A new circle at Kalamazoo, Mich., has led the former organization to adopt the title of “Alpha” circle. This latter is a very lively body, we judge from their report. Their reorganization was a time for a general meeting, to which invitations were issued. So well has the year started off that the secretary writes: “Our past four meetings have been so very enjoyable that the closing hour—ten o’clock—comes only too soon. One feature of the evenings which has caused us the greatest sport has been the ‘pronouncing’ match (also ‘questions and answers’ match), which was carried on as a spelling match, choosing sides, etc.; the one who first takes his seat through failure must favor the society with a song, suggested by the fortunate one. The roll-call responded to by quotations, as suggested in The Chautauquan, monthly report, essays and impromptu speeches form pleasing variety. A speech on a given subject is required as penalty for former absence. Then, too, the music! How we enjoy that part of the program! As our musical committee varies each Monday evening, singing or playing often falls to the lot of non-musicians, who amuse us by compliance; on one occasion an organ grinder’s instrument was secured for the evening’s entertainment.”
An Egyptian campaign in the interests of the C. L. S. C. is being organized at Metropolis, in Illinois. Have they a Chinese Gordon, we wonder, to conduct their forces? They must have a leader as efficient, surely, for they write that their circle, strengthened by a goodly increase, organized promptly at the beginning of the year, that their former members belonging to the class of ’86 are becoming more in earnest as the year advances, and that they are planning to go down into Egypt, an expedition which has the heartiest good wishes of us all.——At Aurora, Ill., too, a campaign was planned for the fall, which proved most successful. The secretary of the “First” circle of that city, while at Chautauqua, planned a Round-Table, at which the three circles should unite in celebrating “Opening Day.” A very entertaining program was prepared, and Chancellor Vincent kindly wrote them a letter of greeting; the hope that the circle had had of increasing their membership by this union meeting was not disappointed. Aurora now boasts five circles, each numbering from eighteen to twenty members.
Illinois also sends us a chapter of history this month which is very good reading. It is from the Winchester circle: “Our circle has just entered its fourth year’s work, with nine members. Having consisted mainly, in previous years, of teachers, our number has been fluctuating. Since October, 1880, we have enrolled eighteen names, nearly all of whom proved zealous workers. At present we have only two of the original number, who are called the ‘Veterans.’ During the summer of 1881 two of our members went on to attend the convention; that of 1882 was spent by three of them on ‘A Tour Around the World,’ in The Chautauquan; and the recent vacation, that of 1883, was devoted to the ‘Art Papers’ of last year; by the way, when those appeared in the journal, they seemed so fully to meet the wants of some of the members that an ‘Art Branch’ was promptly organized and a thorough study of the subject commenced. As we took up each artist separately, and only held our branch meetings every two weeks, we did not finish with the year’s work, nor are we through yet, having gotten as far as Rubens in the May number of 1884. We feel repaid a thousand times for doing the extra work. Last year Prof. J. M. Crow, of Grinnell, Iowa, a student of Leipsic University, and a gentleman who has made several trips to Europe, lectured for us on ‘Greece and the Parthenon.’ This year we propose to hold an extra meeting each month, invite our friends in, and thus strive to convince them that the C. L. S. C. work is not superficial (as some have the impression). We defend our Alma Mater from the attacks of the skeptical, with almost as much energy as ‘Horatius held the bridge,’ and trust we are laying the foundation for a circle that will flourish in the future. Our president and others of the class hope to represent us at Chautauqua next summer. Miss M. Huston, our former enthusiastic president, is now a teacher in California, whither she has doubtless carried the C. L. S. C. spirit. Since taking up the course, the hitherto dismal days of fall have become golden ones, and life has grown sweeter, brighter and better.”
A local circle was organized in the little village of Blue Earth City, Minn., several months since, with about ten members, now increased to thirteen. They meet every Tuesday evening at the house of some member. Their reading is confined to the magazine principally; each gives some item of news at the opening of the meeting, then questions are asked on the preceding lesson, and persons are appointed to look up and report at the next meeting any subject which may arise in connection with the lesson. They are all greatly interested and feel that the meetings are a benefit, as well as a help in cultivating among the members a better acquaintance and more friendly relations.
From Fairfield, Iowa, a friend writes: “We would like to report ourselves as living and active in our work. This new year has opened auspiciously. Our circle numbers twenty-five are not found outside the C. L. S. C. We are known as the ‘Hawkeye Arc,’ have our meetings weekly and hope to greatly profit by the studies of the year. We have met a serious loss in the death of our president, Mrs. T. D. Ewing, the wife of the president of Parson’s College, of this place. She was a lady of culture and liberal education, and gave her best efforts to the advancement of the C. L. S. C. in this, her adopted home. But we are glad that while many of our associates are called to ‘come up higher,’ the work does not languish and is still exerting the beneficent influence of this wonderful band of reading ones.”
Norfolk, Nebraska, is as far as we can go west this month. A live, enterprising circle at that point is working with a western vim. They seem to take a rather unusual pride in being “like everybody else,” but when we remember the points of resemblance, it is not surprising that they should be proud. They send word: “All bear stories open with ‘once upon a time,’ so all reports of C. L. S. C.s read, ‘Our circle was organized on such an evening, and consists of lawyers, doctors, bankers, ministers, merchants, and their wives and daughters; all intelligent, enthusiastic workers,’ etc. Ours is no exception to this rule. We have twenty-five members with three officers, president, vice, and secretary. As variety hath charms, our president is authorized to appoint a new leader for each evening, and as no two men or women of different professions have minds made after the same mould, we succeed in the variety. Especially do we succeed in this particular, when we undertake to pronounce the Greek words found in the readings.”