Centre Hall reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1868-1871, 1871-10-13

This is a season, says the New York
IadepeadeHi, when the lyoeums through
out the country are arranging their
courses of lectures for the winter and
a few words Of practical suggestion with
respect 10 the best methods of mAnag
ing them may be of use 10 those whose
experience in the business has been linn
itel.
/. The courses should be short. Half
a-dozen lectures are ~ much as any
small community can well afford.
=, Variety should be sought in making
up the course. Ii is not well 10 have
lecturers who viii all speak ON one theme,
or one class Of themes. The lectures
should neither be all scientific nor all
literary neither all "sohd nor all
humorous instruction should be com
bined with amusement, and the plat
form should be broad enough 30 give
both sides Of social subjects fair repre-
sentation.
8. Padding must be avoided. IL is a
common mistake 10 engage two or three
lecturers from abroad, and then I'LL up
the course with home talent" Doubt
less the clergyman and the editor and
lawyer OF the village who kindly consent
10 help the enterprise. may In many
cases deliver lectures quite ms good a.
some OF the professional lecturers but
their townSmen viii not pay much foE
hearing them.
4. The lectures should follow each
other nd short intervals. A course o'
six lectures that is spread over three on
four months is likely to fail Season
tickets are not readily sold for SO long a
period in advance, and all the advantages
that comes from keeping the thing hot
is lost. When il is possible, the lectures
had better take place early IN the win
ter. The best managers in New Eng
land usually intend 20 finish their course
before the holidays.
.. The price OF season tickets should
he reduced 10 the lowest paying figure,
III there are six lectures, and there is O
possible audience OF five hundred per
sons, lhe season tickets should not be
placed higher than dollar and half.
Ii is vastly better 10 sell four hundred
tickets at one dollar and half than Ia
sell two hundred tickets at three dollars.
Managers sometimes imagine that q
small sale of season tickets leaves room
for larger sale Of single tickets F; but
the fact il that the sale Of single tickets
viii be in q direct instead Of mn inverse
ratio 10 the sale of season tickets III
you have only sold two hundred season
tickets you viii not sell half as many
single tickets ms il you had four hundred
regular attendants upon yonr course.
II il is known that large audience IN
sure 10 be present. everybody wants 20
go. II il IN expected that the audience
will be small. everybody will stay at
home. For this reason il is good policy
to put the price OF course tickets as low
MS possible, IN order that a large number
may be sold. 1t is also wise to fix the
price of single tickets nt high figure,
SO as TO compel the purchase OF course
tickets III single lecture is 30 cost
fifty cents. and the whole course Of SIX
can be had for O dollar and half, II
viii be seen that il Is the part of econo-
my to secure the course tickets at the
beginning.
6. Before the course begins the lee
turers should all be engaged, the dates
fixed and printed on the season tickets,
and the names Of the lecturers, and sea-
son tickets enough sold 20 pay the fees
of the lecturers.