Informant, January 1942

Download: PDF — Informant, January 1942

INFORMANT

JANUARY, 1942

“Blameless in the day of our Lord.”—1 Cor. 1:8

BROOKLYN, N.Y.

“Watchtower” Campaign Begins with “Integrity” Period

February Should Show New Peak in Publishers

Follow Detailed Instructions

February begins the 1942 Watchtower Campaign, and is the “Integrity" Testimony Period. The issue. world domination, that we are now facing is definitely joined together in this combination Watchtower Campaign and “Integrity” Testimony Period. That fact makes this a most important campaign for ajl of us.

The Watchtower is the most important instrument that the Lord is using to bring this issue of world domination to tlie attention of liis people and all people of good-will. The Watchtower clearly reveals that the battle line is definitely drawn. On the Lord's side are those who are for The Theocracy, maintaining their integrity, uncompromisingly taking their stand for the Lord and the Kingdom. On the opposite side is the totalitarian-controlled monstrosity which is determined to destroy the Kingdom and rule the earth in defiance of Jehovah.

There, then, is the purpose of the Watchtower and Children book campaign which we are now about to enter. The Lord is using these two instruments, The Watchtower and the book Children, particularly, to open the eyes of the multitude so that they may have the necessary knowledge, strength and courage to take their stand and boldly' flee from the “seas" to the “glorious holy mountain'’. The information contained in The Watchtower and the book Children must therefore be made available and accessible to these people of good-will. His witnesses are charged with the responsibility' of doing this. The time is short. The work to be done is enormous ; but it will be accomplished, by the Lord's grace.

With such an issue and prospect before us, how appropriate that we should commence this campaign with the "Integrity” Testimony Period! Faithfulness in carrying it into operation and to a successful conclusion is going to try’ the integrity of all. Love for the Lord, love for the Kingdom, love for our brethren, and love for the millions of people of good-will who are sighing and crying in the "seas”, ‘feeling after God if haply they might find him,' and whom the totalitarians are striving to hold enslaved in that condition, will propel each and every servant of the Lord to go forward in this campaign with greater enthusiasm than ever before.

The presentation during the campaign is one year's subscription for The Watchtower (24 issues), and a copy of the book Children and of the booklet Comfort All That Mourn, on a contribution of $1.00. The contribution, of course, is for the Watchtower magazine for one year; the book and the booklet are given as a special premium, free, during this campaign. Therefore the publishers, when turning in the remittance for subscriptions, will, for each NEW subscription, retain 25e to cover the cost of the premium and turn in 75c to the company. Pioneer rates will be as heretofore during such campaigns. Where a person is found who is already’ a subscriber for The Watchtower, a year's subscription for Consolation may’ be accepted instead of for The. Watchtower, and the same premium be supplied. If you find someone who has the book Children and the booklet Comfort All That Mourn, any other book and booklet may be substituted for these. Where the people are unable to take a whole year's subscription, a six months’ subscription may be offered on a contribution of 50c. This would not include the bound-book premium, however. The bound book is to be left free only with a year's subscription. Where a subscription cannot be taken, offer the book Children and Comfort All That Mourn on a contribution of 25c. If they are unable to take this, then offer 3 booklets on a 10c contribution, or the booklet Comfort All That Mourn on any contribution they are able to make. This booklet may be left free where the circumstances justify’ it.

Method of Introduction

Use the phonograph doorstep setup method, with the record “Instructions”, to Introduce the presentation. The doorstep method of introduction was used more extensively during last year's Watchtower Campaign than in any of the previous campaigns, and undoubtedly this accounted to a great extent for the splendid increase we had last year over previous years in subscriptions placed. Any who have not yet commenced using this doorstep method should commence now. Do not resist the Lord's direction in this matter any longer. Any’ who do not have the “Instruction" record should order it through their company immediately. For those who do not have a phonograph a special testimony card is provided. A supply is being sent with this Informant.

How to Handle Subscriptions

It is very important that the publishers and servants observe these details carefully. Each one should carefully read the instructions on both the front and the back of the new subscription slips. If you do this and carry out the instructions carefully there will be no confusion or misunderstandings. We cannot overemphasize the importance of seeing that the subscriber's name and full address are clearly’ and properly’ filled In. Check this matter carefully yourself, and have the subscriber check it also when you give him his receipt, and then have him Initial it. Indicate whether the subscription is new or a renewal. No premium is to be given with a renewal subscription, and the entire subscription amount is to be forwarded to the Society’ with all renewals.

