fa ns i. c r° 1] DO IT NOW NO TIME TO LOSE THE ORGANIZATION of the National Campaign of Northern Baptist Laymen With Suggestions to State Officers and Committees and to the “Five Minute Men” PLAN OF CAMPAIGN National Committee of Northern Baptist Laymen, Headquarters, Room 1207, Fifth Avenue Building, New York City ORGANIZATION OF THE NATIONAL CAMPAIGN OF NORTHERN BAPTIST LAYMEN Organization is Imperative Large results from the work of many people cannot be secured without organization. Elab- orate machinery or great expense are not necessary, but there must be a plan, a leader- ship, a definite objective. What is everybody’s business is- nobody’s business. Get busy. I. NATIONAL ORGANIZATION THE following sections from the report of the Committee on Organization, adopted at Chicago, January 11,. 1918, give the outline of organization for the Campaign: 1. That the Continuation Committee ap- pointed at Cleveland have general direction. 2. That the Continuation Com’mittee ap- point a special National Campaign Committee some of whose members should be near enough to New York to meet frequently. 3. That a state committee be named in each state. 4. That plans be developed for sending out hundreds and thousands of “messengers” who will make “five minute talks” and explain the task and the plans. To this end the National Committee should furnish data and actual outlines for talks. 5. That a national campaign director be appointed to head up the campaign and that a campaign publicity man be engaged to direct the publicity end. 6. That as many pcperts in setting up con- ferences be utilized as, a/e available. 3 7. That an appeal be issued for volunteers to do all that has been suggested in the fore- going. The names of those reporting should be passed over to the several state commit- tees. II. STATE ORGANIZATION Each state should be organized in the main as follows: 1. A state committee varying in number according to local state conditions should be named. Its members will be formally ap- pointed by the National Committee. It is bet- ter to have too many rather than too few members. There is no objection to using min- isters, but the bulk of the committee should be laymen. 2. The state committee should select a chairman, a campaign director and a treasurer. 3. It may be well to name a few persons to act with these officers as a state executive committee. 4. The state chairman shall perform the usual duties of such an officer and keep always in fullest contact with the national and state directors. 5. A state headquarters should be secured and established immediately, in charge of the state campaign director. 6. The state director should, in consulta- tion, direct all the work in the state and aggressively promote the entire state cam- paign. He may employ such agencies as may be necessary for the proper prosecution of the work. 7. A close relationship should be main- tained between the state committees and the state and district secretaries (men and women). 8. The state committees should organize committees in each association so far as prac- ticable and through them plan to reach every community and church. 4 III. ASSOCIATION OR DISTRICT ORGANIZATION The association is our natural Baptist unit already organized. This campaign should pro- mote associational unity and co-operation. In some instances associations may have to be divided, or combined; certain metropolitan centers also may be subdivided. Local condi- tions must determine exact limits of the unit employed. 1. The state director or committee should select a chairman for each association or dis- trict, who shall select his association or dis- trict committee. 2. The association or district director should be a member of the state committee and keep in constant and close contact with the state director. 3. Association or district headquarters should be in the most accessible city or town for the prompt handling of all work. 4. The association or district director should as speedily as possible prepare a complete list of men available for five minute speakers. These should so far as possible be laymen of known ability. The list can be enlarged from time to time. 5. A conference of all the association or district speakers should be held very soon, that they may be fully informed as to facts, out- lines of talks; and also talk and pray over the whole plan. Be sure all understand instruc- tions; it would be well to have them fully written out. Each speaker must be furnished printed outlines of talks. These can be se- cured from the National Committee. 6. The association or district director should be responsible for the work in his sec- tion, (a) making all engagements for talks; (b) sending out speakers, securing needed sub- stitutes; (c) getting in touch with churches so as to arrange dates; giving full publicity to all plans and meetings. 5 7. The association or district director should be certain that all five minute speakers are kept busy. One meeting in every church, and in the larger churches a meeting with each group, as Sunday school, young people’s soci- ety, men’s organizations and women’s soci- eties. 8. The association or district directors should see that there is sufficient literature cir- culated at each meeting. This should be care- fully distributed. Do not leave a pile of leaf- lets somewhere to be taken; give them to indi- viduals' 9. The association or district director should hold a second meeting for all speakers about March 1, to talk over the campaign. Talk encouragingly, enthusiastically. IV. THE LOCAL CHURCH Each church will select a representative lay- men’s committee which will direct the local work. This committee should keep in close touch with State headquarters. V. THE PLAN OF CAMPAIGN A. PERSONNEL 1. Being a laymen’s movement the laymen will lead. All committees are almost wholly made up of laymen. Since it is a laymen’s campaign, use all available men. New voices and new personalities are very effective. Dis- cover new men and use them. 2. Every agency of the denomination will place its facilities at the disposal of the several committees. 