Moving Picture Age (Jan-Dec 1922)

10 MOVING PICTURE AGE June, 1922 Canada and abroad. The Marine and Fisheries Department is telling the world about the vast Canadian fishery industries through the medium of films. The Department of Immigration and Colonization is carrying on a splendid campaign in various foreign countries with the aid of films. The manner in which Canada is utilizing the films has resulted in many inquiries concerning the work from other foreign governments. Educators from both Canada and the United States, who are interested in visual education, have visited the laboratory of the Exhibits and Publicity Bureau to study the methods employed and to gather first-hand information concerning the entire proposition. One thing is certain. Canada is today prominent in attracting the world's attention, and it is doing so by the judicious employment of the narrow strip of moving-picture film. UNITY before CREEDS A. G. Balcom Assistant Superintendent of Schools, Newark, N. J. SUNDAY evening, March 26, a notable religious service was held in the chapel of the Presbyterian Church of New Providence, New Jersey. Many people of this community are converted to the idea of using the motion picture for entertainment purposes, through service that has been rendered by the Community Service Association. This organization has been giving film programs on Friday evenings for the last three years. But to use the film on Sunday evening, as part of a religious service, was a different proposition in the minds of a number of people who are leaders in the church work of New Providence. Three Protestant churches were invited through their pastors to join in the service. In the case of the Methodist Episcopal church the cfficial board was divided on the proposition, the pastor being quite pronouncedly against the use of motion pictures at a Sundayevening service. At the Episcopal church the rector announced that an invitation had been received, and that it was on the bulletin board in the vestibule of the church for the benefit of those interested. The pastor of the Presbyterian church assumed a different attitude and urged his people to attend, although there was some doubt in the minds of a few as to the propriety of doing so. The service was advertised quite extensively through the press and placards and resulted in one minister being present — Rev. Robert G. Rock, pastor of the Presbyterian church — and a crowd whose number excelled that of any ever before seen at a divine service in New Providence. Ten minutes before starting time every seat was taken, and all available chairs to be found in nearby buildings were brought in. As a consequence many had to stand and some were turned away. Every religious element and every strata of society were represented in this gathering; it was a multitude from the highways and byways. The service was carefully planned and started on time. The promoters claim no originality in the arrangement of the program, but it may be of some interest to those working along similar lines. 1. Anthem: "Lighten Our Darkness." 2. Hymn (words thrown on screen) : "Holy, Holy, Holy." 3. Scripture Reading. 4. Quartet : "Even Me." 5. Prayer. 6. "A Maker of Men," reels 1 and 2. 7. Hymn (words on screen) : "True Hearted, Whole Hearted." 8. "A Maker of Men," reels 3 and 4. 9. Offering — Ladies' Quartet: "Sun of My Soul." 10. "A Maker of Men," reels 5 and 6. 11. Hymn: "Onward, Christian Soldier," illustrated by col ored slides. 12. Brief Prayer and Benediction. Thus concluded a program that was replete with religious fervor through the appeal of the eye and ear. The assemblage 'was profoundly impressed, and no end of favorable comments have been made upon the ability and propriety of the film in making a highly religious appeal. BRINGING THEM OUT G. F. Baumeister County Agent, Stephenson County Farm Bureau, Illinois Nr EED of some method of keeping in touch with our large membership led us to adopt pictures as an aid in bringing members out to community meetings. We first purchased a stereopticon and made use of slides in conducting meetings. Our county was surveyed a couple of years ago. While the soil report was not ready for general distribution in bulletin form, yet our office was supplied with a reproduction of the soil types by townships. One of our projects is that of soil improvement, and we saw the value of this soil map in teaching soil types and the soil needs of our county. In pondering on a method of utilizing the maps at community meetings, we hit upon the idea of having colored slides made of the township soil maps. This we did ; the Chicago Transparency Company made the slides for us and duplicated the soil types in exact colors. With these slides we were able to show the men at community meetings just what type of soil they had and to make recommendations for improvement. We used these slides at many a meeting, and believe that we did a lot of good in awakening more interest in soil improvement. A year ago this spring Prof. W. H. Wyler of Dakota, Illinois, head of a private boys' school, purchased a Zenith projector, and, besides making some showings of his own in the county, co-operated with the farm bureau by helping us in the showing of agricultural films throughout the spring and summer. A large number of meetings were held and this service became very popular. In August we purchased a Zenith of our own and have used it ever since, some weeks making five showings. The equipment was purchased with farm-bureau funds at an expense of about $300. Motion pictures play an important part in our farm-bureau work. We would not know what to do without them now, for we are always assured of a crowd when films are used. We prefer meetings in rural schoolhouses ; we think the school district the best local unit to work with. Practically every family has an interest in the school. It is a small unit, and everyone is acquainted with everyone else. All can come without going a great distance, and the whole family generally comes. Often there is no standing room. Advertising of the meeting is left entirely in the hands of a local committeeman. In the summer we frequently put up the curtain on the outside of the building, and the optience sits comfortably in automobiles in a semi-circle or lounges on the grass. We sometimes have used town halls and rural churches as meeting places. Practically all of our picture meetings are in the evenings. The pictures perform the following functions for us : They bring people out to the meetings. They teach the farm folk what we want them to know better than any other method we could employ. They allow us opportunity to discuss farm-bureau projects. They give members an opportunity of asking for service of the farm-bureau, for which otherwise they might not. At a recent meeting we were asked for the following service : The ordering of a carload of limestone ; requests for seed inoculation from three members ; a request for a soil test from one ; several orders for soy beans and certified seed potatoes, and one exchange item for the monthly. Farm folks take pleasure in pictures that pertain to their life ; they enjoy agricultural pictures. We make extensive use of the U. S. Department of Agriculture films and find them good. They cost us only transportation. The demand for these films is so great, however, that it is hard to get the films we want at the time we want them. All requests for Department films must go through (Continued on page 19)