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regional meeting in Hancock in 1910. There an interim regional executive committee was named, with John Viita as secretary (to be succeeded by Toivo Virtanen) and with Duluth chosen as the site of the regional office. The minutes for 1914, for example, show that in that calendar year the region held 1,753 meetings and 1,854 program evenings. The various chapters had, besides entertainment committees in each, their `agitation' committees in 16 chapters, literature dissemination committees in 26, women's committees in 2, dramatics groups in 24, sewing circles in 45, as well as 19 bands and choruses and 12 gymnastic teams. There were 30 lending libraries, with a combined total of 4,242 books, and 10 periodical circulating groups subscribing to 232 newspapers.
Minnesota alone reported on its activity in a meeting at Smithville in the summer 1912:
"At the end of 1911 there were 47 chapters with bib women tuna 2,308 men members, a total of 2,884. There were 958 business meetings held, 451 program meetings and 755 socials. There are 17 agitation committees, 27 literature committees, 3 women's groups, 24 dramatics groups, 5 choruses, 4 brass bands, 17 sewing circles, 7 gymnastic groups. There have been 10 lecture series, attended by 765 persons, and 4 English-language courses, with 129 students, 2 Sunday Schools with 71 pupils. Literature sales amounted to $4,151, while $390 worth have been distributed gratis. There are 13 libraries, with a total of 2,598 volumes, and 6 reading rooms, subscribing to a total of 71 newspapers. Income for all groups in the state together have amounted to $44,002, and expenses have been $38,358. Owning their own halls are 20 chapters, and 3 others own building sites, and their total value is $81,594. Shares have been purchased, for $1,785 in the Työmies, $350 in the Raivaaja, $95 in the Toveri, $120 in Työkansa, and $1,227 in the Workers' Institute, while $10,530 worth of snares in other undertakings are being held. The value of property other than real estate amounts to $17,888. Total property values, $107,994. Mortgages, $15,827 and other debts $2,191, making a total indebtedness of $18,018, and leaving
assets of $96,749."
The same time, self-criticism indicated that general developments tended to follow one line of action : "first there was talk of how they would begin working in earnest once their hall was built - and then when the hall was ready, the one activity seriously taken up was, dancing." 9 In the Hancock meeting the accusation had already been made that Finnish Socialism was "buried in art." The critics maintained that all the discussion groups, choral, music, dramatics, sewing, athletic and debating groups and organizations, auxiliaries though they were, in actuality tended to obscure the real purpose of the organization. And although the leaders conscientiously though not optimistically urged the chapters to direct their programs toward a more direct fulfillment of the party aims, there were still complaints in the subsequent regional meetings of delegates: "We have too much
9. Amerikan 'Sanomat. 6 September 1911
233
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