On the line “Sent in by”, company publishers should put their own name and the name of the company in this manner:

John Smith, Reading, Pa., Company. Tills will clearly identify’ the source of the subscription, for future reference if necessary. In the case of pioneers, their name is all that is required, properly’ checking, of course, that they are pioneers.

Foreign-1 anguage subscriptions should be handled carefully. Check and see if we have the magazine in the language required. If we have it, clearly mark the subscription slip to show the language in which it is required. The Watchtower is available in the following foreign languages, and subscriptions may be taken for The Watchtower in these languages during the campaign: Greek, Italian, Polish, Russian, Slovak, Spanish, and Ukrainian. The subscription rate on all the above is $1.00 a year, and each one is published only once a month. The latest bound book and booklet in each language may be offered as a premium. Portuguese Watchtower is $1.50 a year, with the same arrangement for premium. In each case the publisher is to retain 25c for the book placed, and the balance turned in to the Society for the subscription.

The Consolation magazine is available in Greek, Portuguese, and Spanish, at 75c a year; in Ukrainian at $1.00 a year.

All the above foreign-language magazines are published owe a month. Distributors’ copies may be ordered on any or all of the above. Portuguese magazines are published in Brazil, and It may take several weeks before orders for distributors' copies in that language can be filled.

We hope that, by each one's giving careful consideration to the foregoing and studying the instructions appearing on the front and the back of the subscription slip, most of the mistakes of previous years will be avoided this year.

Each publisher Is to turn in bis subscriptions, together with the proper remittance to cover, to the company- promptly. These are to be carefully checked by the secretary, who will see that the slips are properly made out, and that the remittances accompanying the slips are correct, and will turn the money over to the treasurer, getting propel’ receipt for same. He will see that a list is made up on the Subscription Record Sheet (Form S-10) provided by the Society, showing each subscriber, to be forwarded to the Society with the subscriptions. as well as a duplicate list retained for the company's files. He will also see that duplicate slips (one for each new subscriber) are turned over to the back-call servant, so that they can be placed in his files, and will finally turn over the original list and the subscriptions to the company servant, who will recheck them and will get the necessary’ remittance from the treasurer to send to the Society on form SC-52 with order for such other items of stock as the company may require. Subscriptions should never be held up more than one week, and may be sent in two or more times a week if the occasion justifies it.

Advance Planning

The servants of the company-should get busy now and make necessary preparations for this campaign, so that everything will be in readiness by February 1. Get your sample copies of The Watchtower. See that “Instruction” records are provided for the publishers. See that phonographs are in good working order. See that there is on hand a good supply of subscription blanks. See that the back-call file is in order. Arrange to issue the “Goodwill” slips showing names of those to be called upon by the publishers for their subscriptions. Prepare a chart for your hall as outlined in the December, 1938, Informant, this chart to show the progress of the campaign.

The quota should be set for each month—February. March, and April. This should be based upon the individual quota, which will be the same as last year. Special and general pioneer publishers should be able to place at least one subscription, 1(1 bound books and 100 booklets each week. Many of them, of course, will do much better: but the average should run about as above stated. For company’ publishers the quota will be one subscription, 7 bound books and SO booklets a month. A cheek should be made at the weekly’ service meeting to see how you are progressing toward your quota. I >o not wait until the end of the month to ascertain ‘how far you are running behind’. This matter should be checked up each week; and if you are running behind. ascertain the cause, and remedy’ it. If we do our part diligently we shall undoubtedly attain to and exceed the quota of 100,000 subscriptions. one million bound books and 12 million booklets.

With the issue clearly presented to the brethren, and proper plans made by the servants to carry out the work and presented at the service meeting, the next step is up to the individual publisher. Each one Is on his own now. Each one must bear his own burdens. This is called to our attention in Brother Rutherford’s letter appearing in the November fn/ormant. We suggest that this letter be re-read at the service meeting preceding the campaign, and also carefully read by each individual.

The individual question, therefore, is, What am I going to do in this campaign? Let each one determine to bear, by the Lord's grace, his other burdens before the Lord earnestly and sincerely.

More Study Gasses

“A whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people.”—Acts 11:26.

This text refers to two faithful servants of the Lord, to wit, Barnabas and Paul (formerly Saul). The record shows that they were special publishers who pioneered together and were associated together in the work over a period of years.

Barnabas and Paul did not establish the original group of Christians at Antioch, but the record indicates that their activities in Antioch did result in an increase in the attendance of that congregation or in the organizing of other local groups for the study and. proclamation of God's Word there in that city and vicinity.

To get this result they did not go over the territory once anil then move on; no. they assembled with the church a whole year and got well acquainted with the people of the territory and developed their interest in God's message. Hence it was that they “taught much people”. This must have meant the covering of the territory again and again throughout the year, and the specializing on the interested ones with regular return visits, and the establishing of more study classes as the number of interested ones grew.

