How We Exceeded Our Quota In Rural Manhood Subscribers ROBERT C. SHOEMAKER WHEN the matter of supporting Rural Manhood was presented at Silver Bay in August, 1916, the writer was convinced that it was now time for him to "put up his hammer" and get busy in securing more subscribers for Rural Manhood than ever before. We all realized that this was our magazine and it would be just what we would make it. In years past our county had never sent in twentyfive subscribers, and so with a little fear and trembling we pledged ourselves to secure at least twenty-five subscribers during the year of 1917. After some study and investigation, our plans were made and the beginning of our winter's drive for subscribers was made at our December County Committee-meeting (Dec. 8, 1916). First: In order to start right, our Committee voted to subscribe as a committee for five subscriptions to Rural Manhood and Association Men, primarily intended for cultivating purposes. Although this had been the policy in the past, it was with some misgivings that the matter was presented in view of the increased cost. Second: Each Committeeman was earnestly urged to subscribe, and as a result we have seventeen of our Committeemen not only taking Rural Manhood and Association Men, but reading them, perhaps more than many of the magazines, trade journals, and weekly papers coming to their library. Third: A carefully prepared prospective list of subscribers was made, which included members of our Boards of Directors, leaders of groups, a few school teachers, some possible future Committeemen, and other interested men. By a personal solicitation a dozen new subscribers were secured by the Secretary. Fourth: Realizing the value of having Rural Manhood and Association Men in the group meetings, a special effort was made to induce some of the groups to subscribe to these magazines, and as a result of our appeal six groups voluntarily subscribed for the combination offer. At this point we realized that our original pledge of twenty-five had been passed without any appreciable effort, and so our goal was raised to fifty. Our fifth plan of procedure consisted in writing a letter. This letter brought in sixteen additional subscriptions. Our sixth idea was to get our own parents sufficiently interested in Rural Manhood and Association Men to subscrib they might know of the latest developments, not only in the county field, but throughout the whole world. To be sure, this was going outside of our own county, but we are under an obligation to keep our friends as much posted as we can regarding the work that we are doing, and there is no better way of giving a general view of Association work than can be obtained through closely following the issues of our two trade magazines. The last method we used to secure subscribers was an exhibit at the Mount Holly Fair. As usual we had our Rest Tent and Emergency Hospital, and this year we added to our exhibit a hastily prepared display of Rural Manhood and Association Men and were gratified to receive a few subscriptions. It may be interesting to know just who subscribed for these magazines in our own county. From our office records we gleaned the following table: Classification of subscribers to Rural Manhood and Association Men * A duplication of five subscriptions is explained by the fact that five of our leaders who are members of our County Committee are subscribers. Looking back over the past year, it has not seemed at all difficult to secure fiftyfour subscriptions. The secretaries have been more than rewarded by the comments that have been received from many of our subscribers, who have read the different numbers with as much interest as they read many other publications. One generally does what he wants to do, and so it is if any County Secretary really wants to have a large number of subscribers to Rural Manhood and Association Men, he will get them if he but has the 2589ce and perseverance. RURAL MANHOOD DEVOTED TO THE COUNTY (RURAL) WORK OF THE YOUNG MEN'S William Jessup Sholar The Farm Boys' Camp of One State.. An unbiased report of the camps of an entire State with suggestions for this year. An analysis of a common urban bias in social thinking and a plea for balance. The first attempt to compile a discriminating record of this movement of the The Outlook of the Japanese Farmer.... As the result of a recent visit to Japan. The Rural and Community Sociologist.. Influences of the War Upon Agriculture. A Letter from the Department of Agriculture... War Greatly Stimulates County Work.... 25 27 Ten States in conference consider manysided calls and make deductions. Enlisted from the Countryside... Some army service philosophy. The Record of the Farmer and Villager.... What he achieved in the great fifty-million dollar campaign. Taking in New Territory of Service.... Men who are doing it. Quotations from Books You Should Know.. Brain Exchange on Leader Training..... 222 222 32 34 Published monthly, except July and August, by the International Committee of Young Men's Christian Associations, 124 East 28th Street, New York, the office of publication. Alfred E. Marling, Chairman. B. H. Fancher, Treasurer. John R. Mott, General Secretary. Yearly Subscription, ten issues, $1.00. Foreign countries. $1.25. Single Copies, 15 cents. Entered as second-class matter February 6, 1915, at the Post Office at New York, N. Y., I STANFORD Problems of the Village Merchant How the County Secretary Might Help to Solve Them BY WILLIAM JESSUP SHOLAR, Sales Promotion Manager, Accounting Machine Co., New York City T was in the spring of 1903 that the first Y. M. C. A. County Secretary was installed in New England, in Norfolk County, Mass. Thus I had the privilege of being identified as an employed officer with the real beginning of organized County Work. In these last fifteen years the whole world has jumped forward by leaps and bounds, and the U. S. A. has set the pace. System, order, efficiency have become the slogan in business, and business itself has been completely revolutionized. This rapid and remarkable evolution of business toward finer and more highly specialized forms of organization began at about the time County Work was inaugurated. Perhaps this coincidence may not be without a spiritual significance. As I think of it now, looking back over these fifteen years, I feel quite sure that County Work is to have a very important place in the development of the small-town merchant, as it has already had in the development of the young men in the small towns, but if this is to be done, the County Secretary is the logical link between the sources of information and help, and the small-town merchant, who lives in a rather circumscribed field. It will be necessary, therefore, for the County Secretary to inform himself as to what has been going on in the business world in the way of development, organization, and cooperation. A New Order of Business The new order of business, as we see it today, began through the desire of men to find out if the operation of business could be reduced to sound business practice. That necessitated an analysis of the methods of doing business, so as to get down to bed-ro principles. This called for investigators and students, men who could dig into things and find the reason why. Hundreds of specialists and efficiency men, therefore, have been called into activity, and these men have been able to reduce business to basic principles, or, rather, they have found that certain basic principles underlie all business practice, and that the man who does business along ascertained and sound lines inevitably succeeds. It is, therefore, very easy for a man now to know quite definitely whether he is on the road to success or to failure. This point cannot be emphasized too strongly to the young men of the day. Fifteen years ago there was scarcely a worth-while business book to be had. By that I mean a book which would give reliable information as to the best ways of doing business in all of its branches. We now have. a very large library of splendid books on business, covering all of its phases. Any man who desires it may learn how the best business men have won their successes in organization, management, production, selling, financing, banking, accounting, and all the other lines of business activity. Small-Town Merchant in a Rut? While the manufacturer and the distributor have been organizing and systematizing their business and finding the best ways to make and sell goods, |