Bristol County, Massachusetts - Chapter 11: Attleboro Community Fellowship, 1924

The Attleboro Community Fellowship came into being in the year 1916, in response to the sense of the need of social education and togetherness. The Attleboro Chamber of Commerce was the pioneer organization in the movement, and, after hearing an address, obtained from Charles H. Pennoyer, at a meeting on March 21, that year, that organization enthusiastically voted approval of the matter. A committee, C. H. Pennoyer, chairman; L. A. Fales, EK. D. Gilmore, H. M. Fiske and Samuel Slocomb, was authorized to proceed to organization if the response of other societies warranted doing so. Every society addressed unanimously, endorsed the movement and voted to affiliate. When the organization meeting was held October 9th over fifty societies had become part of the plan, and since then the total has gone considerably over one hundred.

Patriotic-Military organizations: D. A. R., G. A. R. and W. R. C., Sons of Veterans and Auxiliary, U. S. W. V. and Auxiliary, Legion and Auxiliary, V. F. W. and Auxiliary, Company I, Company M, 14th Regiment, Company A, now Company I, 101st Regiment, and Special Aid Guard.

Church Civic Units: Congregational Sunday Evening Club, Centenary M. E. Men's Club, K. of C. and Daughters of Isabella, St. Joseph's L. C. B. A., Men's Tuesday Evening Episcopal Club, Baraca Baptist Club, Pilgrim Unitarian Men's Club, Murray Universalist Men's Club, Zion A. M. E. and Paul Laurence Dunbar Clubs, Hebronville Men's, Bethany Congregational Civic Community and Men's Club, Spiritual Progressive Civic Community, R. L. D. S. Progress Club, Sanitarium Monday and Friday Night Clubs, Seventh Day Advent Young People's Club, Advent Christian Men's Class Club, Massachusetts Catholic Order of Foresters, and Ministers' Social Union.

Social Agencies: Public Health (Anti-Tuberculosis.) and District Nursing Association, the Associated Charities, Red Cross, Y. M. C. A. and Auxiliary, League for

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.

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 codperation of all. It is a non-sectarian, non-partisan and non-commercial adult continuation school for good citizenship. 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 prewar, 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, fraternal 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 Orchestra 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, Episcopalian, Baptist, Universalist, Advent Christian, Christian Scientist, Reorganized 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 especially 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, including 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 cooperated 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 features. Once or twice a year, at first in May and later in February, American citizens of thirty different foreign births - French and English Canadian,

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 programs 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 Protection 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 connection with the A. C. F. and these executives giving their official messages to the public at such times for forum question and discussion, and suggestion conference with the people in open session. Through all the departments 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 wareducation society, especially cooperating with the national, state and municipal government departments. As the community Americanization committee 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 Departments 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 Massachusetts 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

Unit, War Camp Community Service. The general director was méhber of the State Community Division, Americanization of Massachusetts, Public Safety Committee. There were Lyceum debates of initiative and referendum 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 iv the country, the committee of which John W. Cody was chairman getting all the trees for Capron Park, and with the City Park Commission cooperating 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.

Third, after the war: Big publicity community council meetings were continued for Liberty Loan, Red Cross, Armistice celebration and anniversaries, Community Thanksgiving, Service Men, Salvation Army and other causes. In response to a direct official request from the National Committee 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 elsewhere. They have held annual rallies in the form of community speakers' lyceum debates on government ownership, League of Nations, Federal Department 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 Government 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 codperation 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 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. Carpenter 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 Attleboro-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 education on health, economics, penology, temperance, prohibition, law enforcement, 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. Moissaye 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 Rustomjee (Parsee India) and Basanta Koomar Roy (Hindu India), Muftyzade K. Zia Bey (Turkey), Mme. Aino Malmberg (Finland).

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 preliminary for the A. C. F.). Some day such bodies as the Community Fellowship will be taken over by the school boards, the local community fellowship having been officially endorsed by both the city school committee 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 Education 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 American Pageant Association, the Drama League of America, the National Community 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 improvement, 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 experience to become still more effective.