Informant, December 1937
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INFORMANT
BROOKLYN, N.Y.
DECEMBER, 1937
“Vindicator” Testimony Period, Dec. 4-12
“Enemies” to Have World-wide Distribution WiD It Be 30,000 Publishers?
All Territory New Territory!
All preparations should now be complete for the greatest concerted effort ever put forth by the Lord’s people to give a witness to His name. With a new book, a new booklet, and a wonderful method of introducing these in a new record, all should be on their toes, ready to cooperate to the fullest extent with Jehovah's Vindicator, Christ Jesus, in 'rising up against her in battle’. Everyone who lias ever had a share in the field service should already have made individual preparations to devote as much time as possible during this special period. Those of good will who heretofore have not enjoyed this rare privilege should be encouraged by the regular publishers to join in the battle with them. If all in the company organizations, as m ell as those in the pioneer and auxiliary ranks, put forth their best endeavors, there should be nothing to interfere witli our reaching the quota of 30,000 publishers. Each company should reach its peak in number of publishers during this period.
The new book Enemies will be featured, along with the new booklet Safely, these being offered together, on a contribution of 25c. A testimony card is being provided, and, better still, the new record P-114 has been prepared by Brother Rutherford as an introduction. The record “Riches” has proved to be a wonderful help in placing Riches; and the publishers will find this new record P-114 a Godsend.
Those who have not received their supply of the new literature may present Riches and Armageddon, on a 25c contribution, for this period only, using the record introducing Riches.
I hiring the period, every company publisher should assume the responsibility of placing at least five of the book Enemies and ten Safety booklets, endeavoring to spend at least ten hours in the field. Arrange to spend time during the evenings in hack calls, and, of course, all day of both Saturdays and Sundays.
Be sure your phonograph is in good working order, that you have plenty of needles, and that your machine is all set for a week's strenuous use.
The book Enemies, for the first time, will have a world-wide distribution. Consignments have been made to every English-speaking nation. Not only will the brethren in the United States be exposing the enemies of the people, but our brethren the world round will be doing the same work during the “Vindi-c.vror.” period. Over half a million copies of Enemies have been shipped out, and the brethren at Bethel have been working extra time at night in order to fill the orders. Supplies at the depots have already been exhausted. We feel sure that shipments to branches will be cleaned out during the first world-wide campaign with this book. It is a message the people must have, and the Lord’s anointed and their companions are now ready to lake it to them. The factory is trying to replenish the stock to branches and depots, and it is hoped that in two months more the demand for Enemies will have
Use Your Sound Equipment
Keep Phonographs Busy in Back CaHs
Make Saturday and Sunday Your Big Days
Information conies to the Society that some of the sound equipment held by various companies throughout the country is not used to the extent it should be. Some companies having sound car equipment use it only one or two hours a week. Others having portable transcription machines use them only once or twice a month. Others have phonographs that are taken out in the field service only a few hours on Sunday.
Why not keep this equipment busy? Service committees should have regular schedules arranged for their sound ears. Portable transcriplion machines can be used outdoors as well as indoors, and many companies are using theirs to good advantage in this manner. The most effective instrument the Lord’s people have to arouse interest is the phonograph, and every effort should be made to keep all phonographs busy, those owned by the company as well as those owned by individ-u ds. A schedule should be made so that phonographs belonging to the company are assigned to publishers to hike out in the field on Tuesdays,
The New “Special Pioneer” Work
Should Be Real Help to Company Organization
Co-operation Very Necessary
The majority of the special pioneers have been assigned to their territory and are getting to these assignments as rapidly as they can. A special assignment of territory has been made for them within the territory of the companies to which they are being sent.
These pioneers are to function independently as far as working their territory, being generally responsible for the witness therein given, and making reports. However, it is impossible for the special pioneers to been so great that over 1,000,000 copies will have left 117 Adams Street for your wilnessing work.
All the territory in the world is new. It has never been covered with this book Enemies. If people say “I lune the book”, you, of course, will know they do not. Set out its importance and the reasons why they should have it. This is so splendidly done in the record B-114. Let’s make the •‘Vindicator” testimony period a banner period for winter witnessing. Will there be 30,DOO publishers in the field? If you can only put in an hour, put in that one hour at least and share in the vindication of Jehovah’s name.
Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, making these four days definite witness days. Phonographs may be assigned for other days also where publishers can go out. Additionally, these should be used in back-call work in the evenings. In many instances they can be loaned with a set of records to interested persons for a few days or even a whole week. The point is to keep busy the equipment which the Lord has furnished his people. These machines wore made to talk; so let’s keep them talking.
