fi How to Promote Eight Week Clubs in the Colleges By Mabel E. Stone How to Promote Eight Week Clubs in the Colleges By Mabel E. Stone National Board of the Young Women’s Christian Associations 600 Lexington Avenue, New York City 1916 FOREWORD The purpose of this leaflet is to offer such suggestions for group discussions and reference material as shall make it pos¬ sible for the students and others in a college interested in the promotion of Eight Week Club work to find answers to the three questions so often in their minds: (1) What are the Eight Week Clubs? (2) Why should we promote them through our college? (3) What steps are necessary in their promotion? How to Promote Eight Week Clubs in the Colleges By Mabel E. Stone PART ONE Two outlines for cabinet discussions (twenty minutes each at two successive cabinet meetings). These outlines may be used as suggestions by the president when planning to bring the matter of Eight Week Clubs before her cabi¬ net either for the first time or when the subject is being brought up for the first time in the given year. OUTLINE I.—To be used in a college that has never had Eight Week Club work First Discussion. 1. How many of you live in towns? How many in the open farm country? What is the difference? 2. What kind of good times do girls have in towns? In the open country? Is all the “fun” the right sort? 3. Think about the time you were in High School. Were the girls as democratic as possible? Was there a ten¬ dency to form exclusive groups according to their class in school, the church to which they belonged or the little club they had formed? Did the girls think they had to go to town to have a good time? 4. What do you think are the needs of girls in your own communities? Do they have enough good times of the right sort? Are there chances to learn the things that girls want to know about home-making, friend¬ ship, the clothes that are truly beautiful, etc.? Are they giving service in the community? 3 5. There is a club whose purpose is “to bring the girls and young women of a community together during the summer vacation season to learn some of the things that mean a happier, more abundant life; to unite them in definite service to their home neighbor¬ hood; to learn about the Young Women's Christian Association and to be of help in extending its oppor¬ tunities to other girls in small towns and country districts." Think about this purpose. Would you like to see such a club in your own neighborhood? This sort of a club is called an “Eight Week Club" because it carries on its work during eight weeks of the vacation. Hundreds of college girls who are mem¬ bers of the Young Women’s Christian Association are leading such clubs each summer. 6. Assign to different cabinet members the following to read before the next cabinet meeting: The Introduction and Chapters I and II of “Col¬ lege Women and Country Leadership":* The leaflet: “For Leaders of Eight Week Clubs." Second Discussion (Use Part II of this leaflet for points needing special emphasis). 1. How did Eight Week Clubs begin? What is the club motto? 2. What have Eight Week Clubs to do with country leadership? 1. Does the college need leaders? What makes real leadership in college? Do country communities need leaders, too? Report by the cabinet mem¬ ber who read the first chapter in “College Wom¬ en and Country Leadership." What kind of *See last page. 4 leadership is needed in the country? (Report from the girl who read the second chapter). 3. Give an account of an Eight Week Club in a town. 4. Tell what one Eight Week Club in the open country accomplished. 5. How shall we enlist the girls in our college in giving service through Eight Week Clubs? What points need to be remembered? 6. Hand in at the next cabinet meeting suggestive pro¬ grams for a Rally and the names of girls who would make good leaders of clubs. OUTLINE II.—To be used in a college which has already done Eight Week Club work. First Discussion (Ask any girls who have previously led clubs to meet with the cabinet). 1. How many girls are from small towns? From the open country? From large cities? What needs has the girl in the town and country that the city girl has not? How do the three types of community dif¬ fer? Ask one girl who had an Eight Week Club in a town to describe the community. Do the same for the open country. What made you think of leading an Eight Week Club there? 2. What is the purpose of an Eight Week Club? What is the motto? 3. What have Eight Week Clubs done? (Reports from several girls who have already led Clubs.) What preparation ought we to make this year? Have the former leaders any suggestions as to ways of strengthening the training class? 5 4. Discuss the suggestions of the advisory committee and the field student secretary as to the faculty mem¬ ber who could best act as adviser to the social service committee in their planning and as supervisor of the leaders’ training class. Ask every girl to bring to next cabinet meeting a program for the Rally and the names of girls whom she thinks should be espe¬ cially interested. Second Discussion (Invite the faculty member who is to supervise the Eight Week Club work). 