THE JUBILEE EXHIBIT

The first educational exhibit under the auspices of the International Committee was held at Indianapolis, Ind., in 1893, and thence was transferred to the World's Fair at Chicago. While a gratifying success, yet there were but twenty-five associations represented, and only three of these showed systematic, progressive courses of study in any subjects.

The second exhibit was held in connection with the convention at Springfield, Mass., 1895. Sixty-one associations participated, and one-third of these showed exhibits in work more or less systematic and progressively graded. At this exhibit awards of merit were granted for the first time by the International Committee upon the decision of a board of judges. Their report on this exhibit-a detailed description of the material represented, and a list of the associations participating -was published at the time in pamphlet form. This exhibit marked an epoch in the history of educational work in the associations. It registered the beginning of the movement for standard courses and international examinations. The industrial exhibit, in the form of wood and iron work, was extensive and creditable.

The third exhibit occurred at Mobile, Ala., 1897. Special emphasis was placed upon exhibits in selected subjects. The distinguishing characteristic was the progressive and graded character of the courses of study pursued. Fundamental subjects of the Prospectus, in which the standard courses and the international examinations were established, were made the basis of the exhibits. No awards of merit were given. The material contributed by each association was carefully packed and returned to its owners after the convention, the same as at previous exhibits.

The fourth educational exhibit was held in connection with the convention at Grand Rapids two years ago. It eclipsed all its predecessors in extent, quality and practical helpfulness. Careful planning led the committee to issue a twelve-page pamphlet of definite instructions for the selection, mounting, and sending of material by each local association. The response of the associations to the invitation for participation was not as general and extensive as was hoped for. Only one hundred and forty-six associations, out of a possible four hundred, responded. The Grand Rapids convention marked the introduction of exhibits other than educational. At the suggestion of the Educational Department the way began to open successfully for exhibits in Bible study, physical, boys', and army and

navy work. A space of about thirty thousand square feet, well lighted and with all conveniences, was used to good advantage for the display. Up to this time exhibits had been crowded into any available space at hand which could be secured with little or no expense. It was now realized that the exhibit part of the convention was one of the most important and had to be dealt with as such.

The Jubilee Exhibit at Boston was a graphic presentation of the history of the American association movement for the first fifty years of its existence. By means of photographs, printed matter, maps, charts, etc., it presented the various lines of association effort among all classes of men, and in all divisions of associations-city, railroad, student, colored, Indian, army, navy, and in foreign lands-the largest chartographic exhibit of this extent and character ever made.

No preceding convention had been similarly favored with a place where the headquarters, sessions, exhibit, and all other features were under one roof. This place was the Mechanics Building, used for expositions, festivals, fairs, and other large gatherings. Well situated for transportation facilities in Boston, and with its conveniences for light, ventilation and the various necessary means for public comfort at such a time, it could scarcely be excelled for the purposes of a great convention and exhibit.

In the large exhibition hall of the building, there were fiftyone thousand square feet of available floor space. In this area were erected double partitions ten and one-half feet apart, seven feet high, and a total of three-quarters of a mile in length. On this wall space were fastened the uniform sized cardboards of mounted material and graphic charts in two tiers so that the eye of the average visitor, about five feet from the floor, was on a level with the center of the double horizontal tier of mounted exhibits.

In June, 1900, a preliminary announcement was issued giving the main lines of the material desired for exhibit. The general plans and its basis of classification and arrangement were made by the International Committee in the fall of 1900, or as soon as the Mechanics Building was secured. In January, 1901, a complete thirty-two-page pamphlet of detailed instructions was issued and sent to all associations. It graphically and explicitly described the material desired to be selected, and how it should be mounted in detail. This was done for the city, railroad, student, army, navy, foreign, and boys' divisions, as well as for the exhibits of state and provincial committees. It also covered all departments of work, as historical, Bible study and religious, educational, physical, employment, social, women's auxiliaries, building plans, etc. In order not to make the exhibit unwieldy, each association, in any particular subject, was allowed a given number of cardboards of material. At least ninety-eight per

cent of the exhibits were mounted appropriately and according to instructions. The instructions asked the associations to mount their material on cardboards twenty-two by twenty-eight inches in size. Of these cards there were six thousand five hundred or their equivalent in maps and pictures. On each card was an average of ten articles, pictures, drawings, etc. In order to pass in front of all the exhibit cards as mounted on the partitions, one was obliged to cover one and one-half miles. If all the articles, exercises, drawings, etc., had been placed side by side, they would have reached eleven miles.

There were two distinct and clearly defined classifications— one by divisions and the other by departments. All the work of the railroad associations, for example, was in a division by itself, and running with the partitions across the hall. The same was true of the city, student, army, foreign, and state committee divisions. At right angles to these was the classification by departments. All the historical material from the different divisions was found in a section fifty feet wide and running through the length of the entire hall, and at the right of the main aisle, as shown in the diagram of exhibits found on another page. Similarly, the Bible study and religious work exhibits occupied a section twenty-five feet in width and extended the length of the hall. Then came the similar section fifty feet wide for educational material and another section for the physical. The social, employment, and women's auxiliary exhibits were in a special section.

The historical library, the two association training schools, the international publications and the admirable exhibit of the Boston local association all occupied spaces along the wall next to the historical exhibits. The work from all boys' departments was similarly classified and located in the gallery. Within each department the material was again further classified by subject.

The object of this form of classification was five-fold:

It was in keeping with all other large educational exhibits and world's fairs.

2. It permitted the student to discover the good or bad features of a particular line of effort, as the social work, or leadership in the physical department, etc.

3. This classification avoided the effort at mere exhibition effect.

4. Awards of merit for efficiency and usefulness were not granted on exhibits except those classified by subject.

5. The subject classification permitted each small association, though operating but one or two subjects or lines of work, to make its exhibit on the same platform as the large city with ten times as much work. This would not be possible if each association were to make a unit exhibit, as the small associations and seventy-five per cent of the associations are small