USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > A History of Bristol County, Massachusetts, vol 2 > Part 21
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Social Agencies: Public Health (Anti-Tuberculosis.) and District Nursing Asso- ciation, the Associated Charities, Red Cross, Y. M. C. A. and Auxiliary, League for
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Girls and Women, Girls' Club. King's Daughters, Dodgeville Neighborhood House Association, Dodgeville Social Center Giris' Club and the Men's Club, Hebronville Improvement Association, and Briggs Corner Welfare Association.
Clubs and Unions: Attleboro Woman's Club, Round Table, Etaerio, New Century, North Purchase, Pierian, Chaminade Musical, Angle Tree Stone Rod and Gun, Letter Carriers' Association, Carpenters and Joiners, Musicians' Protective Association.
Fraternal Societies, those which of their own accord took the initiative: Grange, Elks, Dames of Malta, K. of P., I. O. O. F. and the Manchester Unity.
Reform Leagues: League of Women Voters (formerly Equal Suffrage League), Central W. C. T. U., Hebronville W. C. T. U., South Attleboro W. C. T. U., and the General Citizens' Alliance.
Municipal Groups: Police Relief Association, Firemen's Relief Association, Public Library trustees, and Teachers' Association.
Racial Groups, including eight French societies: Artisans, Cercle Lacordaire, L'Union St. Jean Baptiste, L'Ordre des Forestiers, Cour Jeanne Hachette, Francs- Tireurs, Jeanne d'Arc, and the France Club.
Six Scandinavian: Fraternity, Socialist Club, I. O. G. T., Naturalization Society, Order of Vasa, and Swedish Young People's Society.
Three Irish: A. O. H., Emmett Association, Social and Literary Club, Massachu- setts.
Four Hebrew: Brith Abraham, Jewish Labor League, Y. M. H. A., and the Y. W. H. A.
Three German: Dionys and Eva Lodges of Deutscher Orden der Harugari, and Mitglieder des Gesang Verein Frofsinn.
Ten others: British Naturalization Social Club, Sons of Italy, Portuguese, Greek, Armenian, Polish, Albanian, Swiss, Syrian, Ukrainian.
Officers elected that October 9th and since have been : General director and chairman, Charles H. Pennoyer; vice-general chairman, Samuel Slocomb; Rev. Fr. Louis A. Dequoy, director neighborhood service; Hugh Gaffney, Gabriel A. Desmarais, Carl A. Anderson, John W. Cody, Rev. E. E. Wells, Rabbi Benjamin Gorovitz, Mrs. Eliza B. Daggett, Mrs. Joseph L. Blaine, Rev. Hjalmar Tillman; general treasurer, Walter L. Gardner, Ed- ward H. Brown; general corresponding secretary, Ernest R. Wernstrom, Mrs. Mary K. Mullaly ; general recording secretary, Miss Margaret E. Todd, Miss Kate W. Goff; chairman and secretary finance committee, Harold E. Sweet and Walter O. Lochner; auditor, Harry E. Carpenter; sessional chair- men and department directors: forum, Principal Wm. B. Alexander, Super- intendent of Schools Lewis A. Fales and President Joseph Finberg of plan- ning board, Walter F. King, Joseph H. Brohen; music, John L. Gibbs, Lester Earle Moore, Peter J. Colvin, C. Theo. Hoecke, Mrs. Ruth de Hass Balfour, Mrs. Clara E. B. Perry; social, Guy D. Wing, Principal Earle C. Macomber, John B. Cazemiro, Rev. E. B. Hull, Charles A. Pierce, Levon S. Berberian, Louis D. Hunken; Lyceum, Walter A. Briggs; neighborhood service, Mrs. Tilda B. Einstein; recreation, Principal Charles J. Peterson, H. H. Reinhardt; civics, Principal J. F. Smith, G. C. Baker; drama, Mrs. Ella Pease Rogers; dance, Dr. D. Emory Holman; tableaux, Misses Agnes L. and Ethel Balcom; art, George E. Nerney, Joseph H. Appleton, Percy J. Callowhill; community speakers, Judge Ralph C. Estes, Principal Charles O. Dalrymple; history, Thomas S. Carpenter, Dr. Charles A. Moers, Miss Elizabeth J. Wilmarth, Miss Kate W. Goff, Mrs. Lucinda F. Spofford; nature study, Rev. Manly B. Townsend, R. Schuyler Waldron, Clarence E. Richardson, Mrs. Catherina S. Eastwood; social work education, Miss Ruth M. Hyslop; delegates-at-large: Joseph L. Sweet, Wm. L. King, Charles C. Wilmarth, Joseph Finberg, Harold E. Sweet, Samuel M. Einstein, Oscar