Most publishers get into the field on Saturdays and Sundays. That is the time to arrange back calls for different evenings during the week. Companies that are making back calls are finding that newly interested ones soon show up in their meetings. These newly interested ones in a short while become new publishers, and thus the work in your territory increases. It is indeed encouraging to see how many of the large companies in the country, as well as small ones, are now increasing in number of publishers in the field. This in turn means more hours, more literature placed, and a greater witness for the Kingdom; but these results will not be accomplished unless interest found in witnessing is followed up with back calls.
hire halls and to conduct all the back - call meetings ami generally take care of the people of good will. Therefore the company is expected to co-operale with them by providing the necessary halls and supplying such study chairmen and brethren with phonographs to assist in making back calls as may be required. The company should also provide proper advertising material io call attention to Model Study series that should be arranged for tn or immediately adjacent to the special pioneer territory. If the special pioneers are invited, and can, without unduly interfering with their
More Pioneers Needed
in the Field
Plenty of Pioneer Territory Write for Details
Since the Columbus convention, many of the pioneers, enrolled in "special pioneer” service, have been given special assignments by the Society, which leaves open for assignment the territory formerly held by them. In addition to this available territory, many companies have written in asking for pioneers to be assigned to their territory to properly care for the good-will interest and instruct them in the use of the phonograph and how to arrange for and carry on the series of meetings with the phonograph records.
This means that in order to properly care for the Kingdom interests in the United States, it is necessary for many more publishers to enroll as pioneers and auxiliaries.
Doubtless many of you are already putting in more than the quota of 15 hours per month, and even 50 hours or more. Many others have no secular work or family ties and could easily meet the requirements of the auxiliary or pioneer service. Brethren enrolled in these branches of the service are considered as the special representatives of the Society, and the privileges in this service are great.
It is not necessary for those enrolling as pioneers and auxiliaries to leave their home territory; they can continue to associate with the company, helping to cover that territory. Pioneers are expected to engage in the work at least 110 hours per month, and auxiliaries 50 hours per month.
Why not write to the Society for complete information?
Since the Columbus convention, have you been able to arrange your affairs so as to be a pioneer or an auxiliary? A good many have.
own work, co-operate in company service meetings, it will be all right to do so. However, the pioneers should feel in no wise obligated to do this, and the company should not depend upon them to carry on company activity that would in any wise interfere with their pioneer service. Their first obligation is to see that a proper witness is given in the territory assigned to them and maintain their hours in the field. Their main work is to carry the Kingdom message to the people by means of the sound machine in the regular house-to-house witnessing and make such back calls as they are able to take care of. ’They should be examples to company publishers, showing these how this work can and should be carried on. The company publishers should follow a similar method of witnessing.
Each company publisher who can do so should have a phonograph and records and carry on the work in the same manner as the special pioneers. The phonograph is definitely a part of the equipment of each publisher. Phonographs should be used extensively in the regular house-to-
(Continued on page 2, column 4)
Echoes of Columbus
A Few of Many Companies Putting in Time
That the brethren returned home from the Columbus convention with the zeal peculiar to the Lord’s house and went at the matter of witnessing with real determination is manifest from reports of a few companies picked at random which are set out below. The October report is not complete. We cannot state now whether or not a total of 30,000 publishers has been reached for the month, but the point here made is that reports from companies in the North, in the South, East and West show that 15 hours can be put in, and that this is an average, not an exception. In
Publishers
Hour*
Literature
Hrs. per Publ’r
Birmingham, Ala.
1,145
16.5
Oakland, Calif.
2,574
7,335
17.
Pueblo, Colo.
17.6
Washington, D. C. (combined)
3,691
5,647
20.
Atlanta, Ga.
1,441
16.6
Louisville, Ky.
1,087
2,932
16.1
Baltimore, Md.
1,501
3,040
16.
Boston, Mass, (combined)
4,404
10,397
16.1
Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.
3,184
6,767
16.
Kansas City, Mo.
1,993
3,517
16.
New York, N. Y. (combined)
15,017
39,487
16.8
Charlotte, N. C.
19.
Toledo, Ohio
2,084
3,035
18.8
Tulsa, Okla.
1,481
1,931
17.8
Philadelphia, Pa.
1,911
4,970
15.3
Dallas, Tex.
1,905
16.7
Milwaukee, WIs.
