The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-13
A Brand New Plan From Europe

Christians leaders in this country have lately made studies of the social weeks of continental Europe with a view of as certaining their adaptability to conditions in America. The social weeks of Europe had their origin in Germany in 1900. when the Volksverin organized them In several German cities. They were introduced into France in 1904, with social week in Lyons, and they have since been held in Orleans. .Dijon, Amiens, Marseilles Bordeaux and Rouen. This year the ses- sions are held in St. Etienne. In France young Catholic laymen have given much help to the plan.
 Belgians inaugurated social weeks in 19oS and following their example they have been started successfully in Hol- land, Spain, Poland. Italy and Switzer- land. They are in charge of the Roman Catholics, sometimes priests. sometimes laymen,, and since their beginning they have, especially in France enlarged their scope beyond social studies to include :e- ligious studies missions, and work for young people. Leading educators give the instructions and the students are people in all walks of life. Almost the entire Continent now has social weeks, and from their success they have come to bear the popular name of Travelling Social Universities.
 Social weeks got their name from a programme of studies that has been changed The plan now Is Sunday to Sunday, mornings afternoons and even ings of all week days, studies in church history, rural problems, workingmenl $ homes and the entire round of religious and social affairs. When held in indus trial centers, as they usually are, classes inspect factories, settlements, courts of justice and make other duties at first hand. When local arrangements permit. as in the case of school buildings oc- cupied during vacation time, instructors 1 and students live in common. In some countries one social week a year only Is | held, but in others the practice obtains of holding weeks in several cities, one after the other, the same instructors teaching In all successivey.
 ] Educators taking part in the recent convention at Chicago have considered since its informal presentation there. how the social week plan can be adapted to Roman Catholic conditions in Ihis coun- | try Several bishops have been consulted and are said to have expressed the view that its greatest service to the church in America will be along strictly social service lines, with laymen as instructors. l The instructors in Catholic colleges can, 1 it is believed, furnish a sufficient number of instructors to make a beginning, and there are several industrial cities, nota- bly, Pittsburg, and St. Louis, where Cath olics will welcome initiation of this Euro pean idea, 1t is said.
 Among Protestants. who have recently considered the plan without knowing that Catholics were also doing so, the belief obtains that the Sunday school work, mis- sions, the boy problem and social ser vice ought to be covered in the instruc- tion, while still retaining the name social week and making the point of meeting in industrial centers, where labor. tenn perance, factory, child welfare, health, housing and similar concerns can be studied on the spot. Correspondence is now going on between Protestant leaders concerning the adoption and adaptation of the social week plan in this country.