Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1902-02-12
cHAuTAuoUA CIRCLES.
Something about this Plan OF Popular
Education.

I
Miss Nancy a. Abbott, OF Hancock,
who has Tor some time been interested in
| Chsutsgqaa educational work, ard has
been Instrumental in organizing several
| circles iu Hancock county, sends THE
| AMERICAN an article descriptive OF the
| plan and scope of the work. II Is too
iong TO be reprinted here in full, hot
some extracts from II may be of interest
| The Casutauqua Is not new movement I;
in fact, It Was one OF the pioneers In the
movement for popular ecucati IN and self
culture which has swept over the country.
| The work OF the Chsutsuqua has grad
uslly broadened, adapting itself to new
conditions aud needs as they presented
themselves.
| The Chsu.Ruqua reading course for
housewives Is F. new department, con-
Quoted by Martha Van Rensselaer,, chair
man of the department OF domestic
science of the Western Federation Of
womeu's clubs, and editor Of the woman's
reading course at Cornell university.
The popularity OF this new course Is in
| Dictated by the fact that 6,0O0 women Of
| New York state enrolled themselves for
the course last year. The subjects con-
sIdered are: Saving steps. home santa
tion, how to furnish the table, the best
way to do housework, physical education
| spilled to homework. gardening.
The Chautauqus junior naturalist clubs
are conducted by John v. Spencer OF
| Cornell university, Familiarity known to
1000 members OF such clubs In New
York state as ''uncie john. Chautsu-
qua has made arrangements to extend his
| services to other states. The new de-
partment IS OF interest to teachers, to
parents, and especially to the children
| themselves. The object Is "tbe study OF
nature to the end that every member
thereof shall love the country better and
be content to live therein.
| The title, "Chsutsuqua," q system of
popular education, stands for sn institu-
ton. With 1900 people In daily attend
auce at the mother assembly, with several
| hundred thousand at her branch Assem-
| blies, with 2 500 students in her summer
schools, and % 900 readers In her circles,
ChautsIqua has been truly called tho
largest institution for higher education
1
| In the world.
Its work 10 condacted under an educa-
tionsl charter from the state OF New
York, which requires that surplus revenue
shall be devoted W holly to the building up
OF the institution. 1t is managed by
trustees, like any other educational In
stitution. There are two main divisions
of its work: Division OF home reading,
and division OF summer study and recrea-
tion at Chautauqus, N. Y.
The number of summer schools Is in
creasing every year. Last year 40 sum
mer assemblies, modelled more or lees
closely on the Chautauqua plan, were held
10 thirty-five states, with an attend
ance approximsting 200 900 people.
The home reading division is the factor
OF basic Importance In a comprehensive
plan for the home making OF intellectual
hber. Chsutsuqus does not pretend to do
the work of university; it does not
claim to furnish ready made education.
1t does profess to be able to give those
| who will follow the regular course for
four years something of that 'scoilege
outlook" which better equips the college
student for life-work than his less
fortunate fellow.
Over go, 900 readers have been enrolled as
members Of the Chautauqua literary and
scientific circle since its organizslio ion /;
nearly three times that number have read
parts of the four years course. Flourish.
ing circles have been maintained In every
state and territory, Canada, Mexico. Sou, b
America, the Hawaiian Islands, the West
Indies, Japan, and other countries OF Eu-
rope, Asia and Africa.
Chsutauqna is not conducted for per.
sonai profit; II Is not a stock company;
II pays no dividends. Only those officers
who do active work receive salaries.
which are In no cGse large. Through a
bureau OF publication, Chautauqua, by
contract, provides the special material for
the regular home reading courses at the
lowest possible cost. Ii does not conduct
general publishing business, and ia
perfectly free to direct the student to the
best source of information wherever
obtainabie.
While The AMERICAN is not author
lied by Miss Abbott TO make any such
announcement, 1t doubts not that IL any
Hancock county readers are DESTROYS OF
forming circles in their towns, she will
be pleased to give them all the intor-
nation necessary.