1. How can interest be awakened among the students? What points should a Rally emphasize? Discuss the suggested program and those brought in by the girls. 2. What ought to be considered as necessary qualifica¬ tions for leadership? Ought a girl who is to be very busy during the summer or away from home much to consider leading a Club? Why? List of names of girls whom the cabinet will try to interest. 3. Review briefly the plans as made so far. Put down on paper a short policy to govern the Eight Week Club for one year. Material to be used in reference: “College Women and Country Leadership”, Jessie Field. “For Leaders of Eight Week Clubs”. PART TWO Suggested Steps in the Promotion of Eight Week Clubs 1. Selecting a faculty member to act as adviser. One of the first steps the cabinet should take, in consultation with the advisory committee and the field student secretary where possible is to invite some faculty member who is 6 deeply interested in the country life movement to act as adviser to the social service committee in making the plans for Eight Week Club promotion. The help of such a faculty adviser is needed in arranging for the Rally, in supervising the Preparation Class (which she will either teach herself or assist by working with whomever is to teach it) and in following up the leaders during the summer, through correspondence, with her encouragement and sug¬ gestions. This is a great deal to ask of any faculty mem¬ ber, but much of the success of Eight Week Club work de¬ pends on just this help and supervision. 2. The Rally. It is the purpose of the Rally to arouse interest in the rural life movement and put before girls the opportunities of Eight Week Club leadership. There are at least two possibilities for this Rally. (a) A Harvest Festival, held rather early in the fall. For this meeting, arranged by the social service and religious meetings committees, the decorations could be autumn leaves and other out-of-doors things, the music would be harvest hymns such as “Come Ye Thankful People, Come”, “Lord of the Harvest”, etc., and not only should there be reports from any girls who have led Eight Week Clubs during the summer, but other girls who have given some special form of service to their communities during the summer, as in Daily Va¬ cation Bible Schools, Flower Missions, etc. should have an opportunity to make brief reports. If this meeting is held in the fall there will be need for another meeting in January or early February definitely to enlist girls for Eight Week Club leadership. This second meeting should center around the need and opportunities for leadership in small towns and open country. A chance should be given girls to sign up for the Preparation Class. Some girls who are going to teach in the country 7 may wish to join even though they are not going to lead Clubs during the summer. (b) An Eight Week Club Rally, held in January or very early in February. This type of meeting can be used by the college which has never had any Eight Week Club work. The program might be somewhat as follows: Hymn :—“0 Worship the King”. Scripture: —Psalm 24. Prayer: —“0 Lord Our God, Almighty and Eternal Father, Who givest to Thy children liberally, we bless Thee this night for Thine infinite goodness to us and to all men. We give Thee thanks for the world and all the good things which are therein; for the sky above us and the earth beneath our feet; for the changing seasons; for our home and friends. We bless Thee for Thy tender care which guards us and for all Thy good gifts by which we are enriched. Most of all do we bless Thee for Jesus Christ our Saviour, for all the means of grace and the hope of glory through Him. In Thy service may we live through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.” Rev. H. Stobart, 19th Cent. Hymn : — “Fairest Lord Jesus”. Five Minute Talks: (1) The call of the country for leaders. (“Col¬ lege Women and Country Leadership”. Chap¬ ter I.) (2) What kind of leaders shall they be? (“Col¬ lege Women and Country Leadership”. Chap¬ ter II.) 8 (3) The Story of One Eight Week Club. (4) Our College and the Country Life Movement, by the chairman of the social service com¬ mittee or the faculty adviser. Hymn :—“We Plough the Fields and Scatter”. Closing Prayer. After the meeting an opportunity should be given girls to sign up for the Preparation Class. 3. The Preparation Class. The plans should be made for this class long enough ahead to have the first meeting within a week or ten days after the girls have signified their wish to prepare for Eight Week Club leadership, in order that the start may be enthusiastic. This class is a regular part of the Voluntary Study program of the second semester, using for a text, “College Women and Country Leadership”, with supplementary reading from the bibliography given there. In addition one or two conferences with the faculty supervisor, when each girl will have opportunity to ask questions about the problems which she is facing in her own community, will be needed to make the preparation thor¬ ough. The plans for any specific college may need decided adaptation from this outline but every girl who expects to lead an Eight Week Club should have thought carefully about the answers to the following questions:— (a) What is the purpose of an Eight Week Club? Why were such clubs started? What needs of the small town or country are there to meet? (b) What is the community like where I expect to have my club? What are the resources of the community? What are its needs? What may I hope to accomplish? 