Special Exercises in the M. I. A.

Special Exercises in the M. I. A.

BY HORACE G. WHITNEY, DRAMATIC AND MUSICAL EDITOR OF THE "DESERET NEWS"

In making a few remarks this morning on the subject of Special Exercises, I shall not aim to follow the printed program item by item. In accepting the invitation of Prest. Evans to cover this subject, I told him all I could do was to give you the benefit of my experience in a general sort of way, not hoping that all my ideas would be followed, or that they would always be available in every individual case ; but such as they were I would present them in the hope that here and there might be some idea which the various ward societies in Ensign stake could profit by.

I Stories.

I am a great believer in the charm and power of short stories and anecdotes to impress the minds of young people, and the man who can tell a story properly, can exert equal influence on the minds of people more advanced. Among my earliest recollections are those of two story-telling clubs, or ''crowds," as we used to call them, formed about 1870 by the young boys of that day. There were two groups, and without any particular fitness, but solely to have a name, the boys took the titles from the names of two Congressmen, then very much talked about in Utah, one Cullom, the other Cragun, authors of two notorious measures directed against the people here. The "Cullom crowd" would meet on the front lawn of some member's house at nightfall, and the "Cragun crowd" would meet not far away. Each one would designate a story teller for the next session, and it was the business of this story teller to read up all the stories, often of a light character, that could be obtained, and narrate them to the eagerlv listening throng. Tf I remember aright. Bishop Orson

*From an address delivered at. the convention of Ensign stake, October, 1911.

324 IMPROVEMENT ERA F. Whitney, Heber M. Wells and myself were the narrators for the Culloms. Heber J. Grant, Feramorz Young, and others I do not recall, gathered up the crop of weekly stories for the Craguns. They held together for a long time, solely by the cohesive force of story telling, until the Deseret University absorbed them and directed their minds into other channels. The extensive lawn of Mrs. Emmeline Free Young, mother of Alonzo Young, which stood just below where Z. C. M. I. now stands, was the favorite rallying place for the story-telling clubs, and many a night the boys have remained in breathless silence, listening to the anecdotes, until windows were raised in the neighboring houses, and the call of mothers, admonishing the boys that it was bedtime, broke up the throngs. In the ward societies, I would suggest that the brightest boys and girls be selected to tell the stories, and if there is a lack of story-telling ability, appoint them to read brief selections. The program committee should know the boys and girls who are best qualified for this particular duty. If there is an absence of this especial talent, would suggest going out into the stake and I inviting older and more experienced speakers to come in and entertain the young people in the preliminary programs. In the classes, the teachers will have to govern themselves by individual selections. The short stories by Dickens, especially his Christmas tales, Rudyard Kipling, Robert Louis Stevenson, Washington Irving, Edgar Allen Poe, and some tales from "The Arabian Nights," afford a rich source to which readers may apply. The demand grown so greatly of late years that there for short stories has are many books now published devoted exclusively to this form of entertainment.

II Debates.

No form of intellectual exercises for theyoung is more beneficial than a friendly debate, properly governed and carried on under proper surroundings. One of the foremost teachers in Utah's history to recognize this fact was Dr. John R. Park, who might almost be called the father of the University of Utah today. In the old days of the University of Deseret, when it was conducted first in the Council House, where the Deseret News building now stands, second in the old two-story adobe building once

SPECIAL EXERCISES IN THE M. I. A. 325 known as Doremus' School, at the corner of Second West and First North streets, he had as bright a group of boys under his control as the community has probably ever known. The Delta Phi Debating Society was made up of the seniors. The Zeta Gamma was made up of the juniors, and in these juniors, as boys, were Bishop O. F. Whitney, Ex-Governor Heber M. Wells, Heber J. Grant, Rulon S. Wells, Richard W. Young, John T. Caine, Jr.. B. B. Young, John B. Read, B. S. Young, Scott Crismon, Prof. Toronto, Prest. Kingsbury, J. L. Heywood, and many others who are today filling leading positions in the community. Dr. Park at first presided over debates, but usually chose three judges among the boys themselves to render the decisions. The plan nowadays is to have the discussion take place, but leave the decision open, thus avoiding any feeling which might be engendered. Whether decisions are rendered or not, there can be a vast amount of benefit secured by taking easy subjects and increasing ; first,

them in difficulty as the boys gain in experience. Each boy should be told to read up on his subject and to make his notes, but not to read his speech in essay form. Such subjects as the following would be found of advantage to beginners "Who was the greater general, Napoleon or Wellington ?" "Who was the greater president, Washington or Lincoln?" "Who ;

was the greater poet, Byron or Burns?" etc. It is best to avoid political subjects altogether, as it is hard to say where the zeal of our youthful Republicans and Democrats might carry them, or what the views of their parents would be, if they were assigned ?, particular side of the debate in conflict with the parents' views.

When the pupils are more advanced, such questions as these might be selected: "Resolved, That our war with Mexico was justifiable"; "Resolved, That the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, was justifiable"; "Resolved, That England was justified in banishing Napoleon to St. Helena," and a great many other subjects based on history that will occur to a program committee.

Ill Arranging for a Play.

Nothing delights young people more than a dramatic presentation, even if it is only fairly well rendered. The work of preparing a play is full of benefits to those concerned, especially if they have someone of experience to direct their rehearsals and their performances.

