The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1922-01-10
MINISTER'S
OPPOSED TO
DANCING
The County Organization
Hears Paper By Rev.
McFarIane

association at the Union Baptist
church on Jan. the following
clergymen were present: Rev. A
S. Woodwork, Rev. T. H. Viii
son, Rev. A. G.. Axtell, Rev. F. A.
Poole, Rev. w. A. Cate, Rev. G.
w. Hylton, all Of st. Johnsbury
Rev. Kenneth Mcleod of Sutton,
Rev. w. N. Gould of West Burke
Rev. Chauncey A. Adams of Dan.
vile; Rev. David Hickland OF
Danville; Rev. A. E. Gregg OF
Barnet; Rev. c. E. Gould of Lyn-
don Center; Rev. w. j. Mcfarland
of Lyndonville; Rev. G. S. Smith
of Concord; Rev. A. N. Pierce of
Passumpsic; Rev. Glen Douglass
of Lunenburg.
Rev, Walter N. Gould presided
and devotions were conducted by
Rev. Mr.. Douglass. The address
of the morning was given by Rev.
+. B. Richards and his subject
was "Motion Pictures"
At the afternoon session the
devotions were conducted by Rev.
c. E. Gould. A paper was present
ed on dancing" by Rev. w. J.
McFarlanc. Both papers were
followed by interesting and illum-
mating discussions.
On the subject of Dancing"
Mr.. McFarlane spoke as follows:
In its best form, dancing is a
form of exercise or amusement IN
which ono or more persons makes
Il SeIsrS:S of more or less graceful
movements with measured steps
in accord with music. Thus in its
most refined phases, dancing ex-
presses the poetry of rhythmic
movement, and rises to the level
Of an art. In the earliest races, il
was used by the more primitive
folk as a means Of outward eX-
preston for strong emotions of
joy an dsorrow, love and rage,
and even for the most solemn and
impassioned religious feelings; in
more civilized strata of human So
cicty it is employed as a means Of
recreation and amusement.
We need take little time discus
sing dancing properly carried on,
in a meeting of this kind.
Here are some reasons, briefly
why | am opposed to the public
dance hall That is, by public |
mean, run by private individuals
for gain.
First-Those who run dance hall
are not doing it for their health
or for the public good alone--thcy
arc out for gain. If it doesn't pay
or if they just break even, they
move on or quit.
Second Because, "Sex immor-
ality the world over makes itself
known in three fragrant forms,
namely, the insidious popularizlng
of sex consciousness through pic
lures, mazagines books, through
popular songs, dancing and CO =
versation. The public dance hall
with its back to the animal stage
introduced in 1910 with its
"Turkey Trot", Bunny Hug,
"Grizzly Bear, to its disgraceful
"Check to Cheek" and "Toddle
Dances of today. The sex con-
sciousncss is emphasized above
everything else, and the Jazz
merely excites this consciousness
Third-More young men and
women have been ruined, directly
and indirectly by the chance ac-
made at such places,
than bv an other condition in our
social life.
Fouth-Many OF our modern
dances look questionable enough |
when done properly, and in pri-
vatc so called first class dances
arouse the passions, but when in
dulged in by men and women OF
chance acquaintance lead too fire.
uucntly to moral disaster. u usu-
ally results in the doing of an
ungentlemanlY act in a so-callcd
gentlemanlv way,
Fifth-The public hall is the
hanr-out, either inside or out Tor
he "Hootch peddlcr", the gamb
er with his easy money schemes,
md the haIlot to ply her trade. A
pct expression now among 30
many who forUot its criminalitv
seems TO be-"Were there any
who were hot last night"-then
au"h p lustrouS lauoh which in
olives the Constitution of our fair
United States.
Sixth-It exploits a class Of our
younp neonle of limited means
md acnuointanccs and nrofts hv
heir loneliness and desire for the
COX meeting 1t also ore0s un
dangerous opportunity for many
Continued on page 4)