The “Rock of Ages” was sung, a prayer was offered by Mr. Martin, after
which Mr. Farrar said:
I desire to give you a little history of the inauguration of our circle
work in Troy. I do so because I am confident that what was done there
last year may be done in every city, in every village, and may be
multiplied a thousand times.
About the middle of last September I wrote an article on “Reading,
Circles for Reading, and The C. L. S. C.,” and published it in the Troy
_Daily Times_.
I wrote this article, published it on Wednesday, calling a meeting
at my church for Thursday evening, inviting anybody and everybody
who desired, to be present. The evening was quite unfavorable. I
expected about twenty. I was exceedingly surprised and gratified in the
interests of the C. L. S. C. work when I found nearly three hundred
people present. Being inspired by their presence, I began to talk to
them on reading, the importance of it, the value of it to-day, and the
cheapness of literature. I unfolded to them the C. L. S. C. plan, the
numbers that were taking it up, the enthusiasm that prevailed here at
Chautauqua, and how the Circle was spreading all over the world, not
only in this country but in other countries. It was all new to many of
them.
At the conclusion of my half hour’s talk I asked how many persons
wanted to join some such circle as this. About every hand in the
audience went up. I was surprised again. Looking over the audience,
I knew nearly every one of them, for I was back the second time as
pastor of the same church, and knowing that four or five denominations
were represented there, I suggested that there ought to be a circle in
every church. I did not want to “scoop up” the whole right there in
our church, and I was generous enough to say that there ought to be a
dozen circles established in our city, one in connection with every
church, and in the suburbs. I said that a week from that night we would
organize a circle there, and any who desired to be connected with that
circle would be gladly welcomed.
During the week I received several letters from parties in the city,
and out of the city, asking about the C. L. S. C., what its course
of reading was, etc. I followed it in the _Daily Times_ with another
letter on Wednesday, saying that our circle was to meet on Thursday,
and explaining the text books that we were to take up for the year,
and more fully entering into the C. L. S. C. idea. Our evening came,
and we had over three hundred present. I had the whole list of books
with me. I took them up and showed them to each person. I said, “this
is the course.” I went on unfolding the whole idea of the course, the
amount of time each year, the examinations at the end of the year,
and the outlook of the four years’ course. I told them that this was
the student’s outlook from college halls, with the exception of the
mathematics and the languages to be translated.
Then I asked how many desired to join this Circle. Over two hundred
hands went up. Immediately we fell to organization. Fortunately,
or unfortunately, I was elected president, and a Protestant
Episcopal clergyman, rector of Christ Church, close by me, was
elected vice-president. We have in our organization a president,
vice-president, secretary, treasurer, and a board of managers
consisting of five.
I found on inspecting the number that joined our circle that we
were about equally divided Baptists, Protestant Episcopalians,
Presbyterians, and Methodist Episcopalians. Our board of managers
was wisely selected from these various churches, so that there might
be the largest remove possible from anything like an organization
confined to our church. I say this because I believe that people are
hungry for just such an organization as this. There are thousands in
our communities who are tired of idle gossip. They want something to
talk about, and the only way to stop gossip is to put something into
their heads on a higher plane. I have had testimony from our members
repeatedly, “Now we have so little time to talk about these other
things.” Whenever they come together they talk about these wonders
found in the C. L. S. C. work.
This board of five managers arranges our monthly plan. Our large
meetings are monthly. Our circle divides itself up; six or a dozen, or
twenty, form little organizations, read together, meet once a week, and
then we meet as a large circle monthly and review our work. This board
of managers lays out the month’s work. The first week after our monthly
meeting this board of managers is called together. They make out their
plan, print it on a postal card, and send it out at once to every
member of the circle, so that every member knows what the plan is to be
three weeks before the meeting. Our method in the large meeting is to
review our work by the essay method.
Let me give you a program. First, singing. I was fortunate enough to
have an enthusiastic singer in our number, and I gave him the work of
organizing a glee club. He gathered twenty or twenty-five of the very
best young people in the number, and formed a glee club, and they led
our devotions. We followed with scripture and prayer. And then began
our essays. We usually have three, four, sometimes five essays, and no
essay is over ten minutes in length. We desire that the essays shall
not exceed eight minutes. It requires a deal of skill and practice to
reduce our thoughts on a subject to a six or eight minutes essay, but
it is practicable. Then we are all interested in the subject which we
have been studying for a month. When an individual rises and reads, we
feel that we have gone over the same subject, and it is like a review
to us, and helps to fasten it more definitely in our minds. Following
each essay we have remarks and questions. We never criticise an essay.
That would be unkind. You could not do it. You would intimidate
everybody.
We ask questions and throw in additional remarks. We take up half an
hour, or three-quarters at most, devoted to the three, four or five
essays. Following these we appoint some person to ask the questions
which are printed in THE CHAUTAUQUAN. Any person who will ask and
answer these questions will find that he has a wonderfully clear
_résumé_ of the whole subject in his mind. I suppose that we are
indebted to Mr. Martin for them. They are very clear, very concise, and
greatly appreciated by the Troy members.
