Items of Interest September 4, 1937 Issue

Items of Interest

Approving and Countersigning Applications

Approving the applications of those who are ready and desirous of uniting with The Mother Church is one of the privileges of every member of The Mother Church. Some members exercise this privilege frequently, others seldom. But all members should know what are the qualifications for membership. These are clearly set forth in Articles IV, V, and VI of the Manual of The Mother Church. To ascertain that applicants fulfill these qualifications, certain procedure has been established and is set forth in the circular of "Instructions to Applicants" which accompanies each application form. This circular has been thoughtfully prepared for the purpose of answering questions most frequently asked concerning membership, and of obviating mistakes sometimes made in filling out applications. Because the instruction circular has been thus prepared, compliance with the directions given therein lessens the work of the Clerk of The Mother Church and expedites the handling of the applications. It is therefore strongly recommended that applicants, approvers, and countersingers familiarize themselves with the contents of this circular.

Approvers and countersingers are reminded that the Manual of The Mother Church directs that an application must not be approved or countersigned before the applicant has signed the application in his own handwriting. (See Article V, Section 6.) Signatures are very important; they must be in the individuals' own handwriting and should indicate whether a woman is Miss or Mrs.; one given name must be written in full. Signatures must not be printed. The reason for the last requirement is that the individual's own signature on the application subsequently becomes legal evidence of membership.

Every application must conform to certain requirements. An applicant who is a pupil of an authorized teacher should use Form 1 of the application and secure the approval of his teacher. An applicant not having had class instruction in Christian Science with an authorized teacher should use Form 2 of the application. This form must be approved by a member of The Mother Church in good standing and countersigned by a member having the designation of C. S. B. or C. S. D. If the application is approved by a member having the designation of C. S. B. or C. S. D., no other signature is required. The exceptions to these rules are found in the Church Manual, Article V, Section 4, and Article VII.

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