OCR Text |
Show tains more than twenty-five stars, and speaks to us of seven countries. The Branch has not limited its efforts to overseas work. One of its important tasks has been the strengthening of the home ba-se by seeking to unify and educate the groups of women working together in our home churches. Increased vision, interest, and gifts have resulted. Our budget has grown from $2,000 to $16,000 and our auxiliaries number 79. Among the methods employed to stimulate interest and co-operation are: 1. Well-planned Annual and District Meetings. 2. Securing closer fellowship between neighboring auxiliaries by occasional exchange of courtesies. 3. The adoption of a standard of service to be kept before the auxiliaries. 4. Encouraging attendance at conferences for Bible and Mission Study, and for training for leadership. 5. Supplying material for program building including suggestions for dramatics, music, etc. to any auxiliary desiring it. In all these efforts the Branch is most heartily supported by its sister organization, the Woman's Home Missionary Union, with whom it has always co-operated in its annual meetings and usually at its Board meetings. Some of the work of the two Boards is done by joint officers and the annual reports are issued in one volume. So delightful is this close fellowship, and such a sense of oneness does our common task bring, that we are looking to the time when we forget distinctions of locality and think only of extending the Kingdom of God in the hearts of men everywhere. UTAH BRANCH It was on February 13. 1897 that the Utah Branch was organized with Mrs. W. S. Hawkes as president. The names connected with the early history of the Utah Branch can hardly be separated from the early educational work of our denomination in this state. With the teachers of the New West schools it had its beginning, and from them drew most of its leaders. Looking back over our past history, the outstanding events are visits from missionaries from the field, or workers sent out from our mother societies. We sometimes wonder if we might not detain more of these as they pass through the state in crossing the continent. [ 36 ] |