Following these questions we have a recess of twenty minutes, in which
it is the custom of our circle to shake hands, make each others’
acquaintance, encourage each other, find out about each other, and
inquire about the work. Upon the recall the Glee Club gives a song.
Then follows the round-table. I need not explain this because you are
all familiar with the round-table. After that a _conversazione_ on some
prominent character of the world, old or new. We desire that every
member will give us some extract of five lines, not to exceed five
lines, unless it would break the harmony of the thought, from every
person brought before us. We have had Shakspere, Longfellow, Bryant,
and a variety of persons.
Immediately after this _conversazione_ follows “a miscellaneous
exercise”—anything that needs to be taken up. While we were studying
geology, we went down to the village of Albany where the capital is
located. They have a very fine series of geological rooms arranged by
Prof. Hall, the State Geologist. As you enter the room, there are the
very lowest specimens of the rocks with their fossils. As you go up
story after story you reach the highest rocks. Prof. Hall, by previous
appointment, met our large circle of about two hundred. We chartered
a car or two and went down. He met us and gave us a very satisfactory
lecture. We appreciated it.
When we came to astronomy, we found out where we could find an
astronomer. We invited him, and he came and gave us a lecture. Then
we had a teacher of the high school stand before us, and allow us to
question him to our heart’s content. We found it available to work in
all the outside force possible. When we studied the subject of art we
got together all the pictures of the town that we could find. I was in
Gloversville as pastor at that time. We arranged them, and spent two or
three very delightful evenings. You have two or three, another has one,
another has six; bring them all together and discuss the whole subject
of art. We found it very profitable.
In Troy our circle is so enthusiastic in its work that there is a
constant clamor of outside people to get in. We sometimes allow a few
outsiders, and there is hardly a session that we do not have four to
five hundred in our gathering, but the front seats are always reserved
for members, and visitors, if there be any, must take the back seats.
There are anywhere from fifty to one hundred and fifty clamoring to be
admitted into the circle this fall. I do not know what we shall do. If
we admit them, we shall go into the audience room. I think it is better
to divide up.
I have given you our work. I said in the outset, it is possible for
any young man or woman, pastor or superintendent, through your village
paper, to write a short article calling the attention of the people to
it, saying that in such a place there will be an organization of this
work. I have the impression that you can gather quite a large circle
in every place, two or three of them. But my conviction is from the
work as I have observed it through Troy and vicinity, that you need
somebody in that circle, at the head of it, who loves it. You can make
nothing in this world grow without love. Not even the flowers you may
plant in your garden will grow unless you love them.
As the result of the article in the Troy _Times_, eight circles were
organized in our city. As the result of those two articles, twenty-six
circles were organized around Troy.
I would be glad to hear from you to-day. Criticise my plan as much as
you please. I have taken more time because Dr. Vincent urged me to do
so. He urged me to take twenty-five minutes. I have only taken twenty.
Give me your plans, any suggestions, any practical idea that you have
worked out in your circles.
MR. MARTIN: I can say that I commend every feature that has been
mentioned here by Mr. Farrar in the method of conducting local circles.
I believe we have tested in Pittsburgh every one he has mentioned.
There are several others we have tried, to which I would like to refer.
For instance, I think it well for persons to start with the inspiration
and a love of the Circle right here at Chautauqua. A great many persons
have come to me on the ground, and asked me how to form a local circle,
saying they had no local circles in their vicinity. I say to them if
they have two or three members on the ground here who belong together
in a circle, meet under the trees and start your organization here. We
started with seven members under these trees by the Hall of Philosophy,
in the year 1878, and we had somewhere between three and four hundred
before the following January, and have as many more since. Last year
about half a dozen who graduated in the class of ’82 met under the
trees here, and we formed our preliminary organization. We carried
the spirit and love of the C. L. S. C. home with us, and we formed in
Pittsburgh an alumni association of nearly sixty members. We expect to
increase the number largely during the coming year.
One word with reference to the use of newspapers. Our executive
committee apportion the different papers of the city between them. We
have five members, and each member looks after a paper to see that the
paper looks after C. L. S. C. matters. We make each member the editor
of a C. L. S. C. department in a newspaper, and it is his duty to get
in as many notices about the C. L. S. C. as possible. Our press has
very generously opened to us its columns. Every monthly meeting is
noticed before and after in the papers. I am glad to say that we have
got into many considerable controversies in the newspapers. We like
them because they bring our organization into notice.
We avail ourselves of the papyrograph, the electric pen, the type
writer, and the various plans for duplicating that we now have, in the
way of sending out notices, preparing the programs, etc. Any of you who
know how cheaply any of these appliances can be used for printing, will
see how efficiently they can be employed for the use of the circle.