2,255
5,429
15.
2,782 46,181 100,865 16.2
Back Calls
Brethren have been asked to take names and addresses of those interested, so that back calls can be made. The advisable thing is for each publisher to make his own back calls. Some brethren have turned in names and addresses where there really was no interest, thus causing other publishers who make the back calls to lose valuable time. If a publisher finds a party who is really interested and he cannot make the back call himself, then he should find out what time is convenient for a back call and note this on the Back Call slip, telling the party that someone else will call. Then the slip should be turned over to the company, so that someone can be assigned to make the call. If back-call work is handled in this manner, time will not be wasted. The Lord's work should be carried on in an efficient and orderly manner. It is our chief business because it is the King's business; and our time must be conserved, so that the most good can be accomplished. Don’t have brethren go on wild - goose chases merely because you want to turn in Back Call slips.
When company servants and service committees receive these Back Call slips, they should not file them away and give them no attention, but arrange for the back-call service and see that the persons are called on. The slips that the Society sends out from time to time should be used immediately. It has been reported that some companies have received these slips and filed them away for months before any attention was given to them. This is neglecting the Kingdom interests. Back calls should be stressed in every service meeting, and at every regular meeting of the company these Back Call slips should be handed out to those who desire to make the calls, so that they don’t “get cold”.
Always use the phonograph on a back call. Take a Bible with you, and show the people how to use it. Let them look up the scriptures in your discussion. Show them how to study the books and how to look up the scriptures as they go along. If you loan the phonograph, show them how to run it, how to put on records, etc. It has been found that an hour to an hour and a half is large and small companies ranging from 31 publishers to 950 publishers, the average hours per publisher is over 15. In fact, 2,782 publishers, in 17 cities, averaged 16.2 hours for the month of October. Many other cities would likewise show an average of 15 hours, but we can’t list all of them here. Please make special note than an average of 15 hours can be maintained whether the companies be large or small.
The convention at Columbus started something in many companies. We hope that the reports for October will show that it started something in every company. We are anxious to see whether the quota of 30,000 publishers for October was reached, but whether it was or wasn’t we are still aiming at 30,000 and 15 hours average.
sufficiently long for a back call. It is better to leave the people wishing you would stay longer and make another call than to stay too long and have them wish you would leave soon. You can’t in one evening tell the people everything that the Lord has taught us; so there is no use trying to do it. Arouse their interest and show them how to study. Their careful study of the books will bring them the truth.
Pioneers!
Your Change of Address
Lately some pioneers and auxiliaries have not been as careful as they might be in making out their "Change of Address” slips. This has caused much additional work at this office and has resulted in the brethren’s failing to receive their mail as promptly as they should. To remedy this, all pioneers are requested to faithfully carry out the following instructions:
1. ALWAYS use the regular "Change of Address” slips. These slips are not to be used by or given to anyone else.
2. Send In the notice of your change of address promptly, at least one week in advance of change if you are located in the eastern states; if in the western states, two weeks’ advance notice is to be given.
3. Fill out and check each slip to see that all the information called for is given. Give the complete address to which you are moving; especially see that the name of the town is spelled out correctly. Write as plainly as you can, and do not abbreviate the names of towns or streets. If in the party there are two or more wishing to have their address changed, please send in a slip for each member of the party.
4. Please see that your name and proper address are placed at the top right-hand corner of each letter.
Phonograph Testimony Card
Enclosed with Informant is a sample testimony card to introduce the phonograph. If more cards are required, order just the quantity required for phonograph users, as a limited supply has been printed.
After December 12, What?
Enemies and 7 Booklets on 50c Contribution
After the ‘‘Vindicator'’ testimony period is over, let all publishers offer Enemies and seven booklets, on a contribution of 50c. Three of the booklets should be self-covered, including the booklet Safety, and the other four may be selected from any of the colored-cover booklets. Carry a good assortment with you, at least 25 different ones, so that if the people have some of our booklets they may select others.
Every publisher who has a phonograph should carry it in the field with him. Now that we have a new record, P-114, which is such a splendid testimony for the book Enemies, we should use it in as many homes
16-In ch Discs on “Safety” and “Worshiping God”
There have been a few requests for the lectures “Safety” and “Worshiping God” on large discs for sound-car work and transcription machines. There are ready for shipment four double-faced discs which contain both lectures, “Safety” and "Worshiping God”, to be run on 33S-r.p.m. machines. This will save the handling of so many 12-inch discs. Also at your public meetings it will be of some advantage. Either set, “Safety” or “Worshiping God”, can be had at $3.50 a set, or both lectures for $7.00. When ordering, use the numbers J-186 to J-189 for the lecture "Safety”, and J-190 to J-193 for “Worshiping God”.
