But for reasons of economy, the greater part of our work will be done
outdoors. Plutocracy can afford to hire a dozen halls where one drawing
speaker can be secured. Our movement has a dozen speakers to every hall
we can afford to hire. We will consider first, therefore, methods of
outdoor speaking.
OUTDOOR MEETINGS.
The easiest, the most economical, the most fruitful of the Volunteer
speaker's work, will consist of unadvertised outdoor meetings. There is
probably not a city, village, or town in America in which a man with
a strong voice, mounting some emergency platform and calling out that
he has something important to say, cannot, in a short time, attract a
considerable crowd. If his message be direct, condensed, sincere and
well delivered, he can hold the crowd in any except the most inclement
weather. Coming as a surprise does not lessen the effect, if the words
are well directed. People who could not be induced to enter a hall to
hear a lecture, people who, if the meeting had been advertised, would
purposely remain away, will stop and listen to an outdoor speaker; they
will be interested, and may even be converted if the truths are well
presented.
Of course, many passersby will listen only for a few minutes and
proceed on their way. An outdoor crowd is always a changing one, but
this merely necessitates a special outdoor method of treatment.
Indoors, an address is expected to be continuous; one point must lead
up to another; a line of thought must be followed so as to produce
interest cumulative to the end. Outdoor speaking, on the other hand,
must be made up of short, concise points, each complete in itself, so
that no person can listen for a single minute without getting something
to carry away with him. Anecdotes should be freely interspersed, but in
condensed form.
As the audience is compelled to stand, often on damp ground, and
in chilly or excessively hot weather, it is necessary that outdoor
speaking should never, under any circumstances, take upon itself the
qualities of a pedagogical lecture. On the other hand, it must be made
up of illustrations, word pictures, and pungent assertion of those
fundamental truths known to be most essential.
HOW TO ARRANGE SUCH MEETINGS.
The speaker arrives in a strange town, having entered afoot, by horse,
or by rail. If he have friends in the town, his work will, of course,
be less difficult, and it will be comparatively easy to procure a
horse and carriage (or a wagon).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account