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Wolfenden, Wm. H. Saart, George A. Sweeney, Maurice J Baer, Edward P. Chaflin, John E. Anderson, Gabriel A. Desmarais, Thomas E. McCaffrey, and Revs. Ellen G. Gustin, David F. Sheedy, J. L. Mitchell, Alwin E. Wor- man, Antoine Berube, Thomas J. Horner, George Armstrong, Guy E. Mark; cabinet; officers named, regular and special chairmen and directors, Wm. F. Eastwood, Rev. J. R. Conrad, Dr. Charles A. Moers, Miss E. J. Wilmarth, Principal Norton, Samuel Fine, Jr., Rev. C. W. Porter-Shirley, Rev. V. V. Sawyer.
The A. C. F. is a clearing house center of over one hundred affiliated social units and seventeen school centers. It serves as a cooperative school for civic good judgment and community expression. Its motto is: Culture of all, for the welfare of all, by the cooperation of all. It is a non-sectarian, non-partisan and non-commercial adult continuation school for good citizen- ship. It would take a line of six numerals to tell the story of remarkably good attendance at the unique mass meetings and other gatherings.
The A. C. F. history periods may be divided into three, those of pre- war, pro-war and post-war service. First, before the war: Forum meetings provided lecturers, with response from floor in which both question and discussion periods were opened by persons of some racial, economic, fra- ternal or other groups not otherwise represented in the particular evening's program. There were also Lyceum debates and straight lectures. There have been concerts by the Community Chorus and the Community Or- chestra and with special groups assisting part. At the regular meetings community sing sessions a part of that period has been taken by such group choruses as French, Swedish, German, Irish, Italian, Portuguese, Swiss, Colored, Y. M. C. A .- K. of C., War Chest, Catholic, Congregational, Epis- copalian, Baptist, Universalist, Advent Christian, Christian Scientist, Re- organized Latter Day Saints, Seventh Day Adventist, Sanitarium, also clubs, factories, fraternities and schools; and orchestra and band music by Union Methodist-Baptist orchestra, Wells Family, High School, Italians, Portuguese, Heywood's, Leclairs, Jewelry City, and Eagle bands, and es- pecially by the Musicians Protective Association. The social session at most every meeting has given the general public opportunity to personally meet lecturers, entertainers and other artists and one another. Some groups, not otherwise represented on particular program, have acted as ushers, in- cluding chamber of commerce, the municipal units, clubs, social agencies, reform bodies, church auxiliaries, military-patriotic societies, fraternities, Colored, Irish, Swedish, French-Canadian, Hebrew, Italian, Armenian, Polish, Albanian, Ukrainian, British and other units. The community theater nights by local talent have been especially memorable, with largest city auditorium crowded full and at least as many more turned away. Tufts College boys, Wheaton College girls and Boston schools have co- operated in fine dramatic programs. Outdoor and indoor pageants have been popular. The community recreation and mass play programs have been held in form of community picnic, community festival at park, play demonstrations at State Armory and other and part exercises. Community and interpretive dancing programs have been enjoyed on Capron Park green and indoors. The Americanization programs have been outstanding fea- tures. Once or twice a year, at first in May and later in February, Ameri- can citizens of thirty different foreign births-French and English Canadian,