Tliis apostolic example, recorded with approval in God's Word and marked by his blessing, so that “the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch", marks the proper course for the Lord’s covenant

Do It in 1942

Some All-Time Peaks to Be Broken

It is gratifying to see the constant increase in number of publishers. During November there was a grand total of 64,955 witnesses working in tlie interest of Tin: Theocracy. It is well at this time to give careful consideration to the previous all-time peaks.

First we will consider tlie pioneers, because there are two previous peaks established, in 1939, that have as yet not been surpassed. They should be soon. The number of active pioneers, during November, reached tin all-time high of 5,045, but their average number of hours in the field is only 112.9. Never since October. 1939, lias the average number of hours in the field by the pioneers surpassed the all-time peak then set, of 125.9 hours. A real pioneer will strive and diligently put forth every effort to devote his 150 hours a month to the service, which is the requirement for the pioneer service. If the more than live thousand pioneer publishers, general and special, will really devote tlieir time to the interests of the Kingdom, this average of 125.9 hours in October, 1939, could easily be surpassed. Let us see what can be done in the near future. With the "Watchtower Campaign coining on in February, every pioneer should be diligent during "Integrity” Testimony Period to prove to the Lord that he is truly a pioneer; special publishers working for the 175 hours as their average, and general pioneers, 150.

Within the next few months many of those on the pioneer list will be dropped from the list, and so notified by the Society, if they are not doing their “reasonable service".

Pioneer back-calls in November. 1939, reached 26.9 for the average. The nearest the pioneers have approached this total was during November, 1941, when the average was people today, whether special or general publishers. That congregation at Antioch was first begun by the Christians who had been scattered by the persecutions under Saul and who proceeded to other cities in order to be able to continue the preaching of the Word and the interesting of others in Jehovah’s purposes. (Verses 19-21) So Jehovah turned the persecution to advantage by spreading his general publishers and starting many, many more study classes thereby in many new localities.

The organizing of more study classes requires the finding of more and other locations for study. This means locating those who hunger and thirst after righteousness and then bringing them together that they may be served together by the study conductor, whose time and energy are limited. Conducting such a study means also that one will stick with it, helping the students to progress in knowledge and understanding and courage for the truth, at least until someone else is provided to continue tlie conducting of the study, preferably till someone in the study group itself is developed to the point of being able to take over and carry on, that the study classes may not peter out. but be built up and become permanent and have an established part in tlie local witness work of the Lord.

26.7. With the new work, with the book Children, in full swing we surely should soon pass the all-time peak of November, 1939.

PREVIOUS ALL-TIME PEAKS Comp’y Pubs. Pioneers Pubs 60,094 Sep '41 5,033 Oct

Av. Hrs. 20.3 Jun ’40 125.9 Oct

Av. B-C 4.6 Oct ’40 26.9 Nov

Nov. 1941 Nov. 1940 Pubs. Av. Av. Av. Av.

Hrs. B-C Hrs. B-C | Comp’y 59,910 15.7 3.3 13.7 3.3

Pioneers 5,045 112.9 26.7 103.4 22.2

Company Publisher Peaks

Company publishers have been holding their 60.01 Hi active servants mark for tlie jiast several months, and we look forward to a considerable increase soon, duo to the outcome of tlie many Children studies that were started during December. I However, we find the peaks of average number of hours and average number of back-calls per company publisher have not been changed since June, 1949, and October, 1940, respectively. Now is the time to really devote hours to the field service; and, with the February Testimony Period coming on. the company publishers have the like privilege of proving their integrity to the Lord. Let every company publisher for the Kingdom see if during February, 1942, he can help to increase the company publishers’ peak average hitherto of 20.3 hours. Also, on the back-calls the peak. 4.6 back-calls per publisher, was established in October, 1940. ami the nearest to tliis we have reached in the last six months is 3.3. which was established in November. 1941. There should be a constant, steady increase in number of back-calls made by company publishers, now that tlie book Children is having wide distribution and they are followed up with tlie Children studies.

The publishers in the United States, both pioneer and company, will enjoy the consideration of another article in tliis Informant entitled “British Field Report for October”. The Lord’s people are the

1942 Yearbook of Jehovah’s witnesses

The Yearbook for 1942 has been delayed, as announced in The Watchtoicer, but it is now in course of preparation; and just as soon as possible its date of publication will be announced in The Watchtower. The Yearbook will be placed on the usual contribution of 50c to cover the cost of production. Brethren desiring copies of the Yearbook can place their orders through the company servants; but we suggest that these orders be not sent in to the Society before February 1. Please see the February 1 Watchtower for announcement as to the date of release. You can order the Yearbook with other literature. A remittance must be made with orders. The Yearbook is not charged to accounts.

i gift copy of the Yearbook. Pioneers not meeting this requirement can order theirs at the regular contribution, making remittance with order.

