Letter to All Bodies of Elders in the USA, 1998-01-15: Preparing field service reports an sending them to the Society on time
January 15,1998
TO ALL BODIES OF ELDERS IN THE UNITED STATES
Dear Brothers:
We are glad to provide information that will assist you in preparing your congregation field service reports and sending them to the Society on time. (Compare Mark 6:30.) This letter supplements our letter dated August 15, 1996. However, it replaces our letter dated August 27, 1990, which should be destroyed.
The revised Congregation Report (S-1) has greatly reduced the amount of time and personnel needed for the Society to tabulate the reports each month. Most of the brothers are filling out their reports correctly. However, please note the following:
Use only the latest printing of the Congregation Report form. Older forms should be destroyed.
Please enter the month that is being reported, not the month in which the report is filled out. For example, when filling out the November report, which is done at the beginning of December, you should enter "11" for the month, not "12."
Be sure to use the correct congregation number; many brothers are using wrong numbers or transposing numbers.
In each section, begin writing the numbers in the box that is the farthest to the left.
DO NOT put zeros in boxes unless they are part of the number being reported. It is not necessary to fill in every box.
DO NOT put dashes, slashes, or any other marks in any of the boxes. If you make a mistake, please white out the figures. Any character, even a dot or a dash, is interpreted by the computer as a number. This requires much extra time and effort to correct.
Please use a permanent black ink, fine point felt-tip pen or roller pen. Or, you may use a medium, black ballpoint pen. Do not use pencil, typewriter, or felt marker.
Be careful that the numbers do not touch the edges of the box. If they do, the numbers can not be recognized properly by the computer.
Write the numbers as clearly as possible, using the example numbers shown on the form as a model. Poorly written numbers are usually interpreted as other numbers.
It is important that the field service reports are submitted on time. It is noted on the Congregation Report form as follows: "Please mail one report to the branch office for each month, no later than the SIXTH DAY of the month following." Thus, the congregation field service report should not be delayed even for late publisher reports. Nonetheless, if because of circumstances beyond your control, your report is late, please send it by regular mail. It is not necessary to use expensive express-mail service.
LATE REPORTS: What should be done when a publisher or a pioneer turns in a field service report so late that it cannot be included in the Congregation Report that is sent in on the sixth of the month? The "Question Box" in the August 1973 Our Kingdom Ministry said: "If, for example, a publisher turns in a late report for his activity during July and then turns in his August report on time, all of his activity would be included in the congregation's August report. Would this one be counted twice as a publisher in August? Yes, because he was not counted as a publisher in July. This will provide the Society with a complete report, and the averages at the end of the year will be correct." So if the report for the congregation is incomplete because of missing reports, please do not hold up the Congregation Report until these are received. Also, if reports are turned in after you mail the Congregation Report to the Society, please do not send these to the Society asking that the report be adjusted. Rather, include such reports in the next month's Congregation Report.
CONGREGATION'S PUBLISHER RECORD CARD: Some have been concerned that if an individual's report is not turned in early enough to be included in the Congregation Report, the publisher would be considered irregular. Others have included time for the publisher, even though no report had been received. It would be best if nothing is reported for a publisher until a report is actually received, either in writing or orally. This will ensure that your field service report is "an accurate report." See Our Ministry, page 103, paragraph 2.
Individual reports should be posted on the Congregation's Publisher Record card under the month shown on the report slip, regardless of which month the report is turned in or when it is included in the Congregation Report sent to the Society. Thus, if a publisher turns in his November report late, when the secretary posts the Congregation's Publisher Record card, he should post the November report in the space for the month of November and the December report in the space for the month of December.
PIONEER REPORTS: As noted above, you should handle regular pioneer reports in the same way you handle publisher reports. Late reports should be added to the total activity for regular pioneers on the next month's report. Hour credits for pioneers, such as for attending Pioneer Service School, working with a Regional Building Committee, or serving temporarily at Bethel, should not be included with field service time on the Congregation Report. Special pioneers report directly to the Society. Their field service reports should not be included with the regular pioneer activity on the Congregation Report, although their activity should be posted on the Congregation's Publisher Record cards.
If certain totals on your monthly report are significantly higher or lower than normal, please include a brief note confirming that the figures are accurate. This will serve to satisfy questions that the Society may have regarding the accuracy of the totals.
We trust that these comments will be helpful to you in preparing your monthly field service reports so that they will be accurate and can be sent to the Society on time. It is a pleasure to be working unitedly with you in behalf of Kingdom interests. We send our warm Christian love.
Your brothers,
Watchtower B. V. J. Society OF NEW YORK, INC.