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Village Clubs. 
of people willing to assist in promoting Village Clubs have been 
rather desultory ; and, failing to obtain any general support 
toward buying new books, giving lectures, or otherwise infusing 
some spirit into their management, they have lacked the neces- 
sary stimulus to make them popular. An attempt has been 
made in Suffolk to rectify this state of things, which there is 
every reason to believe will slowly spread over other counties 
in England. In 1875 the Suffolk County Village Club Asso- 
ciation was founded with the following objects : — 
1. To assist existing clubs and reading-rooms, and to aid in 
the formation of new institutions of the kind throughout the 
county. 
2. To supply members thereof with the rules of successful 
clubs. 
3. To facilitate the exchange of books. 
4. To provide, as far as possible, for lectures on questions of 
general interest, neither political nor theological. 
5. To give information on the subject of provident societies, 
savings-banks, and other kindred institutions. 
6. To assist in any plan clearly shown to this Association to 
afford to the labouring population of the towns and villages of 
the county increased facilities for intellectual and social re- 
creation. 
This County Society has so far been successful that it has been 
in communication with some fifty clubs in Suffolk, has started 
eighteen clubs, and been the means of assisting a great many 
others, and of supplying information to most of the counties in 
England, to Ireland, and even to America, besides obtaining for 
the use of the clubs books to the value of 100/. And this has 
been done with a very small outlay — very little fuss or public 
notoriety — quietly and unobtrusively, as all such useful works 
should be done, gradually by their real worth finding favour 
amongst the people. 
No central society can for a moment pretend entirely to 
work local institutions like Village Clubs ; but it may give 
good counsel, suggest rules, lend books, and provide lecturers 
and magic lanterns. Such work has already been done in 
Suffolk. 
By changing books much expense is spared, and to those un- 
acquainted with the working of Village Clubs, lists of books 
which the labourers will read are supplied. There are few 
villages in which a room cannot be hired, and some subscriptions 
obtained to buy books, and provide the necessary lights and fire. 
Smoking is generally allowed, and it is a question whether beer 
in small quantities may not be brought into the reading-room ; 
but at first there is no need to supply refreshments ; a few games 
