Mailing the Echoes of Grace
The EG is printed two issues at a time. It is mailed once a month, but the two mailings are different from each other. The first issue of each printing, the odd numbered months, we mail both issues to the Foreign addresses only. We mail only the first issue to US and Canada addresses. Before being put into envelopes, a tract/tract card is put inside each EG. The second issue of each printing, the even numbered months, we only mail to US and Canada.
Run the Labels
Just like ML labels, just choose different answers. :) However, run the Quantities and Singles consecutively, on the same day. In odd numbered months, choose ‘Enter’ at the end so that US, Canada, and Foreign addresses are run. In even numbered months, type ‘UC’ without commas or spaces so that only US and Canada addresses are run. (You mailed the even numbered EG’s last month to Foreign addresses.)
There are only 2 EG labels that require special handling. One is for Jan to put in the archives. These EG’s do not need to have the tract included.The other is for the unstapled ones that go to River’s Edge/ the detention center. It can just be thrown away; Tim has worked out another way to make sure he doesn’t forget to prepare them.
There is an Excel file, named ‘EG Tract’, on the computer in the periodical office that figures out how many tracts to pull for the stuffing. Enter the numbers from the Sequence Statement to fill in the cells. See printed example.
I use 4 bright blue cards to write down how many tracts are needed for 4 parts of the mailing: US/Can. Singles, US/Can. Quantities, Foreign Singles, and Foreign Quantities. I keep this in the front pocket of the BTP Mailing Manual, white copy, on the bookshelf behind the desk chair. To find out which tract to use, look at the email program. I have a folder ‘from Stephen Rule’. Look in there for the most recent email ‘EG tract Schedule’. There is a chart in the email that gives the name of the tract that Stephen suggests for the month you are mailing. If you are mailing an odd month issue, you will need to get some of two different tracts.
Get the total number of tracts needed from order filling and take them to the kitchen to label and stuff. I count the tracts for each part and put them on three tables US/Can Singles on one table; US/Can Quantities on another and, if it’s an odd month mailing, Foreign Quantities and Singles on the third table. The Foreign table will have two different tracts on it. The tracts actually have 101 in each bundle; because you are using several hundred, I adjust the numbers to reflect that. For example, if you need 671 Singles envelopes, 6 100’s will actually be 606, so you only need 65 more, not 71. (I don’t like to have too many stuffed envelopes left over. They eventually have to be opened, emptied, and put away, unless you just throw them away.) Helen Maurer and Steve Gliori usually help me stuff EG if it is an odd month. Helen only helps when it is an even month.
Stuffing the Envelopes
Once the EG’s all have a tract/tract card in them they can be stuffed into envelopes. US/Canada Singles get one EG in each envelope. US/Canada Quantities get filled like ML Quantities. There is only one number on the label, though. (Actually, the labels have x/0, with x being the number of EG’s to put in that envelope.) If it is an odd numbered month, Foreign envelopes will get one each of two issues of EG, ie. one January and one February for Singles and x each of two months for Quantities. If it is an even numbered month, there should not be any Foreign labels.
Because EG’s are smaller than ML’s, more of them will fit in each size of envelopes. I do separate the ‘B’ envelopes as usual. With the plastic envelopes, since we fill them first, I leave the S and M envelope labels attached, separating US from Canada. Once the Quantities are stuffed, Canada and Foreign can be taken to the mailroom. 10/13/17: There is currently only one EG package that is wrapped in the mailroom. When it is back, US Quantities are ready to put in mail containers..
When the Singles envelopes are stuffed, they are ready to go through the labeling machine. Thread the labels