The National tribune., 1883-04-19
W0VANS AUXILI4RIES
Two Kinds Of Meetings---The Duties
Of Individuals.
VI


as may from time 10 time come up for consld-
Grafton As these words are written, two PIC
lures present themselves as object lessons IN
point They are pictures Of w0mans meet
ings Ore may serve as a fearful warning, the
other as a model worth the following. They
are both from lie.
First meeting. Hour appointed, o'clock
y. IN. Present, on time, the president aud one
member The president seats herself and looks
over some memoranda. Ten minutes elapse
and tgo more ladies enter slyly and take seats
next the door The lr siaent leaves her seat
and looks out Of the window. She describes the
secretary hurTying around the corner and has
tens b. The door to meet her. They enter and
seat themselves nj the table. A few more Wo-
men come struggling in. They have an anx-
i0us, frightened look ald bow distantly 10 one
another. After little more delay 1t Is now
800 O'Clock the president says, timidiy, that
she is sorry the treasurer is late, but they VIII
open the meeting without her. She calls upon
the secretary 20 read the minutes of the meet
ing. There IS a little more whispering, and at
last the secretary says that she is sorry she has
no report OF the last meeting but that The min
utes are in her "otiser dress pocket; she
"didnt have time 10 copy them into the book,
aud she hopes they viii excuse her. The
president SAYS il makes n0 difference rs there
was really little done at the last meeting and
not mica to be said
Whispering IN groups is now begun. and the
president looks confused and embarrassed.
The wh s9ering Iises 10 an uncertain mHrlnur,
during which one woman mods 10 another and
one hears occasionally snch words as, " You say
it," and 10, can't say anything; tell her.
yourself Finally, one more emboldened
than the rest. SAYS: :" Yes there was something
10 De said Don ( You remember that Miss Bla-
tilda SFicer was appointed TO read q letter of
COM 0ieBee TO Brother Benjamin EeatherstOne,
ont ia Alaska, saving that we were SO sorry 10
hear that he had an attack Of the cAilblains,
which luterfered with the preparation OF the
grammar he was writing, owing 10 She fact
that we failed 10 Get oar box TO the depot IN
time: since Mss Mehitable herself was suffer
ing from a cold ia the lead and cannot be here
TO-DAY 10 speak for herself and" The
communication is here broken on by a general
discussion of the woes Of Miss Matilda Spicer,
and sach EXPLANATIONS a., Poor thing, do you
really think she has got consumption" and
"Well. If / was sick az much as she, wouldn't
know what TO do Doh0W. Great confusion.
By this Tine the treasurer has arrived and
eaiies the expectant company with the an
n0unceInent that she had her book all ready TO
bring, but came away and forgot it. The presi-
dent who has once more secured order reads
letter from Siam, earnestly calling upon Chris
tian women TO send some substantial Offering
TO the unselfish exilcs ia that foreign cline.
The president closes her letter and seating her
self, asks the women present TO signify what
they win do. A dead silence follows, and once
more the members look heiplessly from one 10
the other. VIII somebody move that we add
our mite. SAYS the president. a painful pause;
then one says, under her breath, Il move we
add our mite" Another painful pause. Is
there no one 10 second the motion, the presi-
lent anGiously lnq1ires. Another delay and
then tilnid voice says. Second IL" All IN
Eayorof the motion please raise the right hand"
Three or four hands are raised. "All opposed,
raise the right hand, the president adds. Not
hand is raised.
THE NATURAL RESULT.
After dragging along for the space of two
hours from the time announced for the meet
ing, the society adiourns. Then the silent
women find their tongues, and very sharp and
Ewlft they are. Criticism is free and fearless,
Rnd the president comes In for large share Of
il for trying to force that Siam scheme
through, whether or no 1t is astonishing
how prolific in ideas the dnllest Of them has
become, and how vOlubie herspeech in unfolding
them. But small part OF the energy and zeal
and originality brought TO bear upon the meet
ing Just ended would have made il memorable
in the history Of that society. There was no
end 10 material and excellent native talent,
but the members were utterly blind to the
importance Of transacting business in q bust
ness4ike way and Of the beauty of that order
and system which is heavens first law, and
that Of earth as wei.
Is il 10 be wondered al that women's meet
ings are TOO often by-word and a repro2ch
when conducted ia this hsp-hazsrd, undigni-
fed way Aud this. too, when ii is SO easy 10
learn the simple and direct forms of parlia-
Blentary law. An ordinary church meeting
may serve as q model, and no training is nee
essary Tor putting il into effect but the exer-
else OF little Of the intelligence and quick
ness Of apprehension with which a kind and
gracious Creator has endowed the mind Of
woman. With al these native gifts it is the
Btrangest thing in the world that a woman
whose tongue is eloquent IN the social circle
and who can speak loud enough to electrify 2
whole mixed company Of men and women, be.
CONES As dumb and yapid as an oyster the
moment she becomes a factor in the delibera-
tons Of IN association. If every woman who
connects herself with such a body VIII, as a
matter Of religious duty, keep the following
points il mind. cur word for it g Excelsior 2
viii be the inscription upon the banner under
which she is existed:
First. b present at meeting at the hour
appointed. Better be a half hour early thar
Eve minutes late.
Second Preserve order rigidly. A meetin.
conducted Systematically and quietly vii
transsct more business il fifteen minutes thar
the yoa-please kind VIII do in a Who'll,
afternoon.
Third Express your opinions upon any
question that may arise TO the whole meetin,
and not 10 your neighbor ia the corner ID,
not al speak at once. When you are through
give sOlLcbOdy else chance. If you declin.
TO Say anything, do not be indignant if you ar
voted down when the time comes.
One Of the worst features Of the ordinar7
w0man's meeting is the manner Of voting b
raising the right hand. II is a dull, stupid
llnbeciie custom, by which many a woman be
comes d mere machine not even allowed Z
hear her own voice. Let the president dc
nand viva vooc vote. If her associates shoy
timidiiy in the arduous duties Of sayin
"aye and /" nc" let her explain to them th
necessity Of having full vote. After a fer
experiments of this kind the voting habit wi
become fixed. and the members, having foun
that they are able TO use their voices, viii b
much less reluctant in employing them
other directions requiring the power of speed
MODEL MEETING.
The second meeting in mind was also Gale
for O'Clock. For fifteen OF twenty Ininut,
before that hour the ladies had been Assem-
bling, ana when the president and secretar
entered. few minutes before the hour name,
they were holding pleasant little receptio,
or Arranging some detail of committee work
present before the meeting. When the eloc
IL the hail had reached the hour the rresidel
arose and raped lightly upon the desk befo
her. TO her right sat the secretary to her lie
the treasurer, each armed with her reeol
book. IN a moment the members we
seated. few remaining IN the back part
the hall, the president asked them to take sea
I'D 4nr.4. rsms,l IL.