The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-02-24
Rev. Harold Marshall Gives
Address to Unitarian
Mems Club
QUESTIONS ASKED
BY THE AUDIENCE
Suggestion for Organization Of Forum
In Brattlebo-o - Speaker Active in
Ford Hall Meetings in Boston and
Other Similar Meetings.

Rev. Harold Marshall of Nelroso
Mass, one of the men who has bean
active in the Ford hall meetings IN
Boston from their inception and who
has been instrumental in prouotinu IN
terest IN community meetings. verv on
tertalningly described the open forum
movement IN a meeting under the ans
plees of the Mems club of the Unita-
ran church in the Unitarian parish
house last evening
MS audlence was responsive anl at
the close OF his address asked nurnerou.
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 70
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
soelalized principle of life.
10 illustrate that statement he said
that II anyone would tell him whom his
grandparents ceased 70 keep a cow he
would tell that person when the forum
movement began. It began when peo-
pie came TO appreciate that the neees-
sltles OF life had been taken out of
their individual keeping; when the
tlme had passed when each family pro-
duced all the materials for its clothing
and food. Then the problem of life be-
came social problem.
The modern forum is the suceessfut
effort to revive the democracy OF the
town meeting and the country store.
wnere 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
I DDS OF dealing with them and grumble
and pay the bills.
He told of the Cooper union meet
ings, from which grew the Fcrd han
meetings in Boston, and then Of the
Melrose community forum and the
scores OF others which have been the
f ioutgrowth, in whole or in part. of
those. In almost every instance thev
have been wonderfully successful IN at
tracing people Of all walks of life.
/ The working ereei of the open for
! um, he gave as follows: "The belief
that we must all move together toward
the solution of the successive problems
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. -
I He said that as a minister he had
found a different temper on the par. Of
forum audiences from that Of any 9th
ers he had ever addressed. There Is no
piety IN them. The statements made
by speakers are subjected TO the acid
test Of democracy ami fact.
In response 20 questions he said that
the movement had developed a bureau
Tor providing speakers and that
speakers were furnished TO the
various forums with a view 10
fitting them to the needs and interests
of the particular communities and al
the least expense possible.
While in the majority of the forums
the meetings are held Sunday after
moons and evenings, this IS by no
means necessary. In fact il would he
advisable, wherever possible, 70 holl
them on other evenings in order to
place the speakers at smaller expense
than would be the ease otherwise
Men who are in demand rs platform
speakers In many instances are glad TO
give their services for half the price
they receive for other lectures aud
some give their services entirely. He
suggested that if il were possible 70
have some nearby town organize a
forum AMI for Brattleboro to have one
the expense Of speakers would BE cur
IN two, for speakers ar forums are will
ing to speak for the same sum al two
meetings in the same day.
After each address there Is a Ques-
tlon box, which develops IDEAS and
arguments that are very instructive
and greatly enhance the interest in the
meetings.