SOCIALS AND PARTIES

Perhaps you’re appointed chairman of the social committee of your young people’s church society of or some club.  Or maybe you want to entertain for a friend who is visiting you so that she may meet your circle of friends.  Anyway it’s up to you to plan an evening’s amusement for a big crowd of people.  If it’s a mixed crowd—­young and old and in-between (as church socials often are)—­you need one kind of plan; if it’s a bunch of young folks, or a school class party, or something for the children, you need other plans.

But the secret of all good times for big crowds is to choose entertainment that draws the individuals together in some kind of comradeship, gives them all something in common, and puts them on a friendly footing.

A SMILES SOCIAL

On the door of the parish house as well as in the post-office window appeared a poster adorned with a big smiling face—­the kind made by drawing a circle and putting inside of it two eye dots, a nose line, and a cheerful curve for a mouth.

Beneath it the invitation urged everybody to come to a Smiles Social, wearing a smile and bringing an extra one in the pocket.  Admission, one smile.

The parish house parlors were decorated with all the laughing or smiling pictures that could be found by the committee in charge.  “Mona Lisa” was there with her inscrutable smile, “The Laughing Cavalier,” as well as less famous characters, such as smiling girls on calendars and magazine covers.  An amusing display of newspaper cartoons also filled one portion of the wall space.  Smilax was appropriately enough used for trimming.

At the door was stationed a smiling admission collector, who insisted on an entering smile from everyone.  The extra one was not demanded at this point.

With such a beginning and the gallery of smiles about the room to break the ice, the social was assured of the success that followed.

The first stunt tried was called “Throwing Smiles,” not a new amusement but always a fun-maker.

One person starts the game by smiling broadly and then pretending to wipe off the smile and throw it to somebody else.  As soon as it lands on the next person’s face, that person must in turn wipe it off and fling it at a third player.  As soon as a smile is supposedly wiped off, the owner of it must maintain a perfectly sober expression.

The company was in screams of laughter before this game had gone very far.

Another amusing game for a large number which goes under various names was called on this occasion “The Smile Factory.”  The company is divided into two groups which line up opposite each other.  Someone is appointed to stand between the two lines with a man’s soft hat in hand.  If upon being tossed in the air, the hat lands right side up, one group has to laugh while the opposite one remains absolutely sober.  When the hat lands upside down, the first group remains solemn and the other group laughs.  A member of either side who fails to follow this rule goes over to the opposite side.  The side which wins all the members of the other side is announced victorious.