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Scotch, English and Irish, Jamaican, Acadian, Swedish, Norwegian and Danish, Finnish, Latvian and Lithuanian, Russian, Ukrainian and Czecho- Slovak (Bohemian), Polish, Roumanian, and Albanian, Armenian, Syrian, and Greek, Italian, Hungarian (Magyar), and Portuguese, Swiss, Belgian and Dutch, German and others, besides East and native Indians and Negroes,-have told what America and Americanism meant to them and have thus helped to enlighten themselves and others on the rights and duties of citizenship. Special civic and political programs and part pro- grams have been given, and with opportunity for National, State and Municipal candidates to be heard. Educational atmosphere has been given to the Fourth of July celebrations, with noted speakers, and the special recognition of the attainment of voting citizenship by both the naturalized foreign born and the come-of-age native born. The general director was local representative for the Massachusetts Bureau of Immigration, and later of the Division of Americanization of the State Department of Education. Weekly consultations have been given for Community Immigrant Protec- tion service. One special committee, H. F. Howe, Mrs. L. F. Spofford and Carl P. Swanson, have given notable help in sending large class to city school's naturalization classes. Candidates for naturalization have been given instructive, transportation and other help. Circulars and posters have been regularly used. The municipal nights have been very noteworthy occasions, unique in American life, the Honorables Sweet, Brady and Sweeney being successively inaugurated Mayor at mass meetings in con- nection with the A. C. F. and these executives giving their official messages to the public at such times for forum question and discussion, and sugges- tion conference with the people in open session. Through all the depart- ments and activities run the motive and method of community unity, the sense and spirit of which make for the vitalization of Attleboro.
Second. During the War: The A. C. F. became very much of a war- education society, especially cooperating with the national, state and muni- cipal government departments. As the community Americanization com- mittee it was a part of the division of the committee on public safety, the general director being specially appointed by the Massachusetts Committee on Public Safety, and the Women's Committee, Massachusetts Division of National Council of Defense by authority and direction of Federal Depart- ments of Interior and Labor. It was early called by official letter from National Council of Defense, Washington, to be "a demonstration unit." War Welfare Work, War Savings Stamps, Food, Fuel Conservation, Nurses. Its community council meetings included Red Cross, Liberty Loan, United Enrollment, Service Men's Aid, Patriotic Rally and Allies' Celebrations, and kindred occasions. Assistance was specially given in meetings for Massa- chusetts Committee of Citizens of Foreign Birth and Descent. The A. C. F. was the community committee on liberty choruses, and in this service was also a division of the public safety committee. The two dozen or more group choruses were considered liberty chorus units, and these held liberty and victory sings both separately and together. These with others carried our Americanization shields in Armistice Day and other parades. The Fellowship also had charge of local four-minute singing, Massachusetts Division of Four-Minute Men, National Committee on Public Information. In part of this service, at park, it had cooperation of Boston War Service
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Unit, War Camp Community Service. The general director was member of the State Community Division, Americanization of Massachusetts, Pub- lic Safety Committee. There were Lyceum debates of initiative and refer- endum and other great issues. The memorial avenue for the World War gold stars was initiated by the A. C. F., one of the very first of such in the country, the committee of which John W. Cody was chairman getting all the trees for Capron Park, and with the City Park Commission co- operating in the completion so that the city could take it over and dedicate it at the welcome home given the World War veterans. Military parades were held in connection with park meetings.
