Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1916-07-28

is good for it. The Chautauqua, how
ever, has survived even the fact that
it has educational value, which might
turn some of the thoughtless away.
We labor so long and SO hard in this
world that we prefer entertainment to
instruction. But the Chautauoua en-
tertains so we'll that we quite willingly
forgive it for improving our minds and
our morals at the same time.
The chautauqua and the Community.
But to the student of the American
community and the American commu-
nity's needs, the most interesting and
inspiring feature of the Chautauqua is
not so much its effect upon the indi-
vidual as upon the town and the coun-
try around about-on the individual
collectively. The community and the
Chautauqua have an INTERPOLATION, an
interdependence, that is almost para
doxical: For the community spirit
makes the Chautauqua possible, and
the Chautauqua in turn makes the
community spirit fact. "A Chau-
tauqua," said the late Robert j. Bur-
dette, the American humorist, "is an
intellectual jewel set in the coronet of
the community which it graces. 1t at
tracts to it's circle from all grades only
the good, and it makes the good better
and the better best"
The mere gathering Of so large q
proportion of the population of any
community In one place at one time is
in itself a powerful thing for good.
why, if there isn't Henry Smith,
haven't seen him for years." And
then Henry (whom you start right in
calling Henry again, although you
haven't met since schooldays), intro
duces you to his wife, and then you in
troduce his wife to your wife, and then
Henry-and the glow of neighborliness
that is about half of life runs through
you and you all, and the community Is
a little closer knit together
And what is happening to you and
Henry, and your wife and Henry's, is
happening to lot of other Henrys.
New friendships are being made, old
friendships revived, young folks are
meeting for the first time, and the
funds of fellowship in your community
have increased until your county is
about the richest in the state.
While you are all there together,
little kinder to all mankind because
someone has been kind to you, some
one on the platform sings patriotic
song, some orchestra plays SYM
phony, some lecturer gives you new
thought to take home with you and de-
bate over the family dinner table, and
you find yourself enlisted in the
worlds great movements for the COM
mon good, or interested in the things
of nature about you, or eager to stand
well in the sight of your fellow men.
You go away from there determined
to be little bigger and little better,
and that means you will be little big
ger and little better force in the
community
But good resolutions are not enough
to knit a community together. The
community must have some labor to
perform in common, some accomplish
ment to which the whole community
can point with pride-and the Chau-
tauqua is the project that will enlist,
or ought to enlist, us ALL 1t means
for our town at once an outdoor uni
versity and an open-air holiday, en-
tertainment and enlightenment, fun
and inspiration. Why, even the work
of selling the tickets and stringing the
banners and decorating the store and
the lawn, putting the old town in gala
garb for gala occasion, brings US
closer together in one common object
Ito make our Chautauqua a success.
Actuated by common pride, inspired
by a common desire, we form or
strengthen the habit of working to-
gether-a habit that will do more than
maintain our Chautauqua from year to
year and will find other outlets for its
activities and other things to do for
our community.
That is the lasting effect that will
remain after the days of the summer
ChautauQua are gone. The Chautauqua
association or committee ought to con-
tinue its organization and form all
through the year-either as part OF
some other body organized for the
community good, or as that community
organization itself, putting into prac-
tice the community principles preach
ed from the Chautauqua platform, car
rying out the ideas suggested by COM
munity sneakers and nv our own peO-
pie, learning to think as community
by working together as community.
making the Chautauqua permanent
feature Of our community life and only
one Of many features for the cOmmuri.
tvs good.