so that every-of . the Lord's nnnlnteil who is ^not tied down with infirmities or Scriptural obligations could get into the colporteur service, either pioneer or auxiliary. It begins to appear that that time is here; for “where there’s a. will, there's a way", as the old saying goes. When that will Is the Lord's will, how much more true this saying is! The anointed everywhere are responding to the call to action. Each mail Is bringing in more and more applications and requests for questionnaires. It might interest you to know that since the mailing of the first letter on November IS we have mailed out 403 questICHinaries and actually enrolled 121 new pioneers and 215 auxiliary colporUitnu Those who have Scriptural obligations to look after are also making special provisions in order that they cun have greater opportunities of singing forth the Lord's praises.
Would you like to lake a peek at some of Lhe interesting information which we receive here? If so, we’ll give you the results of the 70 applications for the colporteur work which were sent in during the week following the mailing of the letter to the classes on January G, Of these, 10 applied for the pioneer work, and 51 for the auxiliary. Out of the 10 to enter the pioneer work 1.2 were brothers and 7 were sisters. The ages of the sisters range all the way from 22 to 57, and the ages of the brothers range from 33 lo 73. Those who rrepuml to the call are coming from ad walks of life. The majority of the sisters say that their occupation is housework, but one lias Ixteti a secretary. The brothers report a great variety of occupations, such as day laborer, freight handler, civil engineer, photographer, farmer, mechanic, lumber business, oilice work, roofer, and roud finisher.
The auxiliary colporteur work is grunting those who have Scriptural dependents a wonderful opportunity to bo nrore regular in the service. Of tin1 51 questionnaires received, 33 are from sisters, and 18 from brothers. Twenty-six of the sisters report that they hat e Leinos to look after. and four are widows. Two of them have families of sly., and one young married sister lias to take cure of her baby; one is a nurse, and one a music teacher. Some, of course, have no children, but merely their home duties; but, judging from tills fist, it does begin to appear that arrangements can be made for those who earnestly! desire to have a more active pari, in the Lord's work, doesn’t it? We know that it’s dangerous to tell a woman's age, but since we are dealing In generalities we think no one will object. Of the 33 sisters to enroll, two are in their 20’s, eight in their 4U’g, ten in their 50’s, six in their GiTtj, and one 75. So yon see tluit age makes no difference when it comes to the Lord’s work.
Practically the same situation exists among the brothers. One young brother 15 years old has enrolled in the auxiliary work with the expectation of putting in his time following his school work. Eight brethren are in their 31 Is, three in their 40’s, two in their 50's, and four over GO. Only three of the eighteen brothers to enroll are single and with no dependents. Of the remainder, three have one dependent upon them for <mpport; two have two dependents; one has three dependents ; five have four dependents ; two have five dependents, and two have six dependents. Their secular positions are reported as follows: shoemaker, farmer, laborer, bank teller, consulting engineer, draftsman, barber, textile mill worker, factory foreman, trainman on railroad, open hearth helper, grocer, mechanic, sales manager, grave marker, and high school pupil.
If it is possible for all these to give 12 hours a week to the most important thing in life, because they love the Lord above everything else in life, we are wondering seriously if there are not really many more who could do the same thing If they really wanted to sufficiently.
And ho ‘there were two in the field and one was taken and the other left; two grinding at the mil), the one taken, the other left'.
(Continued from page 1, eolumn2) quota is figured on the basis of 1,000 reporting regularly, you know. With the many new colporteurs who are daily entering the work we are hopeful that this average will be maintained from now on. Then, with the new special rates on books and booklets, we have every reason to believe that, by the Lord's grace, it can mid will be done. Time, regularity and reports on the part of all, are essential.
The auxiliary colporteurs, like the clauses, entered the special drive with the Scripture Sltulles, and during their first quarter placed 44,026 books, 25,926 10c booklets, and 8,313 Peoples Friend. In books, they placed 8,579 more this year than during the same quarter of last; but In 10c booklets they dropped from 31,615 to 25,926. So far, thou, they have at the conclusion of the first quarter made 16.0 percent of their book quota and 13.7 percent of their booklet quota, ns compared with 22.4 percent for books and 20.0 percent for booklets attained last year. Ou the face of it this doesn't look so good ; hut when you consider that this work was done by an average of only 380, Instead of the 600 set as the goal, it really isn’t so bad. These have averaged only 8.95 hours a week in the actual canvassing, instead of the minimum 12. We hope that the auxiliary colporteurs will put forth a more determined effort to meet their requirements. If they do this, with the additional colporteurs that are daily swelling the list, we arc confident that they will be able, not only to reach their goal of 275,(XX) books and 250,000 booklets, but also to surpass It.
Realizing that “This Kingdom Gospel Must Be Preached”, the anointed of the Lord are pressing on in the great cause, joyfully singing forth the praises of their God.
