The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1909-09-16
THE CHAUTAUQUA SEASON OF 1909

THE CHAUTAUQUA SEASON OF 1909
The Chautauqua assembly of 1909 was one of
the best in the history of the institution on
account of the excellence of the programs.
The attendance was large. The ability of the
summer schools to hold their own has been
gratifying. A large number of new courses,
twenty-five or thirty in all, were introduced
for teachers The year 1909 will go down
in the history of the institution as epoch
making in the development of its material re-
sources. The burning of the colonnade last
fall forced certain problems upon the trustees
The result of these problems is shown in the
reconstructed colonnade and the postoffice
block. This new post office is beautiful
piece of architecture, substantial and con-
venlent in every way, the finest office of its
class in this country. But it is the assembly
season of eight weeks to which we would call
attention. Between assembly sessions the
educational work of Chautauqua institution
goes on in the homes of the people all over the
United States and in parts of foreign countries
as well. The Chautauqua department supplies
courses of systematic reading for vast numbers
of people, thus exerting a constant educational
influence.
From the rallying day of delegates, from the
home reading circles to recognition day, the
department activities assume the largest place
in the summer life at Chautauqua Hundreds
OF alumni register, badges are worn, class
meetings, socials and receptions are held,
series OF lectures on topics pertaining to the
new year are given, and exercises eliminate
In the presentation of diplomas to graduates,
(four-year readers), the recognition pageant,
the commencement" address and the alumni
banquet of recognition day. All these things
demonstrate what the C. L. S. C. means to
people who have found it useful to them. and
1t calls to others to take advantage of what it
offers to them. Every year the graduating
class of the c. L. S. C. brings up to its gradua-
ton day such an amount of enthusiasm and
such sure recognition of the power of Chau-
tauqua to do for out of school people what no
other agency in these days is doing that one
must realize the vital character of Chautau-
qua's mission. The important difference be-
tween the c. L. S. C. plan and some other
schemes for filling library shelves is that
the e. l.. S. c. lays its emphasis not upon
the books, but upon the outlook that the
reader will get from them, not upon trim
looking library shelf but upon the enrichment
OF life which the library may produce. 1t puts
into peoples hands few choice books, lust
four, to be read within a year, and sends
out every month friendly magazine containing
popular reading features of the course, filled
with pictures and suggestions and news of
fellow readers scattered all over the world. So
the lonely young man on his ranch, the hard
WORKING business man who has to read be-
tween trains, the young teacher who has only
half hour daily in which to enlarge her out
look, and the busy mother who wants to keep
ahead of her children, may find in this simple
scheme of home reading something suited to
their daily needs, but so carefully planned that
at the end of four years they realize with as
tonlshment how much the course has brought
to them. In four years, sixteen well worn
books stand on the Chautauqua readers book
Shelf Neatly bound volumes of the Chautau-
guam find place beside them. These are
mine of riches to the household and to the com.
munity The young people resort to them for
light on their school studies. Members of the
local womans clubs refer to them for HELM in
working out topics for their papers; the
neighbor who is going to Europe borrows this
Chatauqua households "reading journey to
help her get ready. Members of the debating
club find that they can get timely surveys of
live subjects.
The outlook for the new year is cheer
ing from every point of view. The new
c. L. S. c. Class of 1913 is gathering members
at the many Chautaqua Assemblies and its en-
rolment promises to be large one. The
Classical year which always seems to appeal to
people, offers very strong and helpful course
IN the four G. L. s. c. books of the year. "The
Greek View of Life" by G. Loves Dickinson of
Cambridge, one of the ablest of living essay
lists, and delightful volume on '.Social Life at
Rome" by William Warde Fowler of Oxford,
set forth the vital elements of these old civili-
cations in their relations to our modern civili-
cations. The Homeric Stories Iliad, Odyssey,
translated and illustrated) and "The Friendly
Stars" by Martha Evans Martin, make up the
list of four c. L. S. C. books for the year. Three
series of articles in the Chautauquan make up
asplendid unity of subjects which reach far
back into the past, and which throw light on
our life Of today.
So the series in the Chautauquan is .,aptic-
ularly timely. The classical year is good
year for starting the four years course and
new members whose thoughts of Greece and
the Greeks are associated only with chidhood's
memories will find new pleasures in discover
ing with their mature intelligence what we
really owe to that wonderful race, with its lofty
imagination and keen thirst for knowledge
The new C. L. S. C. Glass of 1913 have
chosen "Athene" for their class name; for
their motto, 'Self reverence, self knowledge,
self control"
"These three alone lead life to sovereign
pow err" The bird of wisdom for their emblem,
this class have set forth upon their career as
Chautauquans.