The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-09-14
VERMONT WEEK
Proposed Plan of the Greater ver
mont Association.

| life which the Greater Vermont AS
ISOLATION hopes to establish is Yer
mont Week." an annual season of
! pilgrimage in Vermont by Vermont
ers. The period would be devoted to
travel in the state and to inspection
and study of our cities and villages,
our scenery, our farms and factories,
our business and commercial enter
prises, our public and private institu-
tons. The establishment of Yer
mont Week would lead to a more in
telligent and enthusiastic state loyal
| ty, a broader acquaintance and larger
J sympathy among our citizens, more
definite knowledge of state problems,
| a clearer comprehension of the needs
and possibilities of the Green Noun
| tain State
The arrangementes for the pilgrim
age would be made by committee
| of the Greater Vermont Association
acting in cooperation with com
mittees appointed by local govern
ments, local boards of trade, and 9th
er local organizations. These local
committees would organize parties
of pilgrims to tour the state; they
would also see to it that visiting par
ties from other parts of the state
were Hospitality entertained. All in
dividuals and groups who desire to
take part in the pilgrimage would
communicate with the Vermont
Week committee and obtain from
them the credentials which would en-
able the pilgrims to secure the COM
mercial rates at the hotels and the
special rates from the railroads
which it is hoped the railroad com
panies and the managers of the
hotels vii be glad to give.
"A pilgrimage in Vermont would ap
peal TO all citizens, and would benefit
all. Divided by our mountains,
tempted TO look too exclusively TO
our own local problems. Vermonters
need to get together, to think of
our state as a whole, common
wealth with many varied resources
which require only general enthus-
iasm and harmonious thinking and
united effort TO bring them 10 rich
and profitable development Oppor-
tunities for people from different
parts of the state to meet as guests
and hosts for fellowship and state
| planning would contribute largely to
hasten the new era in the history Of
Vermont which so many forces are
bringing into being
THE task of organizing parties to
share in this Vermont Pilgrimage"
would tall 10 local organizations
| which naturally take an interest in
the state as a whole. its needs and
/ possibilities Prominent among such
organizations would be Boards of
| Trade, Automobile Clubs, Oranges,
| Churches. and Schools Local rep
| resentatiyes as hosts and guides
would display and interpret all that
/ is most successful and significant,
/ most experimental and most prob
1 lematical In the life and institutions
| of the community
IT Is becoming recognized that the
! Washington trip OF High School
! classes does not prove TO be as edu-
cative and beneficial as has been
expected, and there is a tendency TO
abandon these trips as a feature of
! High School lie This is just the
/ time then, Tor Vermont to substitute
for Washington trips a state pilgri-
mage. which would otter an ideal OPP
! portunity Tor pupils to see the state
! and to meet It's people, and might
contribute toward the solution of one
| of the. most serious problems that
/ faces Vermont II the law of travel
for adults is now See America first. a"
the rule for the High School pupil
! should be See your own state first I"
| II there is any state in the Union
/ which needs to attach its young peo-
/ pie to itself by every bond OF affec-
ton and intelligent interest, it is
| Vermont. At their most impression
! able age our young people must have
/ revealed 10 them all the distinction
and the charm. all the resources and
/ the possibilities OF the Green Noun
tain State
Suggestive plans for trips from
1 different centers would be made by
The Greater Vermont Association.
Probably several centers would be
/ specified. and during two days OF the
/ ten days Of the pilgrimage special at
tentions and Inequalities might be
4 extended to the travellers who visit
/ those places during the appointed
I days, these arrangements being in
! charge of local committees No
special commercial or business offers
/ during this period OF pilgrimage are
desired, but II communities would
make visitors their guests in any
special entertainments or privileges.
! it would be in harmony with the
spirit Of Vermont Week" Factor
/ les and business establishments, pub
! lie and private institutions would be
expected to hold themselves in readi-
ness to entertain and instruct yisi-
tors. The season would be one of
open h ito extended by Vermont
ers to Nermonters.
1T has been suggested that the
/ personel of the pilgrimage be en-
I larged so that il may include not
merely Vermonters who are now citi-
zens OF the state. but Vermonters
who have emigrated to other states,
and also special guests who may be
I invited by Vermont organizations to
take part in the pilgrimage In this
way an acquaintance with all Yer
mont, affection for the state. interest
in its present life and development
may be cultivated in nonresident
/ Nermonters. and new friends may be
won for the Green Mountain State.
Throughout the commonwealth