The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-02-21
About Clubs.


iSherwood Ryse, in Harper's Young Peopls.l
Literary clubs are very pleasant means
of spending spare evenings, and at the
same time OF becoming well acquainted
with delightful authors, aud OF exercising
once talent FOR reading aloud, debating, and
writing essays. Perhaps debating Is the
most p.pulsr Of these exercises, and in tais
country, where every gentleman is expect
ed 20 be able ''to make speech" when call
ed upon, it Is very desirable part of ones
education.
To choose subjects for debate is not at all
easy. Subjects that require moro informa-
tion than the members can be expected TO
obtain should be avoided, for Io debate can
be kept up with spirit unless the members
are well posted" on the subject Again,
only those subjects which admit of real
difference of opinion should be chosen. The
writer once proposed the question ".hst
Tom Browns School Days is the best book
on English school life that has been writ.
ten" IL was a question with which we
were sll more or less familiar, but We had
very dull debate, because we were all agreed
from the frat that it was the best.
An essay club, whore the members meet,
say. every fortnight AMI read essays written
on subjects proposed at the last meeting, il
very pleasant, and leads one to iake al in
terest III matters that would not otherwise
be attended to. After the essays have been
read discussion on the opinions of the
writers may be held.
Res ing clubs generally choose some
book 10 read aloud, say. one of Dickens's or
Scots novels. or one of SCOTS poems. or
even one OF Shaker sare's plays. The char
-acsers should DO srssnged a: the meeting
before the play ia to be read, so that each
may read ais part over beforehand 1t is
well 10 ASK the advice Cf some older person
before deciding on play or book, and
when Shakespeare Is chosen, an edition with
notes, such as r )lfes Plays of Shakespeare,
IL beat. It is not necessary TO flash book
in one evening. hut one book OF one poem
or one play should be fnlshsl before anoth-
er Is begun.
And now Tor the third kind of club,
which is perhaps the most enjoyable of all
Suppose it meets once week. One even
ing vs. may begin play of Shakespeare; On
another we may debate; on a third we may
read or reclte selected pieces of poetry, or a
chapter IRON one of SCOTS novels, or the
experiences of Mr.. Pickwick at Dngley
Dsll Farm, ora chapter from
Little Women or Alice in
Wonder Land Several members are ap-
pointed tc resd or recite while the Others
play audience. Then another night there
may be acting ehsrades, and ia the Christ
mas holidays perhaps set piece, with q
specially invited audience.
Besides these and similar entertainments
there may como q day when Mr. Barnum
bring his big show to town; then the club
may hold It's meeting under the circus tent.
Aud in tho fall, when the ground is dry,
and ths weather bright and cool, the club
may arrange an ezra dsy meeting on Sat
urdGy morning, and take part In share
and-hounds" chase; or, in winter, the presi
dent, after having obtained vote of the
club. may hold a special day reunion for
''nex. Saturday, at nine o'clock, on jones'
Pond, if the ice bears"
It is always difficult to find good name
for club. For athletic clubs in small
towns the name OF the town may be sufi
Client, rs the Montrose Base ball Club; or
the name of some part of IA city, as the
Chestnut Hill Athletic Club. In far West
ern owns the Pioneer Is goo name, es-
peciaily il the club is the frst of its kind
In the place. Literary clubs may call
themselves after some great orator, or
statesman. or author of worldwide fame:
for example. Webster, Garfield, Hawthorne.
WASH. g:on Irving. Dickens, Abbotsford
(home Of Sir Walter Scott. Waverly,
Avon Is river running by the birthplace
of Saakspesre), etc. TAe name Of WASH
Ington il naturally so commonly used that
It would better be avoided.
In the case Of clubs of the third kind, sll
sorts of names may be used, and they need
not b ave anything particular to do with the
objects of the club. Such names as the
Etceterss. the Whip-poor- Wills, the Katy
dds, the Owls, and many others equslly Or
more fsnciful, may be adopted. If the club
meets on Friday evening, which is q good
time. it Insy BE- called the Man Friday Club
thereby association it with every boys friend
Robinson Crusoe, and every member will
be known among his club companions as q
"Msn Friday"
Always remember that the life aud inter
est of q club depend on the good feeling 81 d
give.snd take spirit of the members. When,
therefore, you elect president, choose that
one Of your members who By reason of his
age and popularity, il likely to have most
influence over the members; he will thus be
able to preserve order among the members
without causing any jealousy or i'll feeling.
The secretary's duty will be to keep the
"fecords" of the club, and he should be pro-
vided with a neat blank-book for that pur-
poe. At the beginning of it he should write
the names of tie officers and members and
the Constitution and Bylaws. OF course he
should be good penman.
The treasurer keeps the money of the
club, but it is better that the club should
have no money in its treasury, and when
any is needed, each member should be as