WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY

Classes and Auxiliary to Date

96,091 Books 93,492 Booklets

Biggest Eight Weeks Ever Had by Pioneers Surpasses

Previous Peak by 26,669

The first returns for the big campaign for October and November are now ready. Regular colporteurs, you placed 181,447 books and 119,679 104 booklets. Auxiliary colporteurs, you sold 22,066 books and 16,054 10< booklets. Isn’t that great for a starter? We think so, and it makes us very happy. But don't get puffed up over it; for in order to make the final quota you'll have to do even better than that.

Having proportioned the work which should be done monthly, we find that the regulars were short 5,553 books and 80,321 booklets, and tbe auxiliaries were short 4,034 books and 16,054 booklets. That sounds like a lot, doesn’t it? To those who have been working hard, as we know some have, it might be a hit discouraging; but It should not be, for we are confident that when the rest who have been a little lax hear of this, they will get busy and report regularly. Of course some have been sick and unahle to work, but it helps a lot if you let us know about it by sending in your report just the same. Some have done this right along, and we want you to know that It is appreciated.

Now for a few more figures. The results show that Instead of 1,885 colporteurs reporting regularly each week, as were enrolled during November, we beard from an average of only 1,062. And, would you believe it? 502 didn’t so much as to send us one report. The regulars who did report averaged only 17.7 hours a week in the actual canvassing; and the auxiliaries, only 7,8 hours a week, instead of the 10 hours agreed upon. So you see there's plenty of room for Improvement. If everybody had been on their toes, what would have happened to that two months’ quota? You would have passed It so far that you wouldn’t know that it existed. But now it means full speed ahead In order to make up for lost time. The greatest work ever is now under way, and it is your privilege to huve part in it.

the necessity of giving an effective witness to the glory of the Lord at this time. However, there is one thing that we should like to call to the attention of a number of service directors, and that is the fact that 161 classes in the United States did not report during the months of October and November. If these had reported, undoubtedly the qnota figures shown above wonfd have heen greatly increased and even more encouraging. IVe therefore earnestly request all sendee directors to cooperate with ns in maintaining accurate records by reporting regularly, every week.

Friend” Campaign

Colporteurs’ Part in Peoples Friend Drive

Of course all the colporteurs want to have some part in putting out The Peoples’ Friend, hut not all can afford to give their full time to this during the special drive periods. We suggest, therefore, that you offer one of the booklets with each sale. If you have an assignment of I winter pioneer territory with some class and the class Intends to cover your territory with this booklet, then you need not include it in your combination. If you cooperate with the local service director you will know just what to do. But if you have territory which the class is un-ablo to cover with the booklet, then it will bo well for you to include one with each sale and to offer it at each call you make, even though the drive may not be on.

Some one asks, “What about those who are working pioneer territory where there is no class?” If you have such an assignment you may follow the same practice or spend a day or two a week in canvassing part of your territory for the booklet exclusively. Then a few weeks later in this same territory try a recan vass with the bound books. We shall be Interested In hearing from you as to the success of the latter plan.

Restoration Consignment

Early In January we shall forward a consignment of Restoration books to all classes. This book will be charged on the class account at seven cents and sold to the public at ten cents. It can also be Included In combinations with two other ten-eent booklets at three for twenty-five cents. This will undoubtedly prove to be a most attractive addition to the booklet assortment and should be a big factor in encouraging the sale of book-and-booklet combinations.

Colporteurs Asked Not to Use Class Books

Colporteurs are requested to order their books direct from the Society Instead of drawing on class stock and requesting us to make a transfer entry on our accounts. This has caused a great deal of confusion in our records. Only in case of special emergency or when special permission has been granted by this office should this be done. If you ruu short, borrow from the class and replace the books when your new supply arrives. The only exception to this Is in the case of auxiliary colporteurs working with the 54 booklets. Since the auxiliary and class rates on these are the same, the auxiliaries should buy them direct from the class. Please do not request that a transfer entry be made, however.

The Tourists Are Seldom Canvassed

Three Classes of People That Have the Means to Buy But Are Not Often Reached

Travelers, Hotel Employes, Small Merchants

During the months of January and February, and in some localities most of March, there is a great Influx of winter tourists to Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, Texas and southern California, with Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama getting tiicir share. These people are, as a rule, not the extremely rich, looking for pleasure, but the moderately well-off class who can not endure the rigorous northern winter. They are an Intelligent class of thinking people who have had to earn whatever little of this world’s goods they have. Away from home, they will have time on their hands to think and read. If they can be approached with the proper literature, they will undoubtedly respond. During January, February and March a concentrated effort should be made to reach tills class. The majority of them will be found in hotels and select boarding-houses, difficult to reach by the ordinary canvasser. Therefore it will require very careful planning on the part of the service committee to reach them. In this planning we shall not be able to give you much help, because the local conditions vary greatly. However, qualified brethren who are good mixers and capable of meeting the hotel employes and guests on equal terms should be chosen for

