Herbert W Armstrong

Some of our office records and furniture are still in moving vans on the road, but the Festival Office is now operating on the campus in Pasadena. It seems like we have been moving forever, but complications due to the recent receivership prevented us from arriving here any sooner.

In fact, the receivership has hurt our preparation for the Feast of Tabernacles 1979 in several ways! When the receivership struck, we were scheduled to send our Housing Officers out to the various sites across the United States to prepare for members' lodging this next autumn. The men representing the Brochure also were scheduled to visit our festival cities in an attempt to secure helpful and informative advertising for next year. However, under the receivership, it was impossible to get expense money for these people to travel-therefore, we are over six weeks behind!

The festival sites for this next year are the same as 1978 — with one exception. The new site for 1979 is BILOXI, Mississippi. As the Big Sandy property has been for sale for several months, it became necessary to plan for a different site next year. Biloxi is perhaps somewhat unknown to many of you, however, that section of the Gulf Coast is renowned as a winter resort for the Midwest and in years past, even as a health spa. With a brand new auditorium (actually the finest auditorium we will be using this year) and 26 miles of white sand beach, Biloxi should be a suitable replacement for Big Sandy which people have used and loved these many years.

As in 1978, we will be also using the following: SEATTLE, Washington; FRESNO, California; TUCSON, Arizona; WISCONSIN DELLS, Wisconsin; LAKE OF THE OZARKS, Missouri; ST. PETERSBURG, Florida; SAVANNAH, Georgia; NORFOLK, Virginia and SARATOGA SPRINGS, New York.

As we all know the spring festival is just around the corner. To help you cover your own personal expenses pertaining to the festival, the Festival Office will be mailing you your Second Tithe allotment checks within the next few weeks. The amount this year will continue the same as last year — 10% of your annual allotment.

REMEMBER, the festival allotment which you receive from the Festival Tithe account is actually an expense allotment, NOT income! Therefore, to properly account for its use {should you ever be checked by the IRS) please keep all your receipts as necessary records.

Other than being behind a little bit as I mentioned above, the Festival Office following its move to Pasadena is in good shape for this next year. Mr. Armstrong fully intends to continue the festival as we have been observing it with thousands of Church members gathering together in several cities across the United States. So, please give us all the help you can this year — we are going to really need it! Any suggestions or comments that you or the members have are most appreciated — however, begin sending them to the Pasadena address.

—Sherwin McMichael