Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1916-02-25
OPEN FORUM DESCRIBED.
Rev. Harold Marshall Gives Address to
Unitarian Mems Club-Question
Asked BY the Audience.

AShcu ny Ilt AuelcHCVs
Rev. Harold Marshall of Melrose,
Mass, one of the men who has been
active in thee Ford hall meetings in
Boston from their inception and who
has been instrumental in promoting in
terest in community meetings, very en-
tertainingly described the open forum
movement in a meeting under the aus
pieces of the Men s club of the Unita.
rian church in the Unitarian parish
house Wednesday evening.
His audience was responsive and at
the close of his address asked numerous
questions which brought answers as
entertaining and instructive, from the
standpoint of possible local application,
as was his main address.
He said that the interest in the TO-
rum, which has now spread to almost
every state in the union, is the most
hopeful development of modern demo-
cratic life. 1t is the result of the
change from the individual to the
socialized principle of life.
To illustrate that statement he said
that if anyone would tell him when his
grandparents ceased to keep a COW he
would tell that person when the forum
movement began. 1t began when peo-
pie came to appreciate that the neces-
sites Of life had been taken out of
their individual keeping; when the
! time had passed when each family pro-
duced all the materials for its clothing
and food. Then the problem of life be-
came a social problem.
The modern forum is the successful
effort to revive the democracy Of the
town meeting and the country store,
where community problems were
threshed out and community decisions
reached Few of us today, he said,
know much about community problems.
We let others determine the the meth.
DDS of dealing with them and grumblc
and pay the bills.
He told of the Cooper union meet
ings, from which grew the Ford hall
meetings in Boston, and then of the
Melrose community forum and the
scores of others which have been the
outgrowth, in whole or in part, of
those. In almost every instance they
have been wonderfully successful in at
tracing people of all walks of life.
The working creed of the open for
UNI, he gave as follows: "The belief
that we must all move together toward
of mankind, through the dedication of
each to all, the devotion of all to each,
and our common conservation to all the
nobler ends of life. -
He said that as a minister he had
found different temper on the part of
forum audiences from that of any 9th.
ers he had ever addressed There is nc
piety in them. The statements made
by speakers are subjected to the acid
test of democracy and fact.
In response to questions he said that
the movement had developed a bureau
for providing speakers and that
speakers were furnished to the
various forums with view tC
fitting them to the needs and interests
of the particular communities and al
the least expense possible.
While in the majority of the forum.
the meetings are held Sunday after
| moons and evenings, this is by nj
means necessary. In fact it would bt
advisable, wherever possible, to hol,
them on other evenings in order tt
place the speakers at smaller expense
than would be the case otherwise.
| Men who are in demand as platform
speakers in many instances are glad t.
give their services for half the pric,
they receive for other lectures ant
some give their services entirely. III
suggested that if it were possible tt
have some nearby town organize +;
forum ana for Brattleboro to have on,
| the expense of speakers would be Gu
in two for speakers at forums are will
ing to speak for the same sum at tw'
meetings III the same day.
After each address there is ques
| ton box, which develops IDEAS ant
, arguments that are very instructiv
and greatly enhance the interest in tn
meetings.