9 (c) Do I know how many girls there are in the community who are about sixteen? Have I thought who can help me in the community? Have I a written plan for my club to start with? Do I understand the organization of an Eight Week Club so that I can adapt that plan as the weeks go on? (d) Am I surely willing to give my time and will I be free enough from other duties to do so? Will I stick to it even in the face of discouragements? Do I truly want to share the joy of comradeship with Jesus Christ with other girls? 4. Selection of leaders and Commission Service. At the close of the Preparation Class the cabinet and the faculty supervisor may make the final selection of leaders from those who they feel have real qualities of leadership, are thoroughly in earnest and understand definitely the possi¬ bilities of the Eight Week Club. The emphasis should be laid on Juniors, though certain Freshmen and Sophomores are perfectly capable of acting as leaders and many times Seniors will want to have Clubs, sending their reports back to their Association in the fall. In order that the pros¬ pective leaders may recognize the trust which is being im¬ posed in them and that the college may appreciate the im¬ portance of the work it will be well to arrange to have at one meeting of the Association a Commission Service at which the leaders shall receive their appointments. The or¬ der of service given as follows is suggested. 5. After the girls have actually started on their work comes the time of test. Unexpected situations arise; plans do not seem so adequate or information so complete as it did back at college. This is the breach which may often be filled, thereby saving a Club from disaster, by corre¬ spondence with the faculty supervisor, the member of the 10 field committee who is responsible for Eight Week Club work or the field student secretary. A girl should not hesi¬ tate to ask advice and those who helped her in her prepa¬ ration can do perhaps the most important part of their work in sending her suggestion and encouragement in the emergency. Through correspondence the importance of sending in a prompt report in the fall may be emphasized. More visitation is being given to Eight Week Clubs each year by secretaries, committee members and faculty, and while as yet much visitation is not feasible it is worth un¬ usual effort. Sometimes the leaders of several Clubs can be gathered together for a day of conference which will start things going with new energy. It is seldom that girls do not thrill to the wide-spread challenge of Eight Week Club leadership, and with honest, thorough preparation on the part of the cabinet, social ser¬ vice committee and leaders, with the help of interested fac¬ ulty members, they can have the joy of carrying through to completion a worth-while piece of social service work. A COMMISSION SERVICE FOR EIGHT WEEK CLUB LEADERS At the time appointed for the Commission Service the leader of the meeting may explain the purpose of the Ser¬ vice somewhat as follows: Our Young Women’s Christian Association means for us a way in which to find a larger opportunity for willing service. So it is with glad hearts that we rec¬ ognize as an Association the real service which these of our number propose to do. Going into their home communities, they will give of the best that college has given them through leading groups of girls during their summer vacations. Having been trained for this work, recommended by the cabinet, the faculty adviser and our field student secretary, they will to-day receive their certificates of appointment from the National Board of the Young Women’s Christian Associations. As the Young Women’s Christian Association of -, we now commission them to go forth in true service to the girls of their home communities. The president of the Young Women’s Christian Associa¬ tion then takes charge of the Commission Service. She calls the names of the leaders, stating the place in which each leader expects to form her Eight Week Club. As the names are called the leaders come forward and stand before the president, who addresses them as follows: Many the gifts our Alma Mater has given To enrich your lives. You are blessed, indeed. Yet many girls have not the chance like you to join In happy comradeship with other girls In study, work and play as you have done Within these halls we love. Tell us, Can you out from college halls 12 Deaf to the call to share what has been given you? Or have you felt the need of all these girls, And heard the call to service from your home? You love the place where you have spent the care-free days Of girlhood; do you, indeed, love it so much That you will bear to other girls the gifts So freely given you? These girls at home Are truly sisters to you; will you not