The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1921-01-21
CHAUTAUQUA.
More Powerful Than Press As Mold
er OF Public Opinion.


of the founding of the Swarthmore
Chautauqua Association, which
event took place on Friday, January
Z, at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in
Philadelphia, the keynote which was
sounded by practically every speak
er was the great power latent in the
Chautauqua movement as molder
OF public opinion in the United
States.
After the opening remarks by
Charles F. Jenkins, President of the
Board of Managers, DR.. Thomas E.
Green, Director of the Speakers
Bureau of the American Red Cross,
who has just recently returned from
Europe, gave a moving address at
the evening banquet in which he
named the Chautauqua movement
as the most powerful force in
America today in holding, what he
called, the three most important
out-posts of our civilization. He
said that Chautauqua, reaching the
great number of people it does every
year, combines the power of the
press and of the church, and the
power of Chautauqua to mold pub
lie opinion is greater than either OF
these or both together.
DR.. Green's outposts as he named
them were health, education and in
ternational good Will.
Following DR.. Green's address Mr..
Frederick William Vile, formerly
the best known American newspaper
correspondent in Europe and at
present chief of the Public Ledger
Bureau in Washington, D. c., gave
the most stirring address of the eve
ming. His speech was entitled
"Chautauqua Through Journalistic
Eyes" He praised also the power
of the Chautauqua movement and
ranked it's power with that of the
American press as a molder of pub
lie opinion. He deprecated the
modern tendency toward the movies,
motors and jazz. He. longed for
every child in the country to have
the opportunity for wholesome
recreation and inspirations such as
furnished by the Chautauqua. Here
he thought was Chautauqua's great
opportunity. He closed by saying
that if he had the power to take a
step to protect our future civiliza-
ton he would say "Chautauqua to
the front"
During the evenings festivities,
kilograms were read from William
Jennings Bryan, the peerless orator
and Chautauquan and from Russell
H, Conwell, who is probably the best
known lecturer in the country to-
day, both of whom have lectured
many times on the Swarthmore
Chautauqua circuits.
The closing remarks at the ban
quet were made by the POSTMASTER,
DR.. Paul M. Pearson, the Director
of the Swarthmore Chautauqua AS
ISOLATION. DR.. Pearson's remarks
were mostly an appreciation of the
splendid spirit evidenced by the
towns which form the Swarthmore
Chautauqua Association.
The celebration of January 18th
was particularly to honor the thirty
four ten-year member-towns. These
thirty-four towns, whose names fol-
low, have been on the Association
circuits since 1912: Millersburg,
Pa, Hammonton, NJ j., Chester
town, Md, Georgetown, Del, Dover,
Del, Elkton, Md, Parkesburg, Pa,
Royersford, Pa, Newtown, Pa, Mt.
Holly, N. j., Hightstown, N. j., Sal
EN-, N. j., Lansdale, Pa, Dallastown,
Pa, Lititz, Pa, Shippensburg, Pa,
fredericksburg, Pa, Columbia, Pa,
Phillipsburg, N. j., Quakertown,
Pa, New Hope, Pa, Newton, N. j.,
Tamaqua, Pa. Chambersburg, Pa,
Westminster, Md, Bel Air, Md,
Phoehixville, Pa, Kennett Square,
Pa, Oxford, Pa, Easton, Md, POGO
moke, Md, Crisfield, Md, Salisbury,
Md, Glenolden, Pa. In 1912 there
were forty-one towns. Thirty-four
of these, remarkable percentage,
are still on the Swarthmore lists.
Each of these thirty-four towns sent
two or more representatives to the
conference and dinner.
The afternoon conference closed
with a discussion of the plans for
the coming year to make Chautau-
qua the best yet in it's service to it's
towns.
Citizens of this town should be
proud to be so actively associated
with the work of the Swarthmore
Chautauqua Association, which in
ten years has extended it's activities
and service from forty-one towns in
four States to over seven hundred
and twenty-five in fourteen States