Library : Books, Articles, Clippings Etc.
Title:
The Flaming Sword
Accession#:
2006.08.29
Pubication Date:
1921/05
Object ID:
PA—0233
Collection:
Flaming Sword
Additional Notes & Full Text:
Current Events in' Our Community Life
BY D. J. RICHARDS
May 1921

PROFESSOR and Mrs. Clarence E. Snyder, of Captiva, Fla., Mr. and Mrs. Charles Livingston Bull, of Oradell, N. J., and Mr. Stanley Hanson of Port Myers, were among- the vistiors at the Unity during- the month. Mr. Bull is an artist of national reputation, and is considered the greatest living painter of wild animal and bird pictures; his work appears often in The Saturday Evening Post and other leading magazines of the country. We have on previous occasions mentioned Prof. Snyder and his Outdoor School for Boys at Captiva, Fla., but little did we realize that we would have the pleasure of visiting his school within a few days after their visit here.
Upon the invitation of Brother Alien Andrews, editor of The American Eagle, we motored to Fort Myers and took the steamer "Gladys" at Punta Rassa, accompanied by Mr. Hanson. The water trip was a most delightful one, as the boat made many stops at Sanibel and Pine Islands, w-hich gave us the oppor-tunity of becoming acquainted with places we have read about for years in the columns of The American. Eagle. Prof. Snyder met us at the landing and w-e immediately sensed the wholesome phychology with which Captiva Island is inoculated and made famous through his outdoor School for Boys.
Like all great institutions, the Snyder School had a very humble beginning. Nine years ago, Prof. and Mrs. Snyder landed on Buck Key, an adjoining island to Captiva, with five boys and four teachers; starting, as one aptly put it, with a two-cent postage stamp and a million dollar enthusiasm. The Snyders, however, knew what they were about, and they soon outgrew their humble quarters on Buck Key. Today twelve states are represented in their school, with thirty-five boys and a faculty of seven teachers; as fine an aggre- gation of boys as one would wish to find, ranging in ages between ten and eighteen.
All the subjects of a high school course are taught in this wonderful school, with the additional advantage that outdoor life gives to both physical and mental development; athletics being a very important feature of the curriculum. Tennis, basket ball, surf bathing, the use of pleasure boats, and the finest fishing for which Lee County is famous, are surely some attrac- tions ; and people of affluence are beginning to find out what it means to a growing youngster to be brought up in an environment such as the Snyders can create.
But the school has about outgrown its present quarters and Professor Snyder is branching out; having purchased forty acres of land on Estero Island. As soon as the land is cleared and buildings erected, we will have them as near neighbors, figuratively speaking, and their coming is going to be a big asset to this section of Lee County. Estero Island is now connected with the mainland by a new bridge over seven hundred feet long; the road connecting it to the McGregor Boulevard being about completed.
We understand that Professor Snyder is going to organize a stock company. This will be a good invest-ment, because the school from now on is going to grow by leaps and bounds. The island will be within forty-five minutes' ride by auto from Fort Myers, and it doesn't require much stretch of the imagination to see the hundreds of cars that will travel back and forth to this wonderful spot.
We are pleased to record in this issue the return of Sister Marie Fischer, who, for the last five months, has been in Tampa, Fla.
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Campbell, of New York City, are now in Estero on a visit to their daughter ,,and grandson, Mrs. Trebell and Raymond. The Unity has no more loyal friends than the Campbell family.
Having suffered several bad scares with indis-criminate forest fires, we are now taking time by the forelock, and by concerted action are clearing the land around the Art Hall and Planetary Court, and grub-bing out a new roadway so that vehicles can get to the machine shop without having to go through the main grounds.
On the last day of April we were agreeably sur-prised when a party of ten, mostly from Ohio, drove into the Unity grounds in two big cars. Two of the party, in a conversation in their home town in Ohio, were discussing the world in general but Florida in particular, and the town of Estero was mentioned. One of the parties immediately asked, "What do you know about Estero?" The other replied, "I have a friend living at the Koreshan Unity." It turned out that both parties had friends at the Unity; this by way of introduction simply goes to show that the world is not so big after all. The friends in question at Estero were Sister Melora Wakeman and the writer.
We failed to get the names of the whole party, but those immediately concerned were Mr. and Mrs. McMullen; Dr. John Eynon, Mrs. Eynon, and their daughter Betty. The writer for some years made his home with the Eynons and their coming unawares was like a bolt from the clear blue. Nevertheless, I was very happy to see them, and to reminisce over old times, and particularly pleased to hear them sing again. My friends are very musical, which revived memories of the many pleasant hours spent together in this way; but best of all w'.s the. plea&ure of listening to their daughter Betty, who is the possessor of a most remark- able voice. The visit was altogether too brief, and our hope is that they will come again when they can stay longer.
On Staurday, April 30, the K. U. Orchestra gave a concert at the Art Hall under the direction of Brother Frank Schoedler. Among the special numbers was a piano solo, "Second Hungarian Rhapsody," played by Brother Frank, who gave a brief account of the com- poser, Franz Liszt. It takes an artist of considerable ability to play the Rhapsody, and Brother Frank was at his best.
Another interesting number was a Chilean Song, "Cielito Lindo," in the costume of Bolivian Indians, by Misses Bertie and Doris Boomer, assisted by Messrs. J. E. Putnam and D. J. Richards. Miss Doris Boomer speaks the Spanish language fluently, and Miss Bertie, who recently returned from a six months' sojourn in South America, acquired considerable insight into the life of the people and its language; the song, costumes, and the ladies' dancing made a decided hit, and were appreciated by all present.
Author:
[various]
Category:
8: Communication Artifact
Object Name:
Periodical
Subcategory:
Documentary Artifact
Phys Desc:
24 p.
Publisher:
Guiding Star Publishing House
Publication Place:
Estero, Fl.
Search Terms:
Flaming Sword
Community Current Events
Subjects:
Periodicals——Theology