Letter to All Presiding Overseers and secretaries in the USA, 1999-06-30: Supply of service forms
25 COLUMBIA HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK 11201-2483, U.S.A. PHONE (718) 625-3600 June 30, 1999
TO ALL PRESIDING OVERSEERS AND SECRETARIES IN THE UNITED STATES
Dear Brothers:
A supply of service forms for your congregation's use during the 2000 service year will be shipped to you soon. Included with the forms package will be a list of all the forms and quantities that should be enclosed. Please take time to verify that the forms and quantities shown on this sheet were actually received. If any item is missing, the secretary should immediately write the Society at the address above, ATT: Desk FLH.
Please use these forms judiciously. It is quite expensive for the Society to process and ship these forms. An appropriate charge to cover these costs will appear on your next statement. Payment for this charge on your Congregation Account is to be included with your monthly remittance to the Society. Care should always be taken to ensure that information that is in the congregation's files or that is sent to the Society is neat and legible. It may be necessary to remind some that the forms should not be used as scratch paper or for taking notes. Some congregations provide a supply of scratch paper so that the brothers will not use forms for that purpose. When a form is used, needless waste can be avoided if brothers correct minor errors rather than discard the form. In addition, please make sure when storing forms that none are concealed by other forms of a similar size.
You will note that the Literature Request Form (S-14) contains changes. Please destroy any remaining 1998-1999 forms. Use only the 1999-2000 form.
Two copies of revised Instructions for Congregation Accounting (S(d)-27) will be included with this year's forms shipment. One copy should be reviewed carefully by both the presiding overseer and secretary and then placed in the congregation file. The other copy should be reviewed carefully by the accounts servant and then placed in the accounts current file. All previous printings of this form should be destroyed.
The Advance Medical Directive/Release (md) cards and Identity Cards (ic) included with this yearly supply of forms are not to be given out now (with the exceptions mentioned below) but should be held until further direction is given at the end of the calendar year. Please note that these forms have been revised. All previous, unused copies of these forms that you have on hand should be destroyed.
The November 1990 and September 1992 Our Kingdom Ministry inserts are provided so that the secretary can have these on hand to give to newly baptized individuals. These items can be made available right after baptism along with the Advance Medical Directive/Release card.
(Also, if these newly baptized ones have any unbaptized children, you may wish to acquaint them with the Identity Card many parents use for their children.) Take some time to explain the use and value of these items to these new brothers and sisters. Additionally, when elders review with baptismal candidates the questions on the subject of blood from Organized to Accomplish Our Ministry, pages 190-1, these items can be mentioned and the candidate can be told that he will receive them when he is baptized. If any who have been baptized since the beginning of this year have not received these inserts and cards, please make sure that they receive this vital information.
The Memorial invitations (mi) for 2000 should be stored neatly so that they will be in good condition when needed in the spring.
The preprinted envelopes are to be used as follows: Blue envelopes are used only when corresponding regarding judicial matters; yellow envelopes are used only when forwarding subscriptions to the Society; and "REPORT DESK" envelopes are used only for mailing the monthly Congregation Report (S-1). Please make certain that these special envelopes are used as specified. No other correspondence should be included in them.
We would appreciate it if you now take the time to verify that the names and addresses appearing on your last statement, packing list, and magazine shipment labels are correct. If any corrections are needed, please advise the Society at once by using the appropriate form----S-29, S-36, or M-206.
We appreciate your diligence in seeing to it that all congregation forms are used for their intended purpose and that all outdated forms are properly discarded. With this we send our warm Christian love and best wishes.
Your brothers,
Watchtower B. V. G. Society OF NEW YORK, INC.