The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-08-16
STUDY clubs.

lar intervals, perhaps of week or a
fortnight, or a month, for the discus
sion and study in common of social
questions. There are different types
of study clubs. Some consist entirely
of workingmen, others of leisured
ladies of the upper classes, some are
confined to ecclesiastical students in
seminaries, or university undergradu-
ates, or to the youths and girls in the
higher forms of our Catholic colleges,
whilst others again have mixed
membership and include persons of
the most diverse ranks and avoca-
lions. Subjects and methods of study
are also very varied. Some clubs
have begun a course of economic
theory, others have chosen course of
social ethics, others have preferred
the investigation of some practical
problem like unemployment while
others have had more miscellaneous
program, each of the members con-
tributing in turn lecture or paper
on social topics of current interest.
Workingmen's Clubs.
Workingmen's study clubs claim the
most attention and though they are
now beginning to flourish it must be
confessed that the pioneers in this
direction during the past four years
met with many difficulties and some
failures. The present writer, before
having the good fortune to obtain a
scholarship enabling him to pursue a
course of economic studies at Oxford,
was associated with the formation of
one of the earliest Catholic Social
Guild study clubs in 1910. There were
five of us, all of the working class,
with nothing more than a primary
school education. We were all keen
on social study, but we had nobody
to teach us and we did not know either
what to study or how to study. With
out anything but the vaguest ideas as
we decided to commence with course
of Political Economy and we each pur-
chased shilling primer on the sub
ject by the late Professor Jevons and
we used this as textbook in conjunc-
ton with Devas' -well-known book.
After the course in Economics we
started in our second year on study
of Catholic Social Ethics, using Pope
Leo XIII Encyclical ION the Condi-
ton of the Working Glasses" as a
textbook.
1t would take too much space,
though it might be instructive to mar
rate the vicissitudes in the career of
our little club. We tried and aban-
doned several methods of study before
we hit upon one which seemed to us
satisfactory We suffered from the
difficulties all similar clubs have ex-
perienced: through our ignorance, our
scanty leisure, members leaving the
town and sometimes also, must say,
from members slackening in their en-
ergy and enthusiasm. But in spite of
all we accumulated valuable stock
of knowledge which not only enlarged
our own vision, but also enabled us
to give assistance to clubs which were
formed subsequently in other parts of
the country.
Some study clubs which were
formed failed to survive the initial
difficulties and until the end of last
year the number of study clubs re-
NAMED almost stationary, the new
clubs springing up being offset by
others becoming defunct But since
then there has been marked progress
and next autumn real boom" may
be expected. In the city of Glasgow
alone it is anticipated that forty clubs
will be working. There are good
reasons for being optimistic about
the future. In the first place there is
now goodly number of clubs firmly
established. More and more Catho-
lies are becoming interested in the
social question and new clubs will
have the benefit of the experience
gained by the pioneers. There is now
a more adequate Catholic social liter
allure in existence. Most satisfactory
of all, there is more effectual mach
inery for giving help to local clubs
from a central Office.
Correspondence Course.
Plans are under consideration for
the establishment of system of cor
respondence tuition for study clubs
affiliated to the Catholic Social Guild.
The Guild has already done something
in this direction by it's study scheme
under which it arranges courses of
study under three heads: Economic
Theory, and Social History and Social
Problems of the Day. OF each course
there are two stages, an elementary
and an advanced. Printed syllabuses
of each course are issued recommend
ing textbooks and literature for sup
Elementary reading and containing a
list of study points which are very
helpful to the student. Each course
covers about years work, at the end
of which examinations are held and
certificates awarded to successful stu
dents. In connection with the study
scheme the Guild conducts a question
box. Students in difficulties are invit-
ed to send up questions to the Guild
and the answers are published in one
of the leading Catholic weekly news
papers. Circulating 'book boxes are
another means by which the Catholic
Social Guild helps study clubs. A
book contains about twenty selected,
up-to-date volumes on social questions
and may be borrowed for a period of
three months on payment of five shil-
lfupe and fhn anSf IF 20 Tsrin 90 ono NOV