Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 63, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 March 1914 — FARMERS’ CHAUTAUQUA [ARTICLE]

FARMERS’ CHAUTAUQUA

The Breeder’s Gazette Issue, December 4th, has an interesting article on the “Farmers’ Chautauqua.” We quote as follows: “What are farmers’ chautauquas? Of course we have had chautauquas for years; but the farm-' ers’ chautauquas are brand new; they were born last summer. Seven of them have been held in Kentucky; the first in Kentucky, and probably the first in the world, was developed by Dr. H. H. Cherry of the Western State Normal School in Warren County. This initial farmers’ Chautauqua was such an instantaneous and unqualified success that three others were held later in the season at widely separated points ,in the same county. “One jof the most important factors in the success of these chautauquas for farmers is that none of them was held in a town or city, no matter how small and rural in its tendencies. Every one of them was out in the country, and far out in the country. In fact, the last one, which closed its session early in October, was 6V£ miles from any town; and all of the others were from 9 to 12 miles out in “God’s out of doors.” Every effort was made to keep them strictly neighborhood affairs, rural affairs at their very best; a place to enjoy picnic luncheons under the trees; a place to meet old friends and new; a place to get acquainted with experts and men who came from a distance; a place to realize that the State and Government Departments were closer than they had suspected. It was essentially a place to grow away from the old idea of the neighborhood with It many differences, social, political and religious, into the new idea of a community built solidly about some ideal of co-operation.”