I believe the requirement for the Book to remain at the Table was put into the Rules in the late mid-1970s (before the 1976-77 season) but it may have been in the late 1970s.
I remember replacing the Scorer at half time of a boys' VAR game in California, either the 1982-83 season or the 1983-84 season. We hadn't been in the dressing room two minutes when the Visitor's HC was knocking on the door wanting to let us know that the Book was not at the Table. We went out to the Table. The Scorer (the Home HC's wife) was sitting at the Table. I asked her where the Book was and she told me that she had taken it to her husband. I reminded her that the Book was to not leave the Table and she was to retrieve the Book immediately. She looked straight in the eye that she always takes the Book to her husband and that she would not go get it. By this time the Home AD was at the Table. I told that two of them that they had 90 seconds to get return the Book to the Table. The AD told the HC's wife to retrieve the Book and she told him no,
. The AD looked at me with a look of exasperation and I told him to replace her. And he did. He was our Scorer of the Second Half. The Home HC was not happy the whole Second Half but he treaded lightly with my partner and me.
MTD, Sr.