THE "Sharing Meeting" in the New York Conference is one of the best attended and most enjoyed of all their Shepherdess meetings. This is a time when workers' wives have an opportunity to exchange ideas, share tips on time-saving devices, demonstrate new crafts, and in general present anything that particularly interests them and has been a help to them in their work.
Mrs. A. J. Patzer, wife of the conference president, leads out in these meetings, and many wives take part. Before camp meeting or workers' meetings requests are sent out to a number of wives or other Shepherdess members asking them to share something of interest with the group. Topics are as signed to those who have a special interest or talent, and the women come well prepared to share their specialty.
We are grateful to Mrs. Patzer for sharing a list of the items that have been presented successfully to their group. It may give ideas to other groups who would like to have a "Sharing Meeting,"
1. Time-saving Devices.
2. Money Saving (places to purchase at discounts).
3. New Crafts.
4. Garnishes and How to Make Them.
5. Sprouting of Seeds.
6. New Sewing Tips and Notions.
7. New Cooking Tips (canning, freezing, etc.).
8. Baby Shower Ideas.
9. Wedding Shower Ideas.
10. Farewell Party Ideas.
11. Senior Citizen Activities.
12. Fund-raising Ideas.
13. Handicraft Ideas for Bedridden Children.
14. VBS Craft Ideas (made from styrofoam, felt, yarn, bottles, etc.).
15. Seasonable Table Decorations.
16. Readings and Skits.
17. Pathfinder Outings and Projects.
18. Recipes and Organization of Feeding 100 People (victory banquets, etc.).
These "Sharing Meetings" can be adapted to the interests of any particular group. Ministers' wives can go back to their churches and in turn share ideas with the women of their congregations.
At our request Mrs. Patzer sent in lists of suggested topics that speakers might use for these workers' wives' meetings. She writes: "Ministers have ministerial meetings, where they are inspired and charged, where they are enlightened, and where they can communicate. Ministers' wives need this same inspiration and outlet. Where ministers' wives meetings are held regularly a rewarding source of fellowship, encouragement, and sense of motivation has been the result.
"Following are some of the topics speakers have used in the New York Conference ministers' wives' meetings."
Specialized Speakers' Topics
1. Mother Needed in the Home.
2. Mother, Go Home.
3. Counsels on Health and Nutrition.
4. Living Within the Minister's Income.
5. Cooking Without Eggs.
6. The Home a Sacred Circle.
7. Making Obedience Fun.
8. Making Sabbath a Delight.
9. Are We Really Keeping the Sabbath Holy?
10. The Ministerial Image.
11. Tools for the Minister's Wife.
12. Increasing Preacher Husband's Efficiency.
13. Messages to the Minister's Wife From Ellen G. White.
14. How to Conserve the Family Health.
15. Good Grooming and Your Figure.
16. Our Reading and TV Watching and Their Influence.
17. Your Children a Challenge, Not a Chore.
18. What to Do Now for Delinquents.
19. Promises for Preachers' Wives Abound in the Scriptures.
20. Rules for Marriage (a happy home).
21. What I Expect of My Minister's Wife.
22. Role of Diet in Preparing a People for Christ's Second Coming.
23. Money Management.
24. Stretching the Food Dollar.
25. Women's Lib Isn't Biblical.
26. Why Discouragement?
27. Why Men Leave Home.
28. Careers at Home.
Ideas for Panel Discussions
1. Assigned chapters from Child Guidance, The Adventist Home, The Great Controversy, etc.
2. Suggestions for self-improvement.
3. Reading, studying.
Interviews Given at Women's Meetings
1. Successes and weaknesses of cooking schools.
2. Teen Dial-a-Prayer and its success.
3. SDA weight watchers and exercise clubs.
4. New Sabbath school material for children's divisions.
a. Devices.
b. Songs.
c. Decorations and where to get them.
5. Successful Investment projects.
6. Telephone evangelism.
7. Young married clubs and objectives reached.
8. New ideas used for shut-ins and hospitalized people.
9. Organization of caring for a bereaved family.
10. New do-ahead Sabbath dinner recipes or menus.
11. Weekly prayer groups meeting in homes, answers to prayers.
12. Things a pastor appreciates of the conference office staff.
13. Things a conference president appreciates of the pastor.
14. Pathfinders' projects for helping the needy.
15. Sabbath afternoon activities for children and youth.
16. Special homecoming programs.
