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Committees are Working Hard to Please Everybody on Christmas-~Qrigin of Municipal Xmas Tree. The different committees who havei-t. ... . ...r . . .. •, ...cha rge; in milking arrangements for the first Municipal Chti3tmas /Tree CJrand ftapids has ever had, are working haixl U» make the affair a big success. They want to please everyone and especially every cfpld in the city apd the way things look at the present time they Will do it.“•' The idea of a mUhcicipal Xmas tree for Grand Rapids'came ffohi the localfks aiid they deserve all the credit. Id Jo others are doing their share‘tiie .work on. the committees “and are also contributing toward tKc success of the affair, descrying a. good .deal of praise, the Elks .lodge is the !.f4i£her of the movement here and can; not escape the biggest share of the credit.: • ;THat every child in this vicinity will he out on Christmns night, to see the big tree and Santa Claus and receive the candy and smull gift from old St. Nick is a'sure thing and the cofmittee is preparing to serve 2,000 :pf the little ones with a CVdstmas treat.The Municipal ChriBtmas tree idea is a new one and the following explanation its origin is of interest:1. History and Significance of the Movement:.The municipal Christmas tree idea is but two years old. From that first tree in Madison Square Garden, New 'Yorlc City, there however burst forth shoots which have taken root in more !!thun L’00 cities already and which “promise to spring up in many more .places this year. The ideaWhich inspired the original New York tree vas the impression left upon a woman by the experience of a young American related to her As a student he had traveled in Germany and found himself as the holiday seuson came on, in the midst of the many preparations for the German home .Christmas tree. Everywhere * there was evidence of the joyful celebration for others but he walked the street alone and was constantly remind elt;t of his being separated from all participation in the Christmas rejoicing. He soon found himself thoroughly homesick, and this lead him to a resolve that if possible he should pre: vont others from having the same experience. Next year,’' he said, I shall get me a Christmas tree and inrite all the lonely folk I know. The developments which followed are related in an article by bony a Levien in the Survey for January 4, 191^, thus:The woman who heard this young man's confession thought,—Why not a Christmas tree in a public place, with music and light for the lonely ones of New York? With faith in the young man’s philosophy she voiced .her thoughts to a few'friends and the response was immediate. It was decided to have the tree in the heart of .the city, and Madison Square Park, the crossway of thousands of Workers and the outdoor home of the destitute was chosen. The plan was circulated among a few and contributions poured in from rich and poor for the “lonely one, Christmas tree with earnest requests that the names of the doners should not be disclosed. The necessary funds were raised in fortycight hours but donations continued , and the few who were jn charge of arrangements found theni-lt;*^vcr embarrassed with unsolicited funds; this although the plan was strictly guarded against all publicity so that tho tree would come unexpectedly, in keeping with the mystery of the season. An immenre tree, sixty-feet in height was brought from the Adirondacks, and the Edison.Company was asked for an estimate on the electric, decorations. The ct-limdte was sent, but'with it came a representative to’ask that the’ light-' in’g-be'accepted as the company’s contribution to the program. Every night frbm sundown to dawn the tree Wab kept Might with thousands of varicolored bulbs, thickly clustered in snow-cappecf ;branchcs and topprjd with the brilliant Star of Bethlehem, Prominent singers and choirR volunteered to sing carols. The apprecia; tive crowds the Tree of light” at-tracted^-there were ten thousand people gathered around it at hiid-night, Christmas KVe—and the unan imO'us participation of the audiences in the songs, have given courage to many shy idealists, and festival plans for .future holidays are rampant.”.Although the idea which inspired this first tree was remember thut there are others not ao fortunate as you,” the two years' history of the movement has already shown that many other'ideas are now involved. It. represents a definite slop toward developing the social feeling of the comunity. There have been many movements of late years to organize and unify the community interests along the lines of government, of health, of recreation, and of business, but there have been few if any movements that had as their object nothing more '.angibte than tho • development of community social feel Eng, tho establishing of a social tradition! A community Christmas tree does not aim to educate, to make more healthful, or tu promote the business of any town. It desires pimply to have people feel together that glow of kindness and good will which we call the Christinas spirit. It in no way interferes with the home or the chuvch* celebration of Christmas with or without a tree. It aava however that there is a social aspect to the Christmas message of‘Pcuce on earth, good will toward men,” of ex altiiig the place of the child in our life, which is not properly taken care of by imy celebration that is restrict ed to any group smaller ' than the community as a whole. The municipal Christmas tree is u£ course but one expression of the idea that the interest of each is.the interest of hil, but it is such an idealistic, forward looking conceinn, that it may well bo used as the start for obtaining the omre material and immediate ends which are the special object of good government. The Christmas Spirit spread throughout the year, means the working together of the wbofc community for emcient government. The essence of the community Christmas tree idea is brotherhood.The presence of the aspect of beauty in this Christmas celebration must not be overlooked. Many towns, through their charity societies, and such special agencies as the churches, salvation armies, and volunteers, have provided in the past and will, it is hoped, continue to provide in the future, very substantial gifts in the way of food and clothing. Too frequently, however, there* has been entirely missing from these donations the element of beauty. We have perhaps not realized enough in our country, the place of beauty in our lives. xMaterial food alone produces a rather stolid type of individual. The beautiful Christmas tree may nourish many souls that are impoverished. It is quite possible, thatfthc memory of the resplendent Tree of Light” may do more to help many people live a3 the would throughout the year than the over-eating at a Christmas dinner which in the past has too often been the only municipal Christinas gift.
Newspaper Details
Daily Leader
Grand Rapids, Wisconsin, US
Thu, Dec 17, 1914
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Badgerlink
WI, USA 13 Dec 2016
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