326 IMPROVEMENT ERA Among the very first things that engaged the attention of Irest. Brigham Young and the Pioneers when they landed in Utah was the providing of amusement for the people. Prest. Young said that the people must be amused. He had had some experience himself in the days of Nauvoo, when as a young man he took several parts in serious plays on the stage there, one of them being the High Priest in the play of "Pizzaro." So he encouraged the building of a theater in the old Bowery on the Temple block first, next the erection of the Social Hall, in 1852, and finally the building of the Salt Lake Theater, in 1862. In a few years the company originally formed became famous all over the West, and I have no doubt that the dramatic taste and criticism which are so noted through Utah today, sprang from those early performances which everyone attended, studied, and applauded. In our Mutual Improvement societies, unless the members have had some experience, I would suggest that plays in general be limited to the one act sketches. If the young people have had no experience, the casting committee should select those who are the best readers in school. few pracStart the rehearsals, and a tices will develop where the talents and the parts may be lie,

changed if necessary. Many excellent plays can be secured by writing to the dramatic publishers in the East, or to their agent, the Deseret News Bookstore in the West, where all classes of plays are kept. The committee should select those of a certain grade, ignoring altogether the rowdy or slangy class, or those with low dialect or negro characters. Everyone will be surprised as to the talents that will be discovered in the casting of a play, and the director in charge of the rehearsals can do much by being rigid, but kindly at the same time, encouraging youngsters by narrating illustrations, and reminding them that some of the greatest speakers and actors the world ever knew came from very humble beginnings. He might tell them, for instance, the story of the famous actor, William H. Crane, who has been seen many times in Salt Lake, who once essayed the role of "Hamlet." On his return from a tour, an enthusiastic lady said to him, "Oh, Mr. Crane, didn't they rave over you? Didn't they call you before the curtain?" "Call me, my dear madam," the actor gloomily replied, "they dared me/'

SPECIAL EXERCISES IX THE M. I. A.

IV Arrangement of Musical Concerts. The concert is something so generally overdone in mosl of the wards that it must be first class indeed to attract more than passing attention. They are now almost entirely limited to missionary farewells, and should be arranged in conjunction with the choir leader, the organist, and those in charge of music in the Sunday school. Enlist the best talent, and if you have not talent that you can conscientiously feel ought to be put forward, and is worth the price of admission or the price of offering at the door, go outside your ward and get the best you can. Keep your programs short. Many people have been kept away from deserving entertainments by seeing fifteen, sixteen, and eighteen numbers printed. Better have seven, eight, or nine, and let each one be so good that it is sure of one or two encores.

V—Formation of a Male Quartette. Here is something very difficult, unless fortune has been specially kind in distributing voices. Some one was once asked, what is a male quartette? and the answer was given that a quartette consists of four people — three men and a tenor. Nature has indeed been very chary in distributing tenors over the earth. I f you have not at least a fairly good leading tenor, I would sa) don't try to form a male quartette. If you have, don't neglect it. for the other three voices, if only passable, will give the tenor good support, and make a group, especially if you have a ward organist or leader who will train them.

VI —To Provide Singing for the Meetings. Here again the question rests with whether or not you have a live organist or pianist and a good, vigorous leader. It so, they can select tunes which all know ; ask the known singers in the audience to group somewhere near together, encourage singing much as possible, encourage the girls to try alio parts in parts as ;

and once in a while, by way of variety, ask those in charge to give you ten or fifteen minutes to rehearse the whole room, in one or two old fashioned rounds in three or four parts. The result is always pleasing, and gives people who had no inkling oi musical harmony an understanding of what musical enjoyment really is. Another thing is to secure books enough to take care

328 IMPROVEMENT ERA of the whole room. In many societies I have seen, the singing lagged because there were only books enough to go half around the room.

VII Social Affairs and Amusements. 1 think the amusement feature has been fully covered in the suggestions already made. As for social affairs, they can be most successful if made to include a few musical numbers with suitable pauses between for conversation, and if held in a hall, turned into a dance at the close, with someone at the piano, if an orchestra is not obtainable, who can play the right sort of dance music. It would indeed be a novelty, too, if at these dances the societies were to reintroduce some of the forgotten dances of the days when their fathers and mothers "tripped the light fantastic toe," the beautiful but old fashioned schottische, the mazurka, and other dances, which to the youngsters of today are unknown, and to many parents but faded memories. VIII —To Help the Stake in a Successful M. I. A. Day.

There is a great chance here for interest, friendly rivalry, and competition, if all the wards would bring their program committees together, and have them confer as to a big M. I. A. day at the close of the season. The best singers, debaters, and players could be put forward, picked from those who had participated in the year's programs, and pitted against each other. A prize might be offered for the most meritorious, and the whole thing take the form of a stake eisteddfod, those friendly contests which the Welsh have made famous. The success of these events would depend upon the character and zeal and the pains exercised by the various ward committees summoned together to arrange the details.

Conclusion. And now, dear friends and fellow-workers in the great cause of Mutual Improvement, let me close with a word of appreciation for you who are so unselfishly giving your time and talents for the good of others. I have been in my time member, class teacher,

choir leader, and president of a Mutual Improvement Association for a number of years, so I know something of how you work without expectation of reward. Yours is the task that must look to itself for its reward you will not be embarrassed or burdened ;

with the thanks of the fathers and mothers for whose children

SPECIAL EXERCISES IN THE M. I. A. 329

you expend so much time, thought, and care. If, perchance, you send some unmanageable boy home to his parents to save breaking up your class, the chances are that Mamma will be up bright and early next morning to make you a call. Learn to do without bouquets. Get your satisfaction out of your work. You may receive but a small meed of applause, but when you are asked if you ever got any mark of appreciation, you can answer, "No, but I deserved it, and that's better still."