British Field Report for October

We have just received from the London Branch office a very good report for the month of October on the activity of the British brethren in the field. The American brethren should have in mind that our fellow British witnesses no longer have j a supply of literature or the book Children to offer from place to place, but they are just calling on

The Society is arranging to mail each pioneer who lias been in fulltime service continuously for six months prior to January 1 a the people, running the records, and arranging for back-calls, and studying the literature which probably they already have in their homes. Our British brethren work under disadvantages but are putting in better time and averaging better- in back-calls in England, both the company publishers and pioneers, than the publishers in the United States. Surely the American brethren will rejoice to see the zeal of our British brethren and will try to do as well or better in (he coming months.

The pioneers, of which there were over 1,400 reporting in October, averaged 130 hours in field service. In the United States the pioneers averaged only 116 hours for the same month.

As to back-calls, the pioneers in England averaged 31; in the United States, only 24.

In England the company publishers averaged 16.2 hours in the field service. In tlie United States, in October the company publishers averaged only 15. In England the company publishers averaged 3.9 back-calls; in the United States, only 2.9.

Let us look forward to the "Integrity" Testimony Period as a time in which greater effort will be displayed on the part of the publishers in this country than at any previous time. We rejoice with our British brethren that they are doing so well, and we know that they are looking forward to even greater peaks during the coming year.

Orders

All companies and pioneers who have ordered records of the new series should have theirs by the end of January. We lune practically all the old orders filled at the time of mailing tliis I ntormant.

I’lease do not send in orders for the new phonograph. We are not accepting them until further notice.

target of tlie enemy, and great is our privilege now to prove our integrity and devote our all unto the Lord and in the interests of The Theoi ratio Government. Let’s do our part!

1942 Calendar

The Society is now shipping tlie 1942 Calendar. If the company servants have not already sent in their orders they should do so immediately. There is no reduced rate on the Calendar to pioneers, and they can obtain theirs through companies or direct. We shall appreciate tlieir ordering the Calendar with other supplies, to save shipping costs. All orders for calendars should be accompanied by full remittance. Calendars cannot be charged to accounts.

Paper Shortage

At times it is very difficult to get tlie amount of paper required, and during the last few months we have had great difficulty in obtaining from the manufacturers our Watchtower paper. We have been able to get just sufficient for each run. If for some month the Society is not able to get its full amount of paper under contract, we will temporarily discontinue shipping distributors' copies of The Watchtoicer or Connotation to the subscribers.

At all times the Society will mail direct to the regular individual subscribers a copy of each issue. However, if because of paper shortage we cannot print sufficient quantity for tlie distributor subscribers, it is the Society's intention to mail only ten copies to the distributors, instead of the quantity these regularly receive. If you receive only ten copies in your distributors' supply you will know that you are charged for only this number on the Society's books and that we were not able to obtain sufficient paper to fill your entire order on that particular issue.

In the case of pioneers, if the pioneer receives in tlie mail only one copy of The Watchtower instead of tlie usual seven, do not write the Society complaining, because the shortage will be due to lack of paper.

It is well, therefore, for every person associated with The Theocracy to have an individual subscription for the magazines rather than to obtain copies from the distributors’ supply. Tlie individual subscriptions will be given preference at all times. Paper shortage may in tlie next few months interfere with street work. We hope that this will not occur, but we are giving notice now to companies and pioneers that this possibility exists. Every effort should be put forth during the coming Watchtower Campaign to obtain individual subscriptions. The Society will do everything possible to keep you supplied witli your distributors’ copies also. We have every reason to believe that the subscribers will get their issues regularly on some kind of paper.

Remittances

Companies, pioneers and individual publishers should not send cash in tlieir letters to the Society. When making remittances, use a postal or express money order or cheek or bank draft. In many parts of the United States mail is now being censored. and it is well not to have cash in the form of dollar bills or coin in your letters. Send your remittances in a safe manner, by money order made payable to tlie Watch Tower Bible A Tract Society. The Society cannot be responsible for the loss of currency.

New Publications

Riches: Yiddish.

Theocracy: Chinese and Spanish. God and the State: Spanish.

Comfort All That Mourn: Spanish. Safety: Spanish.

Model Study No. 1: Greek.

Model Study Na. 3: Italian.