Item of Interest September 1, 1934 Issue

Item of Interest

Soon new students will be joining those of experience at universities and colleges, all eager for the beginning of the year's work. Among them will be Christian Scientists. Also among them will be those whose religious preference, entered on the customary questionnaires, will be "Christian Science," even though they do not avail themselves of the full privileges that designation implies. It is a well-known fact that at these higher schools of learning there are always students registered thus who do not become members of the Christian Science organizations which exist there and would help them.

Last fall, with the approval of The Christian Science Board of Directors, the officers of the Christian Science organizations at Radcliffe, Simmons, Wellesley, Harvard, and Technology (that at Boston University had not then been organized), all located in or near Boston, held two meetings, as has been done by the three organizations in Los Angeles, California, for the purpose of exchanging views and discussing and determining methods for bettering their activities, one of which is the giving of lectures on Christian Science. It was decided that more support should be given each others' lectures, and that members of one group might be welcome at another's lectures. It was the general opinion that social functions, enabling the members of the various organizations to meet each other socially, ought not to be part of the official work of the organizations.

Helpful methods discussed and already in use included the following: At the beginning of the year the list of students expressing their preference for Christian Science is obtained from the "Activities" office at the university, and to each of these students a letter of welcome is sent, to be followed later by a personal call by two or more members. Either before or after the first meeting of the year a reception is held for all students in the college who are interested in Christian Science at which possible new members may become acquainted with the older members. Posters or notices of the reception, as well as of the regular meetings of the organization, are circulated throughout the school, by placing on bulletin boards, inserting in school periodicals, or by mailing. At the receptions some graduate of the school or some member of a branch of The Mother Church gives a short talk of perhaps ten minutes.

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