After tanking extensive investigations of the freight, mail and express rates from Brooklyn, from St. Louis, and from Oakland, we find that the territory that each one of these points can serve has changed considerably. The Society will shortly send out a letter outlining the territory that each depot will serve; and, beginning about February 1, all classes and colporteurs should keep this new arru.ngeiue.rii in mind so that their orders may be placed in time and delays in the service be avoided.
A very large saving can be made in the carriers' charges if the col-portevrs, einss directors and ?toek-keepers will order their stock in hundred-pound lots. Of course, some small classes, having but a few workers, probably cannot handle a hundred pounds of books at once, hut they should make their orders as large as possible and perhaps not place them so frequently as heretofore. It is the rule of the Society to make all shipments the cheapest way, and, as freight is the cheapest, we send all literature in Unit way. If a class or colporteur orders only forty pounds of books and it costs 50c by freight or $1.10 by mall, we ship by freight, unless otherwise requested. If requested to send by mail we charge the class or colporteur the difference, which in thia case is 60e. Few of the friends, however, realize that for the same 50e we could send sixty additional pounds of literature. We must pay the mini mum charge, which is based on a hundred pounds. If the class or colporteur had ordered a hundred pounds, it would probably not be necessary to place another order for four weeks instead of, as tn this case, making it necessary to reorder within two weeks. Besides, large orders are easier to fill than a lot of small orders. We hope that the friends will cooperate in this matter. In order to make up a hundred-pound shipment, figure on 140 books to a hundred pounds. The booklets weigh 14 pounds a hundred.
lu conclusion, then, keep tn mind that all orders for literature should be placed about four or five weeks in advance and mailed to 117 Adams Street, Brooklyn, N. Y. Also, that the order should be for literature weighing a hundred pounds or more. It is the purpose of the Society to give all the friends better service during the coming year tn supplying them with the better and more books which we are making.
Regarding Statements
For the information of the directors ami service treasurers, the symbol pau appearing on your statement signifies '‘Prophecy—Author’s Edition”, and p Is for the regular edition of Prophecy. D-jr stands for the latest seven books, by Brother Rutherford, in “Flash-tone” cartons, and jr for the same sever) books without the cartons. However, these symbols should never be used when ordering literature.
(Continued from page 1, column 3)
All colporteurs should keep In mind the hundred-pound minimum freight charge, and should order their supply of “Fltishtoiie” sets with other books sufficient to make up a hundred pounds or more. This, of course, applies to the classes also.
Discontinuing the Chicago Depot
Special Letter to Be Sent to Directors, Stockkeepers and Colporteurs in Regard to Ordering
Due to the fact that our Chicago and St. Louis depots are so close together mid that we cr.n give as good service from the St. Louis depot to ail points that Chicago now serves, It is deemed advisable for the Society to discontinue tho Chicago dei>ot. on February 10. and to do all shipping from three points: Brooklyn, St. Louis, and Oakland.
The Lord’= work is increasing, and arrangements are made to carry at our depots a larger stock of books in all languages that are required frequently. Desiring to make shipping as efficient as possible, the following is set forth in order that the classes and colporteurs will hove a clear understanding of what can be done if all will cooperate.
All classes throughout the country should send their orders to the head office, at Brooklyn. This will make It necessary to look ahead about four or five weeks to be sure that you will have sufficient supplies to carry on the work until your order can Ive filled. This arrangement will permit us to take care of the bookkeeping here and then forward your order to the depot for shipping. Exceptions to tills should occur only when for some unforeseen reason a large quantity of books has been disposed of and it is urgent that you have a stock within a few days. In such instances you may take the liberty of sending your order to the St. Louis or the Oakland depot direct, but all remittances for literature should be made to Brooklyn.
Tlie pioneers and auxiliaries are to follow the same practice ns the classes. We realize, however, that for those on the far west coast this would be very difficult, and therefore the exception is made in their case, 'lliey may place their orders direct with the depot at Oakland unless otherwise instructed. All other colporteurs should look abend far enough to allow themselves sufficient time to send as many of their orders as possible to Brooklyn. In cases of emergency, however, they may send them to the nearest depot,
All remittances should be sent to lilts office the same as usual, regardless of whether the order has been sent here or to the depot. When the order has been received at the Brooklyn office it will be shipped from the point that can do so most economically.
This arrangement is made because there are only one or two persons who work at the depots, and tlie checking of orders, prices, accounts, labels, etc., can be done only at the Brooklyn office.
(Continued top of previous column)
(Continued from page J, column 4) the workers to leave something in every boine, we feel confident that with the new attractive booklet offers, together with those made on the combinations of books and booklets, the quota can be attained.
Let’s give tlie work with the booklets a boost. We have a big printing press here, our first one, the one we fondly call “The Battleship’’, for the purpose of making them. The more you place, the more we’ll make, and the greater will be the witness given.