At Media, Ohio, there is a C. L. S. C. “Olive Branch” of ten members, which so arranges its programs that each member has something to do at each meeting—a most excellent plan to insure interest and attention. At Springboro, Ohio, is another new circle of four members, but so zealous that in spite of numbers they have observed all the “Days.” Saint Paris, Ohio, reports a class of fourteen, organized in October last, most of whom, they write, are reading the White Seal Course in addition to their regular work. At Franklin, Ohio, is a quartette of readers, brought together by one lady’s visit last summer to the Monteagle Assembly, and she now writes of their circle: “We meet once a week. Read and talk, and query and give information most informally, and always have delightful times. We have decided that outside of our Chautauqua work we are the four busiest people in town, yet we find time to do our work. Not so thoroughly as we would like, but in such a way as to derive much benefit from it.”
At both Franklin and Crawfordsville, Ind., there are new circles, each numbering twenty-eight members. The circle at Marion (a beautiful town of about 5,000 inhabitants in central Indiana), is the result of the efforts of a few ladies who, after much thought, and many misgivings, started out one afternoon to try and interest the ladies of their town in the good work. The time was surely just right for such an enterprise, for they met with a success beyond their most sanguine expectations. Fortunately they succeeded in enlisting many of their friends, who were ladies of influence, and now have a flourishing organization known as the “Marion C. C.” They have a membership of twenty-three, an average attendance of about twenty, and all so deeply interested, that they write that there is not one but anticipates the four years’ course.
Preston, Carbondale and Tuscola, towns of Illinois, have each formed new circles this year. The Tuscola circle rejoices in a member who, having traveled through Europe, delights them by picturing St. Peter’s, St. Paul’s, the Appian Way, the Coliseum, Westminster Abbey, and many other places of historic interest.
A new circle which was formed last October at Kalamazoo, Mich., reports a very promising outlook in the growth of the work there; while the circle at Erie, Mich., organized in the fall, and now numbering twenty-eight members, says: “We have every reason to hope for a large addition to our membership in October next.” Perhaps the secret is to be found in the interest they are taking in their work, for they write: “We congratulate ourselves on the pleasure afforded us by our studies, and on the improvement from month to month in the work of individual members.”
We like that sort of interest in the C. L. S. C. which leads members to do everything in their power to follow the methods outlined by the leaders. It is such interest that makes the Circle grow—a case to the point comes from Winfield, Mich., from a member, who writes: “I have secured a student to join in the studies of the C. L. S. C. for the class of ’87, and so am able to report as a circle from this place, though only two of us.” Too often “only two of us” is made an excuse for not joining the Plainfield office.
“We are doing very thorough work, not only reading, but studying,” writes the secretary of the Litchfield, Mich., circle. Howell, Mich., has a circle of thirty-five ’87s. They had the privilege of welcoming the president of the class of ’87, the Rev. Frank Russell, on the 20th of February last, on the evening of which day he delivered his popular lecture on the “Man Invisible,” there under the auspices of their local circle. They took occasion to celebrate his coming with a reunion of the Chautauqua circles of the county. A most excellent idea, and one that evidently did both the fortunate hosts and guests much good, for they declare that they feel sure that all present were encouraged to press on to help swell the “Pansy” class of ’87 to 20,000.
The “Flour City,” Minneapolis, Minn., circle, commenced work the first of November. “Our number,” they write, “does not exceed twenty. We meet every Monday night for two hours, even when the thermometer has been on its way from twenty-five to thirty-five below zero. There is a great deal of pressure upon our lives in this thriving city, and we have not attempted to follow out attractive lines of study suggested, but have followed the course carefully, varying our exercises from time to time. We get up maps and charts, and exhibit pictures of places that we study about. Recently we spent the evening with the German authors from whose pens extracts have appeared. Each member present had a character, and all were well prepared. It proved one of our most delightful evenings.”
A “Chautauqua Triangle” meets weekly at Grinnell, Iowa. From Brighton, Iowa, a class of nine is reported, and from Ackley, of the same state, a lady writes: “Our circle of about a dozen members has just been organized, what it lacks in numbers being made up in enthusiasm. We are to meet weekly. We have considerable variety among our members, some being college graduates, and others wishing they were; some being C. L. S. C. graduates, and others hoping to become such in ’86 or ’87, and still others, knowing that they can not pass through the ‘beautiful golden gate’ before ’88. For the sake of such we unite in reading the ‘Bryant Course’ for the rest of this C. L. S. C. year, the old C. L. S. C.ists taking that work in addition to the regular reading, on which all will enter in the fall.”
A little company of readers have formed a new circle at Davenport, Iowa. The interest in the C. L. S. C. course is increasing constantly, there being now over fifty persons who are taking the whole or parts of the course.
Our friends at Corydon, Iowa, have been experiencing the effects of being too social. Their club of fifteen was organized last fall. Their meetings were always pleasant, but as they had no plan in their work they often found themselves unwittingly off the topic. Fortunately they discovered their mistake, and voted to reform. They write: “The two most profitable meetings we have yet had, were the two since ‘the change.’ Now we think we have the ‘Chautauqua Idea.’”