Share with them all that you, yourselves, have found Of love for finest things; help them to live A life of beauty—life that follows, even As yours, the life of Christ? One of the Eight Week Club Leaders responds, speaking for the group: Above our books we’ve heard this call to us, As girls whose lives have been enriched, indeed, By all the things that college gives to us, The call back to our homes, and there Among the folks we love, we’ll share as best We can, all that we have. And with the girls Who live there, we would learn anew The ways so true of simple friendliness. With joyful hearts we follow now the call, And loyal to our college, to our homes, And to the Master through whose life Is shown to us the debt of love we owe, We would go forth in ways of royal service. The leaders remain standing while the faculty adviser for Eight Week Clubs (or the chairman of the social service committee), answers: We know you well; your lives have stood the test; And now we feel that as you here have learned, 13 So you may share with other girls the things That have been taught to you within these walls. With faith in you we send you out to-day, Assured that all the girls whose lives you touch Will be more happy. And as you go remember this: To love them as your sisters, always; never swerve From college lessons of democracy. Remember, too, you serve not only girls, But country; and more, you serve the King. And serving Him, you help to bring to earth The Kingdom of goodwill and love, The happy dawn of that new day when country folk Shall all united be for common good. She then gives to each leader her Certificate of Appoint¬ ment from the National Board. Prayer by the president of the Association: We thank Thee, Lord, for all the joy Of home; for the near day when we shall go Once more among our neighbors and our oldest friends. As Thou hast given to us all the gifts of life In boundless measure and unfailing love, Grant Thou to us, to share the treasures rich That this glad year has poured into our hearts. And grant, we pray for Christ's dear sake, that these, Thy messengers, shall herald forth the truth That is in joyous friendliness and simple faith Through all the gladsome summer days. Amen. There may be a short talk by the president of the college or other speaker, followed by such a hymn as “Lord, speak to me that I may speak in living echoes of thy tone.” 14 PUBLICATIONS FOR LEADERS OF EIGHT WEEK CLUBS 1. How to Promote Eight Week Clubs in the Colleges , by Mabel Stone. 5 cents. 2. College Women and Country Leadership, the study book, by Jessie Field, national secretary for country work. 25 cents. 3. For Leaders of Eight Week Clubs (among American girls) by Jessie Field. 10 cents. 4. An International Friendship Club (among foreign girls) by Edith Terry Bremer, national secretary for immi¬ gration and foreign community work. 15 cents. Eight Week Club Packet containing 1, 2 and 3 or 4 (cross out one not wanted). 40 cents. Texts: Out of Doors in the Bible , by Ethel Cutler. A pilgrimage with outdoor people of both Testaments. Written espe¬ cially for summer use. 15 cents. Jesus Among His Friends , by Ethel Cutler. Six stories from the life of Christ. 15 cents. Christian Citizenship for Girls, by Helen Thoburn. Ten chapters on a girl’s relation to home, work, worship, recreation, friends, etc. 25 cents. Note: The five cent leaflet, “Two Kinds of College Girls,” containing “little stories” by Oolooah Burner and Abbie Graham, is of special interest to Eight Week Club leaders. Order from Publication Department, National Board Young Women’s Christian Associations, 600 Lexington Avenue, New York City. 15 STUDENT LEAFLETS For Universities and Large Colleges Advisory Committee. Bertha Conde. 10 cents. Association Membership and Church Work. Bertha Conde. 10 cents. Association Meetings. Oolooah Burner. 10 cents. Association News Committee. Edith Dabb. 5 cents. Bible Study Committee and the Voluntary Study Plan. Ethel Cutler. 10 cents. Cabinet, The. Bertha Conde. 5 cents. World Fellowship (for the Missionary Committee). Mar¬ garet Burton. 10 cents. Conferences and Conventions Committee. Louise Brooks. 5 cents. Finance Committee. Blanche Geary. 5 cents. How to Promote Eight Week Clubs. Mabel Stone. 5 cents. How to Realize Our National Association Membership. Eliza R. Butler. 10 cents. For Colleges, Seminaries and Academies The first six leaflets listed above, and “World Fellowship,” “Conferences and Conventions Committee,” “How to Pro¬ mote Eight Week Clubs,” and “How to Realize Our National Association Membership,” as listed above. In addition: Committee Work in Small Associations. Eleanor Rich¬ ardson. 5 cents. Finance Committee in a School or College Association. Edith Helmer. 10 cents. Social Service Committee. Eliza R. Butler. 5 cents. Year’s Outline for Religious Meetings. Oolooah Burner. 10 cents. Note: As the cost of each of these lists totals $1.05, a packet of each will be sent for $1.00. Watch The Association Monthly for announcement of additional leaflets during 1916-17. Order from Publication Department National Board of the Young Women’s Christian Associations 600 LEXINGTON AVENUE, NEW YORK