New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-08-06
An Interesting and Not I'm
profitable Field for the
Right Person.
BY Mary Marshall,

One OF the most helpful and interesting
vacations open 10 women at the present
time is that Of church work.
1T know OF a dozen churches at tho
present time" said q prominent city cier'
gyrnan few days ago, positively sut-
fertng for the need OF the services OF ca
pable. really efficient women workers.
Talk about the churches needing more
ministers! They could get along with
what they have II there were more well
trained women employed BY the churches
10 help with the social and routine side OF
the work"
As matter OF fact. every year more
and more OF the churches are employing
wer-paid women workers. but there IS
room for many more Of the right Sort
II &c also a fact that many young women
who think themselves fitted for this sort
OF work are really not fitted for IL stter
all. for IN this day OF institutional
churches II is more important for the
minister's helper TO know how 10 hnser
rhe TYPEWRITER keys than IL is 10 read the
Scriptures in the original, and II she
doesn't know all the doctrines or the
church it doesn't 80 much matter II she
knows how 10 play basketball. tell chill
dren's stories. carve wood and DO lie"
other things Of interest 10 boys ana slrls'
There are two rather distinct lines OF
work to be done by women church work
kiraf that or
the ministers secretary and, second, that
OF the parish visitor. Although IN some
OF the larger churches this work Is done
by two or even more women. in the ma
jority Of cases one versaule woman has
70 do 81 all.
The minister's secretary does not posi-
lively have 70 understand -tenography
but she does IN most cases have TO know
how TO use the typewriter Her days
work begins. let Us say, at o'clock
when sin, meets the minister In his study
10 take dlctaton and direction for an
swering the mornings mail. Following
this duty. the minister's secretary writes
and sends or the mail In most churches
there is an elaborate system OF card cat
aiogu.rg 20 correspond 70 the old-fash-
ioued church register, and every day the
minister's secretary has 20 spend an hour
or So on this Records OF new members.
births. deaths and marriages, ETC. have
To- he kept mp to date for the Use OF the
minister and HE assistants. Frequently
the secretary has 10 send out circulars
AMI notices to the church members, ana
N q church With 4 membership Of thou
To- r-rr.4 ~ "A
9dirasser. Then the secretary often has
10 take charge OF the printed notices OF
tac church. tho parish notes or what
ever the weekly printed bulletin OF the
church 10 called. This means preparing
copy FOR the printer. the correcting Of the
printers proof and other editorial work.
II the worker services extend beyond
| the duties Of a secretary, she usually
| has daily office hours r. room IN the
church building or parish mouse. Ere
quently she carries on d local employ
men, and relief bureau. with Office hours
| for this at certain time every day.
! calling Will take up many hours every
v-ek for while sick calls and frst calls
ar. made by the ministers OF the church
! calls on delinquent Sunday school scho.-
ars. on the poor who need constant at
t.ntion. and many calls IN connection
! with the organizations OF the church are
| made by the woman parish visitor.
/ good share Of the church worker
; time is usually spent on club ana socieI
! work. II the church worker IS l. stem
| ograpner and typewriter, she VIII. "a
doubt. have A weekly evening class in
f.,c IN 10
; men and women who are fitting them
selves for ONCE work. II she understands
! the art OF cooking, she viii doubtless
/ have a cooking class, and with l'ttle
! knowledge OF dietetlcs she could carry on
A weekly mothers meeting 10 help the
! mother. with the problems Of feeding
| their children.
Several denominations have specially
! equipped training schools Tor church
workers. but. although a course IN such a
school would lead almost surely 20 en-
/ ployment as a church worker. by far the
] Greater number ~ church workers ere
not trained IN this way. They are trained
usually through practical volunteer work
and are drawn into church work az vo-
cation from the list OF efficient volun-
/ tcer workers For the young woman VINO
| seriously thinks OF undertaking this work
as a vocation. perhaps the shortest cut "a
a short course IN business school, te'
cause the busy minister. az much az any
| other man VINO has a great deal of work
! 70 do. appreciates the value OF business
training IN his assistants.
! course. or well directed reading. In
| such subjects as cooking, sewing, sun
| day school methods. wood carving. basket
weaving, first aid 70 tho injured would
all or any one be of material service 10
the prospective church worker.
| II has long been the custom 20 thinH
Of the church worker as a badly paid
| person, but as n matter of fact, though
there is no fortune in the field. a capable
woman gets very fair return for her
labor. In the large cities church workers
receive from 500 TO s9op year. with va
| cation OF month or two. There are q
few specially capable workers who re-
ceivs 81 600 or fl,c0o a year. In smaller
towns. where the cost OF board and lodg
| ing is not so great as I'm the larger cities
So a month in considered fair salary
| Copyright. 1912 by MARY MarshallJ