ยท Third, after the war: Big publicity community council meetings were continued for Liberty Loan, Red Cross, Armistice celebration and anniver- saries, Community Thanksgiving, Service Men, Salvation Army and other causes. In response to a direct official request from the National Com- mittee on Public Information, Washington, the A. C. F. took over the four-minute-men service, and, acting further on Washington request a new name, that of community speakers, was given. These men have assisted all the various patriotic and social service campaigns, at theaters and else- where. They have held annual rallies in the form of community speakers' lyceum debates on government ownership, League of Nations, Federal De- partment of Education, Centralization and Democracy. In February, 1919, the A. C. F. held the first Americanization week in the country and has continued the same service each year. In 1919 it began the first of five annual weekly Americanization series of articles in the Daily Sun, the first year being local, 1920 by living State Governors, 1921 by National Govern- ment Presidents, 1922 by local leaders, and 1923 by general director on local social agencies. Civics and political meetings have been held, new voters' festivals, political symposiums, municipal cooperation in community snow shovel call. On Flag Day, June 14, 1920, called National Neighbors' Day, another new service began, that of school center neighborhood service, when ballots were taken by the pupils of their home, and one or two neighborhood representatives, according to size of school district, were elected from nominees named by ward councilmen. These neighborhood representatives have led in holding Monday neighborhood nights through the year, in those weeks when the regular community mass meetings were not due, local programs being given by adults and pupils of neighborhood, the community speakers striking some special educational note of social or community service, and the homes and schools coming into a better mutual acquaintanceship, school understanding and other good citizenship, as the city school superintendent states in his annual report of this last year. There has been large attendance at all the seventeen school centers at every neighborhood night program, electric lights have been obtained from school committee for eight schools, and the people have installed pianos, song books and other service aids in several schools. The following are the neighborhood representatives: Bank street, James Broadbent and Miss Margaret McClements; Briggs Corner, Alfred W. Brigham; Bliss school, Mrs. Frank H. Davis and Cornelius Perry; Capron school, Mrs. Ada R. Hunken; Carpenter street, Mrs. Maud S. Broadbent; Dodgeville, Walter F. King and Mrs. Eugenia M. Watson; Farmers, Mrs. Aphia G. Carpenter; Hebronville, Mrs. Samuel F. Maine and Mrs. Martin J. Tierney; High
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school, Percy J. Callowhill and Mrs. Eva L. Kent; Pleasant street, Thomas F. Williams; Abiathar A. Richardson school, Mrs. Walter B. Allen and Mrs. Florence S. Blake; St. Jean Plat (Sibleyville), Mrs. Annie Mallowes; St. Joseph's parochial school, Gabriel A. Desmarais and Henri D. La Casse; Sanford, Mrs. C. C. Grant and Joseph S. Woodward; South Attleboro, Thomas F. Dean and Mrs. Lillian Hatch; Joseph O. Tiffany school, John B. Cazemiro; Washington street, Clarence E. Greene and Mrs. Frank J. C. Powers.
Local history received first definite attention at the October 20th meeting in 1919, that being the 225th anniversary of the incorporation of the town of Attleboro. Historical dates, events, ideas and ideals have been presented in some degree by indoor and park pageants, by tableaux vivants, by lectures, research, marking and publicity. Assisting Thomas S. Car- penter are Dr. Charles A. Moers, Miss Elizabeth J. Wilmarth, Miss Kate W. Goff and Mrs. Lucinda F. Spofford the secretary of the committee. In January, 1921, the first of three years of weekly Attleboro history articles was started in the Daily Sun with communications with Attleborough, England. Indian relics and other local collections have been shown. Nature study service was begun in April, 1921, under direction of Rev. Manly B. Townsend. Picture and other lectures have been held, the third annual series of "On Nature's Trail" articles is now going in the Daily Sun, and frequent group or community hikes are held. On April 19, 1922, the Attle- boro-Diamond Hill trail was formally opened, with nearly one hundred people going the whole way and back, a twenty-two mile tramp. The trail has been cleared, blazed and marked. It leads from Capron Park and runs all the way through the woods or uncultivated clearing, passing Manchester Pond, Rattlesnake Ledge, Attleboro Falls Pond, Hoppin Hill, Angle Tree Stone (boundary stone of old Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay Colonies), shows panorama views of Abbott Run and other country parts, and along the