Re-reading the Manual

Over the last couple of days, I have read the Manual through.  I came to the conclusion that it is necessary to make a practice of reading the Manual quite often, for, as we progress in our understanding, we find that different situations and life experiences require obedience to different by-laws.  For example, a class-taught student going into a business will need to know that, "A member of The Mother Church shall not place the initials “C.S.” after his name on circulars, cards, or leaflets, which advertise his business or profession, except as a Christian Science practitioner." See p.46, Use of Initials “C.S.”.

The other discovery was that, whereas I had thought that the membership application form did not include a place for the applicant's signature, I found that the place for the person’s name coincides with their signature.  My authority?  Page 111 To Applicants, paragraph 2: "If the applicant is a married woman she must sign her own Christian name, not her husband’s, and prefix her signature with “Mrs;” unmarried women must sign “Miss.”"  I presume that however one places one’s name in writing is a signature.  *

This reminds me of possibly my first business meeting as a branch church member.  The clerk read the minutes and gave a woman’s name as Mrs. Doug _____, giving her husband’s Christian name.  She was quickly on her feet to state that she was Mrs. Barbara _____.  A lesson in individuality for me.

There was another discovery for me.  The name of the Clerk of The Mother Church at the time of the printing of the particular Manual one is reading, appears on the prototype application form.  My copies have Corrine LaBarre and Gordon V. Comer.  So, are the application forms printed afresh with the appointment of each new Clerk?  Not difficult these days of computers.

 

Joyce Voysey

* Ed - SIGNATURE: the name of any person, written with his own hand, employed to signify that the writing which precedes accords with his wishes or intentions; a sign manual; an autograph.
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