I recall the testimony of a Methodist minister of those days, given to me when I met him at his conference in the Middle West.
When I was sent to my last church, I learned that there was a reading circle among its members, and I heard the news with some dismay, for in more than one place I had started a literary society and found that it was necessary for me to supply all the thought and labor to keep it in operation, to plan the course, to select people to write papers and persuade them to do it, to be ready to fill vacancies on the program. And as soon as I stopped supplying steam, the society was sure to come to a stand-still. But at this church I found a Chautauqua Circle that was taking care of itself. Its programs were provided, the members were reading a regular course and making their reports; they presided in turn at the meetings, and I was not called upon to take any part unless I desired it. Also in the prayer-meetings, I could soon recognize the members of the Circle by a touch of intelligence in their testimonies.
It is the opinion of the writer that if one could ascertain the history of the woman's clubs that now cover the country, and ascertain their origin, it would be found that nearly all of the older woman's clubs arose out of Chautauqua Circles whose members, after completing the prescribed course, took up civics or politics, or literature. It would be an interesting study to ascertain how far the General Federation of Women's Clubs of America was an outgrowth of the Chautauqua movement.
Congregational House
Fenton Memorial, Deaconess' House