Does the text which doesn't continue in the text boxes on the second page appear somewhere else in the document or simply not appear anywhere? I use publisher for the newsletter I edit but I find that if the text that should flow into the next linked box doesn't but flows into a text box later in the document there's some hidden character in the text box and I have to delete it before text will flow into the text box. I put my cursor in the upper left corner of the text box, hold down the left mouse button and run it down to the lower right hand corner and delete anything that is highlighted.
If the text just disappears does word ask you where you want it to go?

Bob. I guess I wasn't clear enough. IF I use 'text boxes' everything flows perfectly (although I am not an expert on linking either and have had some problems figguring out the rules for getting each box linked to its predessor). But that is not my question. I was hoping to learn how to easily (rapidly?) create multiple, equal 'text boxes' to allow this flow.

OR how to get regular columns, even on the first page to behave something like 'text boxes'. On the second and following pages, they do infact respond that way, with text flowing naturally from column to column. But on the first page which does have some carridge returns to keep banners and icons in place (and could indeed induce strange text effects as you suggest, although I don't think that is actually what is happening) the two column formatting from the second page will incroach into the bottom of the first page; or the outlined box on the first page moves down to the second page. In other words, some of the formatting on each page moves up or down as text is added or removed.

I had all kinds of trouble with things moving around in word. That's why I bit the bullet and bought an oem version of MS Office Professional so I would have Publisher. Back to your problem. Can you insert text boxes into the columns on the first page? If so maybe they would hold the formatting in place and you could link to text boxes in the rest of the publication.

Bob, that is exactly what I said. I can do that exactly. A text box was already there in the first place. AGAIN, text boxes work fine, but they are hard to set up EASILY and I suspect that I am missing the easy way to handle text boxes.

On the other hand, columns set up easily but they don't seem to work well keeping formats on the correct pages and I may be missing a step there.

I don't care which method. By the way, I have Publisher and know nothing about it. Glad you mentioned it. Perhaps I could use it too, but I am sending my finished file to someone else to destribute. I wonder if it would be a loser because the church might not have Publisher.

I publish my newsletter as a pdf file. It is emailed to most members. It is printed and mailed to some members and left out for others to pick up. Publisher is not needed to print it and pdf is convenient for anyone receiving it by email.
A big advantage of publisher for me is that when you put a graphic someplace it stays there unless you move it intentionally.
There may be a little adjustment to using publisher but many things are just like in word.