ClassWorkers’Books

Three Hours a Week Designates One as a Worker

Books are shipped to the classes on consignment and charged to the class at class rates. Every member of the class engaging in the service an average of three hours a week, and so reporting to the local service director, shall be entitled to receive books at the price at which the Society bills to the class, to wit, the class rates shown on the price-list. All profits between the prices abovementioned and the established retail selling price belongs to the worker, and it will be his privilege to contribute It to whatsoever fund in the class he may desire, or otherwise dispose of It as he may see fit. If the workers themselves enter into an agreement among themselves that they will set aside and contribute to the service fund so I many cents from each sale, that I win be their privilege, but it should be done by consent and not by compulsion. All who are not workers within the meaning of the above statement should be required to pay the full retail price to the class, and the class may do with the funds what it wants to and however it pleases.

Marking Literature

There is a strong objection to stamping local addresses in the literature that we sell to the public. Therefore Brother Rutherford bus

made with the manager or room clerk to place some of the ‘question leaflets' in a neatly-addressed envelope in their mail-boxes. Or another suggestion: In most of these resort towns the local newspaper carries a list of “Hotel Guest Arrivals”. These could be watched closely and the ‘question leaflets’ mailed to them. However, it is much more effective to canvass the people direct ; and where this is possible, do not resort to the mailing plan.

Another class of people found in these localities at the same seasons, and who should not he neglected, are the hotel employes. These aro a class who work at the northern seashore and mountain resorts during the summer and go south In the winter. They travel a great deal and are, as a rule, broadminded. Some of these are colored, others white; but as a rule they have separate . quarters and can be reached between three and four in the afternoon and between seven and nine in the evening, according to their employment. It will require careful planning to reach these people, also. I The service committee should ascertain all the facts arid conditions regarding all the resorts In the class territory, and lay plans accordingly.

The third class in this section who should be considered in this campaign are the small merchants (in curio shops, soft drink places, restaurants, garages and filling stations), in fact, all who cater to tourist trade. These should be can-: vassed in the forenoon, preferably Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, vice in the “Organization Method” has been follower! closely in this connection, this should not amount to a great deal. Kindly observe this rule in all literature distributed.

A Better Way to Encourage Radio Stations

Letters of appreciation sent to radio stations by individuals are of doubtful value, sometimes because of poor writing, poor spelling or poor grammar, and because the station owners recognize the fact that such letters are urged. We here suggest a method of enconragcment whereby one letter may be fur more effective than scores or hundreds. It is this:

Let all canvassers mention WATCH TOWER PROGRAMS and the nearest station broadcasting the same and ask about the reception of these programs. Jot down the Information in a note-hook, and reporl the same at the one- and two-day LOCAL SERVICE CONVENTIONS that are now being held all over the country. Some good stenographer or penman should take down these reports and formulate a well-written, typed letter which should be sent to the station proprietors. The letter should embody the following points, viz,:

• (1) That a convention of Bible Students was held, giving the name of the city.

• (2) That reports on reception of WATCH TOWER PROGRAMS from this particular station were I requested.

i (3) The cities and towns that re-¹ port good reception should be mentioned, with other items of interest.

• (4) Mention the fact that the | delegates call upon the people in I their homes, offering them Bible study helps and always introducing themselves by identifying their work with the WATCH TOWER PROGRAMS.

(5} Conclude the letter with an expression of thanks for the cooperation of the station in making our programs a success.

Further details about this plan ; are given In Tfte Golden Age for December 28 (Number 242).

“Pinched” for Bright Lights

RURAL ROUTE MAPS

Sold by U. S, Post Office

Great Help in Covering Territory

If you want to cover your rural territory thoroughly^ which of course you do, we suggest that you get a rural map of the territory assigned to you. Go to your local post office and ask for permission to look on pages 88 and 89 of the 1928 U. S. Postal Guide. There yon will find a list of counties for which maps can be obtained, together with the following instructions:

“Maps showing rural-delivery service in the counties listed below have been completed and negative prints can be furnished at 50 cents per copy. These maps are drawn, generally, on a scale of 1 mile to the inch. Rural routes for counties not. listed are shown on local center maps which can be purchased for 75 cents for all routes from each office. Purchasers must make application and payment for the maps to the ‘Disbursing Clerk, Post Office Department, Washington, D. C.‘ All remittances should be by postal money order. Postage stamps not accepted in payment.”

These are excellent maps, as they show not only the routes but also the number of homes and their locations along each route.