The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-14
woRK1nG woMEN,s CLUBS.
A Thousand Members Discuss the Needs and
Possibilities of Working Girls Societies.

Possibilities of Vyorlxin z Girls Societies.
New York Evening Post
In the hall of the Young Mems Christian AS
ISOLATION, last evening was held the first annual
meeting OF the Association OF Working girls
Societies. A thousand girls and women met to
discuss the growth and needs of the the many
working girls clubs which have been organized
during the last year IN this city and neighbor-
| mood Ten clubs were represented by their
| members, or most of them, and two eiubs-one
OF Philadelphia and one1of Yonkers--were repre-
sented by delegates.
The first of the New York clubs of the kind is
not yet two years old. 1t owed its origin to the
desire Of some earnest women to help working
| girls to make the most of their strength and
skill by cooperation. The machinery OF the
| first club was of the simplest description, pro-
viding merely for a room in which the members
could meet every evening, and for classes de-
| signed to improve and help the members.
A library was gradually accumulated. Glasses
| in cooking, sewing and dress making were
| found useful A woman doctor was en-
gagged to give advice to such members as might
| need it. SO far as possible, work was found Tor
| tho members who wanted it, and the members
were told of vacancies in shops and business
houses. That the scheme was a wise one was
! Immediately shown in the success of this fjrst
club, which began in February, 1884, with ff-
teen members. andIwhch now numbers 225 mem
bers, and by the rise of similar clubs in different
parts of the city. The first Working Girls So
ciety now rents pleasant rooms of its own, and
IFS members enjoy advantages of decided value
for an almost nominal sum of money. The dues
are % cents month, with extra fees--very
small ones-for the payment of teachers. Mem
bers may join the classes or not, regarding the
club as social institution, simply, school
Last evening the following clubs were present
in force: 'fIhe Resolve Club" 'The Working
Girls Society, of Thirty-eighth street." "The
East Side Society, of Thirty third street." "The
Industrial Society, of Hoboken," 'The Brooklyn
Society THE Social Club, of Grace House "
"The Young Girls Association for Mutual I'm
provement," 1.-THE Working Girls Society," of
Eighteenth street THE Girls Association of
Annex Hall" 'Tbe Good Will Club"
Some of the reports read will give an adequate
notion of the aims of the clubs and of their prac
teal value The reports selected represent the
whole number more or less fully.
The Goodwill Club.-''The Goodwill Club was
organized on the I'd of January, 1885, when five
girls met in room offered for the purpose at
Twentieth street and Fourth avenue. This was
the nucleus of the new club. It started imme-
diately with a singing class. The next week the
number increased to SIXTEEN officers were elect
ed and constitution adopted. Tuesday even
ings were set aside for reading aloud and sewing
The work is prepared beforehand-pretty fancy
busters to be made for the working girls vaca-
ton fair to be held next autumn. The readings
| began simply with stories, but better
| things have followed. The lady who reads
| proposes to give practical and scientific talks.
| She has already given one on coal-the best way
| of buying in small quantities. ETC. A scientific
| lecture on coal will follow. There has also been
lesson on meats-the best way to buy; good
ways of cooking meat were practically demon
strated. the girls helping to prepare cook and
| eat nice dish"
| The Young Girls Association for Mutual I'm
! provement-This club was formally organized
on the 9Th of January, 1885, in the silk factory
| in East Forty second street. Glasses were at
| once formed in sewing dress making, embroid-
| cry, designing and cooking. lecture on by
| gene has been given once week. Saturday
| evenings have been reserved for singing, games,
| and other amusementS, and monthly enter
| tainment has been given by friends of the mem
| bers The club has now ninety members.
The Industrial Society of Hoboken. n. j.
''rhe club was organized on the 18th of Febru-
| airy, 1884. Twentyseven members enrolled
their names on that evening. The constitution
of the first Working Girls Society was adopted
with slight alterations. The quartec Of the
society include two dressing rooms large front
room which contains the library periodicals,
games, writing materials and the piano, and IAN
other room used for sewing and occasional cook
irg classes. The rooms are open every evening,
except on Saturday, from half past until half
past o'clock. The following classes are held:
Monday, vocal music; Tuesday, elocution;
| music; Friday embroidery. The Wednesday
evening lectures include talks on various sub
| jects.'
The Working Girls Society of Thirty eighth
| Street. "This society was organized the
| evening of February IS, 1884 with fifteen mem
| bers. On March LIST it took rooms of its own.
| BY donations from members and their friends
| the rooms were furnished and were opened every
| evening from 7:30 o'clock till $50. In one cir
culating library was started. The membership
| steadily increased and the attendance was good
all through the summer months. The first rooms
| becoming too small for the society, a
| basement house was found and taken
| for eighteen months from the first of
| last November, the rent being $1,000 a
| year Certain portions of the house are sub-let
| pay. The twenty-five cents initiation fees and
| monthly dues are expected to cover this amount
| The rooms reserved are as follows: First a
| library, where the books are kept and read,
| letters are written, games played, and social
talk carried on. Second, large parlor for
| the doctors office, small classroom on the
third floor, and the kitchen for two evenings in
| the week. where the cooking classes
| are held. The classes for the mutual i'm
provement and recreation of the mem
| bers have been as follows: Dress making
calisthencs, writing arithmetic, first aid to the
| injured. Practical talks and lectures have also
| been given For certain Of these classes small
| charge is made. millinery class is shortly TO
| be formed Since the LIST of November the soci-
ETY. has secured the services of lady physician,
who advises with and prescribes for the mem
| bers. On the first Monday of each month bus
| mess meeting is held when dues are paid re-
ports read and matters of business discussed.
| These are followed by some short entertainment,
| given by different members of the club. During
| the one year of its existence nearly three hun
| dred have Joined the society, and there is now
| paying membership of over two hundred
-an-
Christianity as Practiced by Primitive PeO-
pie.