Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1916-07-28
THE CE1AUTAUQUA
Whence 1t Came What 1t Is
and What 1t Means to Us
By DOUGLAS MALLOCH
THE POET THE WOODS AND COMMUNITY PHILOSOPHER"
Copyright. Western Newspaper Union)
By DOUGLAS MALLOCH
THE POET OF THE WOODS AND COMMUNITY


aim at human betterment, that we may
choose that which to us seems best.
1t is teaching US respect for the other
mans opinion. The Chautauqua is an
outdoor university; it is more than
that: 1t is public forum.
Tho History Of the chautauqua.
"Chautauqua" is an Indian word, the
name of Chautauqua lake, in Chautau-
qua county, New York, where the first
"ChautauQua" was held and where the
original Chautauqua institution still
holds it's annual assemblies. Its exact
meaning is not known, one interpreta-
ton being "a bag Of meal with a string
tied around it," rather free transla-
ton, while another authority declares
that it means two moccasins tied to-
gether." Whatever the significance of
the word, it is agreed that it is de-
scriptive Of the lake it names, as is SO
often the case with Indian terms.
Perhaps the very beginning Of the
Chautauqua was the chartering OF the
Fair Point camp meeting in New York
in 1871, which proposed to hold regu-
lar meetings each summer near Lake
Chautauqua. DR.. George H. Vincent.
later Bishop Vincent of the Methodist
church, accompanied by Lewis Miller,
a wealthy manufacturer from Ohio.
both of whom were deeply interested
in Sunday school work, visited the
spot in 1878. This visit and their joint
idea to provide a summer school OF in
struction for Sunday school workers
resulted in the announcement of The
Chautauqua Sunday School Assembly"
for 1874.
Over three hundred attended the
first year, and the ChautauQua quickly
developed and grew. At first de-
nominational institution, it was soon
incorporated as one interdenomina-
tion2l. From the mere training of
Sunday school workers, educational
work in general was taken up. AS its
originators recognized its possibilities
they enlarged its scope, until it became
a great educational assembly for the
study of all the arts and sciences. Not
only was the summer assembly held,
but study courses were devised for
use in the home, and by 1885 no less
than 100,0 students were enrolled.
Naturally such a splendid idea
achieving such excellent results could
not he confined to one institution and
one location. The system of bringing
the best thinkers, teachers, interpre-
tiers and musicians to some central
place where the people might as
semble to hear them on carefully ar
ranged programs, still the very plan
followed by the present Chautauquas,
took form in other favored localities.
From one Chautauqua in 1874, there
were two in 1876, in 1877 two more,
and so the idea grew until 80 were
organized in 1885. This year finds
over three thousand American COM
munities enjoying their Chautauquas,
with a total attendance OF many mil
lions OF people, all as the result Of
that. first Chautauqua on Chautauqua
Lake in 1874.
The Chautauqua of the Present.
The Chautauqua now may be an lin
dependent Chautauqua, as it is
termed, organized and arranged by
a single community, or Circuit"
Chautauqua, which is supplied to a
circuit of towns by Chautauqua sys-
TEN. They are exactly alike in aims
and character and in the nature of the
entertainment and education they
offer.
The circuit Chautauqua aims to min
imize expense in many ways: by Of
fering longer continuous employment
and no open dates" to talents; by
short jumps" and decreased travelling
cost, by using the same equipment in
many towns during a single season,
and multitude of economies that will
readily suggest themselves. With only
occasional exceptions the program for
the whole circuit of Chautauqua under
the direction of a single system is ar.
ranged at the, same time, and the
group for each day in each town