3. Pastors should not permit the laymen to put the leadership in this Campaign over on them. This is a “laymen’s job,” although the pastor in every instance will assist. Better still, let’s all pull together — men, women and children. 6 B. OBJECTIVES 1. Bear in mind that the purpose of the Campaign is to raise “An Extra Million Dol- lars Before March Thirty-first.” 2. A larger objective is the enlistment of laymen in Kingdom service. The greater value of the Campaign should appear after it is all over. A working body is being organized which should be able to accomplish “things wonderful” in future days. C. METHODS Each committee — state, associational and church — will lay out its own plan of operation. The following suggestions are offered as to methods: 1. The Five Minute Men. These have a great work to do. Much is being expected from them by the national committee. Hun- dreds of them should be employed in every state. Such volunteers appoint others. Each state committee should keep a register of the Five Minute Men. It would be well to send all names to National Headquarters so that literature may be sent direct. Give exact local addresses. Material for the use of five minute men is furnished by the National Committee in the several leaflets issued, particularly the “Hand- Book” and “Big Thoughts for Little Speeches,” or suggestions for Five Minute Men. Talks should be direct, pointed and brief. “Brevity is the soul of wit.” Wake the people up. Do not try to make a thirty minute talk in five minutes, nor vice versa! Wherever a Baptist meeting, rally or con- ference is held prior to March 31, get a Five Minute Man on as “extra.” When facts are clearly in mind, it is desir- able Five Minute Men should prepare their own talks. Remember that the Five Minute Men are dis- tinct from the general helpers, such as general, district or state secretaries. 7 Send men to new audiences where possible, so they may speak to churches of which they are not members. 2 Conserve your resources in men, money and time. Do not be afraid to use telegraph or telep' one. Avoid long trips. Have many men for short trips so far as possible. Keep ac- count of all expenses for travel, for office, for expenses of Five Minute Men and send state- ment to National office, 1207 Fifth Avenue Building, New York City, each Saturday. 3. The literature of the movement is being prepared by the national committee as rapidly as possible. It will not be extensive, but is appropriate and suggestive. Send for list. The whole story of the campaign is told in the attractive four-page folder, six by nine inches, printed in three colors, entitled “The New Day for World Service.” It may also be used as a poster. 4. Keep in close contact with the national office. Advise fully. Ask questions. Replies will be sent promptly. Literature should be distributed carefully at every meeting that is held. 5. Ask each pastor to speak on the cam- paign issue, devoting if possible an entire ser- mon to it, discussing (a) laymen’s work, (b) this special Campaign, (c) the Baptist war fund which is included in this special drive, (d) the five year program. Understand the relation of these various phases of the work. 6. The Campaign should be considered by every ministers’ conference. Local and state conferences should be held. 7. State and association committees should plan for supper conferences in as many churches and communities as possible. Good programs should be arranged and opportunity given for question and answer. Get the facts before the people. 8 8. Use local newspapers for publicity. Pub- lish names of speakers throughout the associa- tion or district. Send list to Baptist paper and to state and national officers promptly. Secure some experienced publicity man as a member of the committee. Special publicity just prior to the main drive of the last week is very important. 9. Sermons, five minute talks, letters, per- sonal interviews, conferences and other meth- ods should be utilized to prepare the way for the final week. 10. The Baptist papers will be fully utilized every week, and all are cooperating splendidly. Call attention to the publicity work. Each state and association committee should have one member familiar with this sort of work. Local newspapers everywhere will print ma- terial, if it is properly presented by some local man. D THE MAIN DRIVE The Campaign covers a period of only eight weeks, beginning February 1. Seven weeks of this time will be utilized to inform the people everywhere regarding the Campaign. The motto in the first weeks of the Cam- paign should be “To the Last Church.” The motto for the closing week may well be "To the Last Man,” “No State Failure.” If a militant slogan is desired let it be “Bap- tist Laymen Over the Top,” as suggested by Kansas. While gifts and pledges will not be declined at any time, the MAIN DRIVE will occur in the last week culminating Easter Sunday, March 31. The organization should be so perfected everywhere by March 23 that there will be no difficulty in rounding things up in the eight days remaining. 9 E. GENERAL SUGGESTIONS Do not neglect anything that will contribute to the success of the Campaign. Get the habit and talk in millions for the next two months. “Say it over.” Many small gifts will help swell the total. But it is imperative that many pledges for large amounts be received. Plans to secure these should be perfected early. If a few large promises can be secured and the announcements made at the opening of the last week it would be well. Teams to call upon special contributors should be organized and coached before the final week of drive. The importance of prayer cannot be over- estimated. Without special help from above we cannot accomplish this great task. The spiritual side of the Campaign should be kept to the front constantly. “Do it now.” Do not wait for further ad- vice. Go ahead. Begin. To get results is what we all want. Take the initiative. No. 8, Ed. 3, zoM, 2-18 !> 10