way, too, are rock formations of several of the very oldest geological ages. This trail is on the New England Trail map. Other local trails are planned. Social work welfare programs have been given, for general edu- cation on health, economics, penology, temperance, prohibition, law en- forcement, constitutional government, international justice and peace and cooperation, with round tables and clinics on social service. National character dances have been given. Community Christmas story hours have been held for the young. Among the noted statesmen brought here have been Wm. J. Bryan, U. S. Secretary of War John W. Weeks, U. S. Senator David I. Walsh, J. Weston Allen and Mrs. Maud Wood Park; educators like State Commissioner Dr. Payson Smith and Dean Holmes of Harvard; social workers like Dr. Edward T. Devine, Mary K. Simkhovitch, Florence Kelley; editors like Hamilton Holt (Independent), J. M. Chapple (National American), and McGregor Jenkins (Atlantic Monthly) ; artists like Frank Chouteau Brown, Lotta Clark and Loring Underwood; poets like Edwin Markham and Denis McCarthy; international representatives like Mlle. Marguerite Clement (France), Rev. Dugald Macfayden (Britain), Dr. Mois- saye J. Olgin and Mary Antin (Russia), Signorina Italia Anita Garibaldi (Italy), Dr. Abraham Mitrie Rihbany (Syria), Dr. Tehyi Hsieh (China), Dr. Toyokichi Iyenaga (Japan), You Chan Yang (Korea), Rustom Rus- tomjee (Parsee India) and Basanta Koomar Roy (Hindu India), Mufty- zade K. Zia Bey (Turkey), Mme. Aino Malmberg (Finland).
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The A. C. F. has been accepted by the Community Chest (the Attleboro Chamber of Commerce pioneering for the Chest at a preliminary meeting on March 21, 1923, the exact 7th anniversary of its similar parallel like pre- liminary for the A. C. F.). Some day such bodies as the Community Fel- lowship will be taken over by the school boards, the local community fellowship having been officially endorsed by both the city school com- mittee and by the Municipal City Council. The mayors of Attleboro have superlatively praised the local movement in their inaugural messages. The Attleboro "Daily Sun" in a leading editorial says the movement has "turned unnumbered doubters into enthusiasts and accomplished what many thought impossible." The State Commissioner of Education says, "I have a very high opinion of the importance of this movement and of the efficient results of it." The general director has been asked to provide a pamphlet for the State Department of Education, setting forth the plan as a model for other places to consider. United States Commissioner of Educa- tion Claxton called this Attleboro movement the most complete known to him. It has been most favorably noted in natural surveys as a distinct model and a unique plan. The Fellowship is affiliated with the National Community Center Association, the National Playground and Recreation Association of America, the National Open Forum Council, the National Conference of Social Work, the National Education Association, the Ameri- can Pageant Association, the Drama League of America, the National Com- munity Music League, the Musical Alliance of the United States. Its field being in the realm of intangibles it can see a great deal of room for im- provement, but believes that it comes as near fulfilling its mission as any very idealistic movement and all that it needs is more years and more ex- perience to become still more effective.
CHAPTER XII.
ATTLEBORO'S CLUBS
Attleboro is a city of many clubs, too, and while there is no close federation of all of them, so many opportunities of working together for the general good have presented themselves in recent years that, broadly speaking, it may be stated that while each has its distinctive banner and badge, the following-named organizations exist under a common standard of cooperation and harmony.
The Attleboro Woman's Club .- On April 18, 1907, said Mrs. Margaret W. Conro, Woman's Club secretary, a group of sixteen women met at the home of Mrs. Anna Allen to discuss the advisability of forming a Woman's Club. Ten of these women were chosen as a publicity committee to inter- view women here and learn their sentiments with regard to the project. In May, two meetings were held and the reports of the committee were so favorable, 155 names having been presented for membership, that in June the Attleboro Woman's Club was duly organized. Its membership was to be unlimited and open to women outside of Attleboro, regular meetings were to be held the fourth Thursday of the month at four p. m., beginning
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in October and ending in April, and the annual fee was set at one dollar, which price still obtains. The object of the club was to be "culture by public lectures." The first officers were: President, Mrs. Edith Gilpatric; vice-president, Mrs. Louise Bliss; treasurer, Mrs. Annie Mowry; secretary, Mrs. Annie Fales.
