Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-01-02
A WOMAN'S CLUB HOME.
GRAND RAPIDS, MICH, CONTAINS
THE ORGANIZATION.
Sketch of Its Birth, Growth and Present
success-Thoroughiy Equipped with .
Building Beautifully Furnished j
Meets Weekly

success-Thoroughly Equipped with
building Beautifully Furnished = II
Meets Weekly.
One of the most prosperous and useful
women's clubs in the United States is lo
Gated mt Grand Rapids, Mich Grand Rap
ids is one of the handsomest cities in the
west, and contains hosts IF handsome
women. But the women are not satisfied
with being handsome; they insist on being
cultivated as well. Hence it is that their
club is not mere social organization,
means for exchanging choice gossip,
but literary club; and hence it is, too,
that il has grown until there is no room
for it to grow any more. In fact it became
so large several years ago that il furnished
an Overflow meeting" and the West
Side Ladies Literary club" another sim
liar and prosperous organization, was
formed Now, again, it has grown until,
like an athlete, it must reduce its proper
tions to secure its greatest efficiency
The ladies Literary club, of Grand
Rapids. is the outgrowth of a class in his
tory formed among the women of Grand
Rapids by Mrs, J.. II. Stone, of Kalama-
zoo, a woman who has been Instrumental
in forming several other women's clubs in
the west. The history class was disbanded
in the winter of fS9i-12, but the taste for
study had been excited. A meeting of six
women was held at the residence of Mrs.
S. L. Fuller, a wealthy woman widely
known for her originality and culture as
well as for her charity. These six women
formed themselves into 4 club.
THE CLUB Is ORGANIZED.
Mrs Fuller drew up Il constitution and
issued n call TO the women of the city who
We're interested in the project to join the
club. About thirty responded The first
regular meeting was held in April, 1872
The membership soon reached 100. Since
that time the growth of the club in num-
bers and in influence has been steady. The
present membership is over 500, and em-
braces not only many women of wealth,
but many without wealth, women in
society and those not in society. The aver
age attendance at the meetings, which are
held every week, is about 800 The Indies
believe that with membership of more
than 500 the club cannot work TO so good
an advantage as with a smaller number.
They have decided accordingly to limit il
TO 500 No new members will he received
therefore until the number falls below 500
Dec. 81, 1887, was n red letter day for the
club. That day the ladies' dedicated a club
house, erected under THEN own direction
Tor their own exclusive use. Up to that
time, although they had library of nearly
LOU volumes, "a large and choice collection
OF photographs, piano, considerable
amount OF furniture and other parapher-
mana Tor club housekeeping they had oc-
cup1ed rented rooms Living in rented
rooms did not satisfy these progressive wo-
men They decided to buy a lot aud build
house ut tLeir own. The building fund
comprised Sl.Jt4 in the treasury, an annual
income OF $500 and a relentless determine
ton The lust mentioned item was the
principal resource, for II was convertible
into several times rs much cash as both
the Others combined. A lot was purchased
ON Sheldon street, one of the finest streets
In the city. and July 30, 1887. the corner
stone of the new club house was laid Five
months later the house WAS dedicated.
THE Club HOUSE
The clTb house j. two stories in height
M the trent, with a lofty single story in
the rear for the main hall or auditorium.
IL Is built of Amherst tOl bluestone and
Grand lIapids repressed brick, with terra
Gotta trimmings, slate roof, stained glass
and French plate glass windows. At the
front on the first floor the main entrance
opens into II large reception hall, with
handsome, broad, winding staircase lead
IGN Ia the upper ROOM" as the ladies
designate what club men would call a
banquet hall Back of the stairs on the
north side Is a commodious and convenient
toilet room. At the left of the main gu
trance, on the first floor and fronting the
street, Is the club library, room about
twenty-five feet square. The library opens
into the auditorium, a room about fifty
leet square, with a ceiling twenty-one feet
hlGh, embracing dome and skylirht AT
the center. Al the further or west end of
Ihe auditorium Is large stage, flanked by
dressing rooms. TIT, floor of the audito-
rum Is slightly inclined toward the stage.
1t Is covered with handsome body Rrns-
sells carpet, in which soft, yellowisi brown
Is the prevailing tint, harinonizing nerfact-
ly with the beautiful decorations of tho
ceiling and dome The library is finished
IN oak, and IS also elegantly decorated
The colors are darker than those of the
auditorium, but are complementary to
them. Above the manteI in the H,d;to-
nfn : beautiful plate glass mirror of the
luli width of the inantel, while in the Ii |
or'iFy the oaken panel above the mantel |
bears the word Books" in bold. carved
letters, surrounded by scroll, on which
Is the text, Round these our pastimes and |
our happiness will grow. ~
THE WEEKLY MEETINGS.
regular meeting of the club Il beld
every saturday afternoon and lasts two
hours. except during the heated term
when vacation Is usually taken or rho
meetings are limited to one hour. As nro-
Nlded 10y the constitution of the club tho
ilrSt meeting in each month is devoted IN |
'he consideration of subjects pertaining To |
arr and literature, 10 be brought before the /
cinh by committee of three who serve |
Tor period of three months. For the sec- |
"iid saturday of the month similar com |
mittee furnishes topics on education. and
Tor the third Saturday another committee
furnishes subjects in history. The meet- |
ing OF the fourth week is in chaIpe nj an /
entertainment committee " and 1benavar |
TINS committee furnishes an evenings on.
'ertainment not only do all members OF the |
ciub nave Il standing invitation but eacL |
member may invite one person To acco,n- |
paiiy her The hours for entertainments |
are from to l0p IN. The entertainment |
SeneraIy includes plays, music. readings |
l, ~ i"iS, etc cards and refreshments |
,,,,. p;,''liol'ei' hen NTH SATURDAY, oc-
~, ~ any month 1t Is called Presidents |
- nv Oh Ihat DAY the president brings |
before the club such general to,ins -
sees fit ''Pics asoHe 1
- P'"srdiihle committees Law ont Il Dir |
work systematically and car,.fnII'- 90
copies are printed and distributed s,no,,,,
members in advance, thus giving memhars
chance to study the subjects before tbai1
unc. 'so LTD 1