Stations Broadcasting Watch Tower Programs
There are still some stations in
the country that are broadcasting
Watch Tower programs, and there may be a few more after the companies throughout the country make the special As the list lows:
New York Richmond Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Cleveland Columbus Columbus Oakland
call on radio stations.
now stands it is as
fol
Va. Pa. Pa. Ohio Ohio Ohio Calif.
WBBR WRNL KQV WWSW WHK WBNS WOOL KROW
1300 880
1380 1500 1390 1430 1210
If your present supply of radio folders lists these stations and the correct time of broadcast, use them until all are distributed.
“Exposed” and “Religion and Christianity” Now Available in Five Languages
Phonograph records P - 61 - A to P-96-R are now available in Arabic, Italian, Polish and Spanish at the same rates as the English : namely, the entire set of 18 discs for $10.50. (Sets will not be split up.) There are millions of people in the United States who speak one or another of these languages. Are you doing your part to see that they hear the Kingdom message? Usually foreign-speaking people are ready listeners to something in their own language, and we should not pass up an opportunity to let them hear.
The following foreign - language records are also available:
Italian
PI-1,2 (Jehovah, Rebellion)
PI-7, 8 (Soul, The Dead)
PI-9, 10 (Purgatory, Resurrection)
Spanish
PS-1, 2 (Jehovah, Rebellion)
PS-3, 4 (Redemption, Life)
PS-5, 6 (Kingdom, Armageddon)
PS-7, 8 (Soul, The Dead)
PS-9, 10 (Purgatory, Resurrection)
PS-11, 12 (Whose Servant? Parts 1, 2)
PS-13, 14 (Holy, Truth) as possible. While the record is being run it is well to have the book Enemies in sight so that the people will readily connect the record with the book. At the conclusion of the record, present Enemies and seven booklets, on a contribution of 50c.
Where people will not let you use the phonograph, ask them to read the new testimony card. This card mentions only the Enemies book, on a contribution of a quarter. However, you can say (after they read the card), “At this time the Watch Tower is making a special offer of these seven booklets with this new book, on a contribution of 50c.” If they will not take the entire combination, then offer Enemies, on a contribution of 25c.
Consolation and Watchtower Subscriptions Increasing
With new publishers coming into the field, and thousands of back calls being made weekly, the 'Watchtower subscription list as well as that of Consolation is increasing. This is as it should be. In making back calls brethren should not forget to men-lion The Watchtower, taking with them sample copies of The Watchtower and of Consolation. Do not try to force this on them in your first call, but bring it to their attention and talk it later, and as time goes on they will see the importance of being a regular subscriber. All company publishers should get The Watchtower and Consolation mailed to their own homes, so that they can have the information contained (herein as soon as possible.
New Folders
Since the discontinuance of the radio folders there has been a real need for something to leave at the homes as we go from place to place. Enclosed with this Informant is a new folder prepared by the Society, which we hope will arouse much interest. There is a place on the folder to stamp your local address, and this you can do with your stamping sets. Sample of the folder is being sent out with this Informant so you can show it to the brethren and place your order. They are offered at the same rate as radio folders; namely, 40c a thousand to companies and auxiliaries. Pioneers may obtain them free.
I PS-15, 16 (Trinity, Keys) PS-17, 18 (Sanctification,
I Sheep and Goats)
PS-19, 20 (Suppressing Truth, Parts 1 and 2)
i PS-97 to 100 (Armageddon Survivors, Cleansed World)
PS-101, 102 (Value of Knowledge, Riches)
Any of these may be had at 70c each, or six for $3.50.
(Continued from page 1, column 4) house witnessing, to introduce the literature, for systematically covering the territory with the “Exposed” and other series of lectures, for making back calls, and for the conduct of Model Study meetings. Any territory that is not thus systematically covered is not receiving a proper witness; and the Lord’s provision for the people in that area is not being made available to them unless Jehovah’s witnesses faithfully carry out these features of the Kingdom work. Therefore the company should cooperate very closely with the special pioneers In the development of the Kingdom interests. Further details regarding this co-operation are contained in “Instructions to Special Pioneers”, a copy of which is being sent to the company servant in each territory where special pioneers are sent.