The earliest meetings were held at the homes of the members, but the membership increased so rapidly that by November, 1907, the Methodist church auditorium was secured. Later, that did not prove adequate, so High School Hall was obtained. At the present time all meetings are held in the latter place with the exception of the annual business meeting which is generally held in Library Hall. The club has maintained a large mem- bership except during a part of the war period, when many of our noted platform speakers and musicians had given their services to their country, and our women were engaged in war work. These two facts had the inevitable results upon the club-loss of interest and members. But in 1921-22, under the leadership of the president, Mrs. Lida M. Holbrook, a big drive brought the list of members up to one thousand, which had been a coveted goal for some years. This work was so thorough as to counteract the effects of the World War. From its beginning, the Attleboro Woman's Club has been very popular. It did not join the State Federation for the reason that there are already in Attleboro five federated clubs whose mem- bers also belong to the Woman's Club. From the first, its officers have taken great pains to maintain a high standard, and although its original object was "culture by public lectures," it has broadened to admit music and plays. The club is justly proud to have had on its programs such names as Dr. Harvey Wiley, William Lyon Phelps, Charles K. Brown, Bliss Perry, Irving Bacheller, Edward Howard Griggs, John Kendrick Bangs, Miss Ida Tarbell, Mrs. Corrinne Roosevelt Robinson (whose lecture on her distinguished brother, Theodore Roosevelt, was so popular people had to be turned away because of lack of seating capacity) ; Edgar A. Guest, Thomas Masson, Thornton Burgess, Francis Wilson and his noted daughter, Baroness Huard, Dr. Lichliter; also many names well known in the world of music-Maud Powell, whose appearance brought people from quite a distance; Lambert Murphy, Florence Hinkle, Reginald Werren- rath, Ada Sassoli, Mdme. Delcourt, the Kneisel Quartette, the Boston Symphony Orchestral Club, and others whose work was also well received and appreciated. The club has been very fortunate in) having been able to procure these celebrated and gifted men and women as speakers, this becom- ing a source of real inspiration and a valuable educational and cultural force in the development of this city. That this is true is due largely to the earnest efforts and personality of the women who have been its leaders. These presidents are, in the order of their service, as follows: Mrs. Edith Gilpatric, Mrs. Chloe Bigney, Mrs. Carrie Parker, Mrs. Sara B. Manches- ter, Mrs. Florence B. Theobald, Mrs. Irene T. Hill, Mrs. Ella P. Rogers, Mrs. Etta F. Kent, Mrs. Lida M. Holbrook, and Mrs. Eva L. Kent. The officers for 1923-24: President, Mrs. Eva L. Kent; vice-president, Mrs. Hazelfern Appleton: secretary, Mrs. Margaret W. Conro; treasurer, Mrs. Maboth Hill.
Other Clubs .- No country or golf club in the county holds a more
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enviable place than that won by the Highland Country Club of Attleboro, both because of select membership, and excellence of location of the club and its affiliation with the best golfing interests. The club started in a small way years before the date of incorporation. But with the increase of the interest in golf and general club and social usages, this organization, with headquarters on Mechanic street, was incorporated January 30, 1911, the principal officers at the time of incorporation being: President, Albro French; secretary, Arthur L. Bottomley; treasurer, Harold E. Sweet. There is a nine-hole course on the property, which is recognized as one of the best in New England, and there are tennis courts, notable tournaments being held by each throughout the season. There are seventeen committees of twenty each who plan for Saturday suppers. The membership is 350, which is the limited number. The officers in 1923: President, Judge Ralph C. Estes ; secretary, Mrs. Ethel S. Hollis; treasurer, George F. Lilly; board of directors: Arthur L. Bottomley, Frederic V. Chipman, Samuel M. Ein- stein, Ralph C. Estes, Edward L. Gowen, Frank E. Guild, Ethel S. Hollis, George F. Lilly, Lawrence P. Keeler, Orville P. Richardson, Joseph L. Sweet, Dr. Charles H. Webb; auditors, Ethel S. Hollis, Howard E. White.
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