Another point: If we get a little depressed, or a little behind, we
get Dr. Vincent or one of the counselors to come and give us a rousing
lecture. We have given them good audiences, and they have spread a
new enthusiasm. What an amount of enthusiasm can be developed about
the C. L. S. C. If you will have the patience to answer clearly and
fully all questions that are asked you about the C. L. S. C., you will
find that you are doing a grand missionary work. I know my business
is often interrupted by people who come in and ask about the C. L. S.
C., but I am always sorry if I ever have to turn any one away without
information. If I give them full information, and they go away and join
the C. L. S. C., and form a local circle afterward, I feel that I have
done a missionary work.
MR. FARRAR: Any suggestions?
A VOICE: Did you permit persons to become members of your local circle
who did not belong to the parent society?
MR. FARRAR: Yes. But we requested them, if they did not wish to take up
the full course of reading, to join the C. L. S. C. and pay their fifty
cents, and take THE CHAUTAUQUAN. We honored the home office. But they
need not fill out the questions unless they choose.
MR. BRIDGE: In that way you will get a great many members of the C. L.
S. C. who are not doing the work.
MR. FARRAR: Very few. We took a few husbands who wanted to come with
their wives. “Very good,” I said, “pay your fifty cents and take THE
CHAUTAUQUAN.”
REV. J. O. FOSTER: We had a large circle where I was last appointed.
We found in the school a man well posted in geology. We found the
depot agent was an astronomer, and he was very enthusiastic over the
invitation that we gave him. He came down and spattered the blackboard
all over with facts. He got a long strip of paper and stuck up around
the room, and marked out the planets. He gave us a very fine lecture on
astronomy, so good that the people requested him to repeat it before
the whole congregation. We had this “jelly-pad business,” and struck
off our programs the week before. Every one knew what he was expected
to do. We secured plenty of books, if any one was at a loss for books.
We had about twenty in the circle, and that circle is now running. I
think it is three and a half years old. I do not know of any older than
that.
MR. MARTIN: We have one five years old.
MR. FOSTER: Very good. Dr. Goodfellow organized this. Another member
and I went to people in the city and asked them to lend us their
pictures upon several subjects. You will be astonished at the amount of
material you can gather together in a single afternoon to illustrate
any subject.
DR. VINCENT: I have no doubt that some small local circles have quite
unique plans which they have adopted, and I hope if they hesitate to
speak out, that they will write out their plans for us.
A LADY: I was about to speak for a small circle. I am very positive
in our circle of twenty it would be almost impossible to have essays,
except occasionally. The members generally would be so frightened at
the idea of having to write an essay that we should lose the circle
entirely. We have to pet them a little, and we use the conversational
method as freely as possible to get them to express themselves. What
they can not tell we tell them. In my experience—I have been conductor
four years—I find the essay method frightens small circles. Where you
have circles of two hundred, where they have a great many ministers,
and lawyers, you can get them to write essays.
A LADY: I would say that I belong to a circle out West of six members.
We pursued the essay work for the first two years entirely. Every one
of us for the first two years wrote an essay every week. [Applause.]
DR. EATON: I would like to speak for another small circle. We had a
program. We opened with singing and prayer, and then the leader, who
had prepared himself thoroughly, or tried to prepare himself thoroughly
on the lesson, particularly in science and in history, examined every
class by questioning and removing every difficulty connected with
them. The whole circle replied at once, answering the questions. If
there were any in the circle that could not answer a question, they
had it answered for them, and were not placed under any embarrassment
by the sense of failure. A great many said of these meetings every two
weeks, that they obtained a better knowledge by this thorough drill
than by reading privately at home. Likewise we had essays, but not very
frequently. We had essays in the first part of the evening. Sometimes
there was a failure to respond, but generally the subject was assigned
to particular individuals, and a great many facts in connection with
the difficulties in history were brought in that way. I think we
commenced with a circle of about twenty or thirty, and we graduated
here a year ago some sixteen members, I think. And others are coming
in, but with what success I am unable to say, as I have not been in
that place all the time. I think that every one in that circle would
bear testimony that in this way—by close examination, the plan of a
regular class drill—we have obtained a better knowledge than in any
other way, and that they were satisfied at the end of the year they
had accomplished more and better work than they would under any other
circumstances.
A VOICE: I would like to say we consider that the writing of these
essays and insisting upon it, was as much for the advantage of the
persons writing these essays as for that of those who listened to them.
Therefore, we had a critic who was to write the criticisms, and had
them read by the president. Do you think that was a good way?
MR. FARRAR: We thought it was not the best way. Dr. Vincent suggests
that the criticisms might be given privately to the writer. I found it
quite difficult to get essays. Many young ladies and gentlemen looked
upon it as a fearful task. Many times I had to call on them, and sit
down with them, and talk them into it, showing them how they could do
it. And never one wrote an essay in our circle but said “When you want
me to write an essay, call on me again.” I have tried a dozen others
who persisted in refusing, but at the close of the year they came to
me and said: “If you will forgive us for our refusing to write you may
call upon us next year.”
After singing, the benediction was pronounced by Dr. Vincent.