Denver's Pollyanna Meetup

I'd really like to hear more about it and how it came to be.

Steve (all ears in St. Paul) P.

Well, Steve... I don't remember exactly. I do know that there was a certain message board last year on which some people were being very nasty and devisive. I got sick of it and decided to start a place where people would be positive thinkers, come up with constructive solutions, and most of all be nice to one another.

I'm betting that about the same time someone called me a Pollyanna, which happens a lot. Having long suspected that Pollyanna was getting a bad rap, I did some research. Low and behold, I found that in the early part of the 20th century Pollyanna Glad Clubs were very popular.

There's some information on the Pollyanna Glad Clubs at:

http://www.worldwidew...

and if you scroll to the bottom of:
http://www3.isrl.uiuc...

Anyway, my research spawned an idea and here we are being glad together.

Well, Steve... I don't remember exactly. I do know that there was a certain message board last year on which some people were being very nasty and devisive. I got sick of it and decided to start a place where people would be positive thinkers, come up with constructive solutions, and most of all be nice to one another.

I'm betting that about the same time someone called me a Pollyanna, which happens a lot. Having long suspected that Pollyanna was getting a bad rap, I did some research. Low and behold, I found that in the early part of the 20th century Pollyanna Glad Clubs were very popular.

There's some information on the Pollyanna Glad Clubs at:

http://www.worldwidew...

and if you scroll to the bottom of:
http://www3.isrl.uiuc...

Anyway, my research spawned an idea and here we are being glad together.

Wow, thanks for the information.

According to the World Wide Words site above, this is the source of Secret Santa. It's great (and bookmarked)! Also, the gift game described at the end of the article is pretty much the same as the White Elephant game I've played at a couple of Company Christmas parties. That is so cool! I'm so glad you found this.

The other link provides a great insight into Elanor H. Porter's (and Pollyanna's) worldview. "In an interview Mrs. Porter said: "You know I have been made to suffer from the Pollyanna books. I have been placed often in a false light. People have thought that Pollyanna chirped that she was 'glad' at everything. . . I have never believed that we ought to deny discomfort and pain and evil; I have merely thought that it is far better to 'greet the unknown with a cheer'".

Thank you for your research.

Steve (who lived in Denver-Boulder for 15 years) P.

Steve,
Pardon me for not being observant... I just realized that you were asking about the Denver Pollyanna Meetup in particular. That came to be because I moved to Denver. So far, I've enlisted my mom to come be glad with me, but I hope to recruit more positive people as I meet them. Word of mouth is essentially how the Kansas City group has grown. Do you know anybody positive in St. Paul that would like to meet someplace that makes you glad? -- Sheila