Norwich bulletin., 1919-05-26

religious belief and practice we are making room for new ideas which the demands of our day thrust upon and we must not tur them down.
 There is no agency of modern times, in my judgment, that understands the manifold nature of man more per fectlV ti1an-the Chautauqua associa- ton, and consequently its work is laid out along the broadest lines to cover these needs. The C1autauoua idea,
 like all other agencies working for human betternlent. was growth. It kept it's fingers on the, human pulse
 noted it's changing needs and prepared it's programme accordingly. ThesS are those present who can remember when
 the Old New England Lyceum was in vogue. Not only in our cities and
 larger towns, but is many of the
 smaller towns lectureships were es-
 tablished during the winter season.
 giving the people the privilege of hear
 ing noted men and women speak on
 the burning questions of the hour.
 There can be little doubt that south
 ern slavery received it's first stag
 gering blow through this powerful agency. Next to our common schools it's was the largest educational agen- cy American has ever had.
 The old lecture bureau was all right for what it was intended. and that was to present the great burning ques- tions of the day before the people in a clear, able and eloquent way. But hu- man life is many sided and shrewd observers began to see that there was q growing craving for something that this old scheme did not meet. Among those who were watching this grow l ing problem was John H. Vincent, afterwards a bishop of the Methodist church. This great man conceived the i idea of broadening the scope of the i old lecture bureau so as to cover more i largely these helthful cravings. Con seauently in the year 1874, I think it 1 was, he opened q series of lectures on the banks of Lake Chautauqua, \. Y, whence it's name is derived The l phenominal success of the undertaking showed that Bishop Vincent was more l than man of keen foresight and in spiraion.
 As this scheme grew it was found ! to be Inadequate. There was not room enugh at Chautauqua Lake for all 1 those who were eager to attend. The solution was simple. If the people could not get to Chautaqua then let 1 Chautauqua be brought to the people 1 This enlargement of the Chautauqua l idea of coming to the people has been a success. I can see no reason at present why the Chautauqua movement should not
 succeed in Norwich as it has else
 where. It comments itself all the more to the patronage of our people from the 1 fact that it is not a money making
 scheme Its sole aim is nothing less than the advancement of human we'll being. It aims at nothing short o1
 moral and spiritual uplift of the com
 munity. We have playhouses and ever
 If they present nothing objectionable they do not pretend to be factors 1T the moral and spiritual uplift of the
 community. They do not claim to bt educa tional agencies. They are purely
 money making enterprises. The Chau- tauqua association is exempt from tax
 ation on the ground that they are no
 money making enterprises. The thea 1 tre from its very nature cannot st 1 broadly cover the sphere of human needs along this line as the Chautau qua The theatre is with us all th' time, the Chautauqua is with US ont
 week only in the year. The Chautau qua, combining religion with politics the drama and the opera. touches hu
 man nature at more points than th' theatre or the moving picture show possibly can.
 If we are living in an age in whicl
 we believe that the body has clain
 to recognition that 1t did not formerl! in Gods scheme of salvation. then w
 shall appreciate sone of the lecture (which the Chautauqua program offers If we believe that the community il the mass, as well as the ipdividua