Junto Club

It's time to officially get started! The first essay assignment will be completed by Marissa. It's due by November 14th. We'll need volunteers to line up for future assignments, which will be due weekly, on each Friday. If you don't volunteer, I will put your names in a hat and choose the order myself. If you don't do the assignments, that's between you and your own parents. You'll get no flack from me. The point is to have fun, exercise our creative minds, and (for this first one at least) become more familiar with the thoughts and writings of Benjamin Franklin. We are also becoming more familiar with the technology of a blog and of Google in general.

Just so we are clear, this one assignment will last for at least three months. Once you write your essay, you are off the hook for several weeks, until the next one is assigned. Your only job once your essay is posted is to read the essays of everyone who comes after you and offer moral support. The work-load, therefore is quite small. Feel free to ask anyone for advice or help. Even ask here on the blog for your friends' advice or opinions. You are all authors here, and can write posts absolutely any time you wish. Everyone else can leave comments on those posts. Including parents.

Scroll down and click on the Essay Assignment page and leave a comment there in order to volunteer to go next. I'd like to get everyone on the calendar as soon as possible. Also, let us know your quote so we don't have repeats.

About privacy: The blog page is absolutely limited ONLY to those of us who are AUTHORS on the page. What we write is NOT available to anyone but us.

So, what is Junto?

You might have gotten a hint from all the Ben Franklin photos and quotes on the page that Junto has something to do with him, and you would be right. Benjamin Franklin created the first Junto Club when he was just 21 years old. It was a group of men who were interested in improving themselves while also improving their community. The Junto was a discussion group for issues of the day, and gave rise to many organizations in Philadelphia.

How does any of this relate to us?

Are we going to sit in a circle and discuss politics, religion, and business affairs? Probably not, although we certainly are at liberty to do so, if we choose. Are we going to challenge each other to greater things, enlighten each other on things we have learned, conduct science experiments, be useful in our community, and strive for continual improvement? I hope so.

What's the blog for again?

The blog, essentially, is a way for us to communicate when we are not together. Everyone has writing privileges, and only we can see the page, thus we enjoy complete privacy. When we want to plan something, we can communicate here, and formulate our plans with as many minds present as possible. The success or failure of this endeavor will depend on participation. So don't be shy, step right up and get involved.