The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1892-02-11
FOR WORKING GIRL:
THEIR CLUBS HELP YOUNG WOMEN
TO IMPROVE THEIR LOT.

The Principles Upon Which All Work
ing Girls" Societies Are Built s.r-
EXAMINATIONS, That Eave Done Great
Deal to Make Nu.len Independent.
Miss Grace H. Dodge, who frs: thought
of the Working Girls club, and who has &
zealously and helpfully lent her coopert
ton from the beginning, has kindly con
scented to state the aims and endeavor> OF
the members and does so in these words:
First-Considerj just what clubs. name
ly, an organization formed among busy
women and girls to secure by cooperation
means of self improvement, opportunities
for social Intercourse and the development
of higher. nobler aims. Second-That it is
governed by the members for the members.
Ihird-That it strives to be self supporting.
1t is not charitable society. 1t is Il CO.
operative rather than q philanthropc or
ganization. Methods that are usually
adopted to start charitable and philanthropy
ic movements cannot be carried out when
a Working Girls club is planned.
A neighborhood or city club, of either
men or women, is started by few who de-
cue CniU Ufle GSIdDllSuueuU Ol SuCu d CiuU
would be desirable for social or literary
reasons. Then others are consulted. con-
stitutions and bylaws adopted, a committee
on rooms or location appointed, and their
report acted upon by the club. Other COM
mttees follow on furnishing, house rules
finances, etc, all the members of the com
mittees being chosen from among those
who are to utilize or have part in the house.
nd
voted upon and other club affairs system
atiZed.
If the house or rooms are to be bought
built or leased, capital must often be OBJ
tanned, and this is loaned on interest or
raised among the members. Those with
large incomes feel it a privilege to give
more than the others, who perhaps give
time, talent or effort worth more chan the
money. Outsiders are not admitted to
these deliberations, but after the club is
located, rooms furnished and all in run.
ming order reception is held, when each
club member is privileged to invite a given
number of guests, and from these new
members are obtained and fresh interest
aroused.
HOW CLUB IS STARTED.
A similar plan is followed in starting a
Working Girls society or club, if it is in
tended to be founded upon the principles Of
cooperation, self government and self sup
port. Working girls cannot be forced into
a club organized in their interests any
more than any other people can be driven
into a social club. They wish to know
their proposed leaders, and here friendship
must be at the root Of the matter. TO
guard against the springing up of cligues
it is well to have the early members repre-
81
leisure, teachers, saleswomen. clerks, stem
ographers, dressmakers and mill and fac
tory employees-if at the start there is a
mingling of these each will bring in
friends, and a sisterhood of women will he
the result, all interested in mutual aims
but coming from different surroundings
The Importance of impressing on member.
their individual responsibility to the club
cannot be too strongly urged.
In Europe a working girls club could
not be started because the principles of or
ganiZatiOn are not cOmprehended as yet.
In this country organization is understood
because wage earning women breathe the
air of self government. The class of girls
that come into the clubs are women who
are accustomed to join other forms of or.
ganization, such as benefit societies, lodges,
etc. There are in this city an enormou.
number of wage earning women, perhaps
$4,000 or 10000 who belong to the women's
branches of the Freemasons' organizations
and other societies, and in these they have
already learned something about the bene-
fits of associations.
The clubs are giving to girls an oppor-
tunity, and are doing for one class what
Sorosis, the Woman's Press club, the
Wednesday Afternoon club, etc., are doing
for others. People say, "Why do you give
it the name of the Working Girls club?"
We want to dignity the name of working
girl"
SOME OBJECTIONS ANSWERED.
The public should know what intelligent
and enlightened girls belong to our clubs.
There is the ''other side" however. Labor
organizations say, 1--WE are opposed to you
because you are making working girls
satisfied with their lot" but is there any
thing to regret in that?
When people say we do not touch the
class of girls that most need help l feel
quarrelsome. Where are they? We have
girls belonging to our clubs who earn but
S week, girls who work for sweaters"
and who do the humblest kind Of factory
work, and yet we are told we do not reach
the really poor girl. 1 received miserable
asking why we do not devote our money
to better purposes than to New Years
parties at the Madison Square garden.
People talk of things they know nothing
about. The club girls know the secret of
the New Years party expenditures, and if
they are satisfied everybody else should be-
The principles of our movement are pene
trating everywhere and can any one say
that the results are not goods
am asked by what right am a mem
Der OF the Working Girls club, and why
Mrs. Richard Irwin and others are admit
ted. The club girls settled that question
themselves one evening at discussion. 1t
was decided that Mrs Richard Irwin and
others were working women, but they
might be said to be working with money.
not for money. 1t is not a question of dol
lars and cents or of the kind of work. One
member may be just as busy keeping house
Tor her mother as another girl is in shop,
and it was thoroughly agreed that both
have an equal right OF membership AS
matter OF fact l have no more voice in the
Thirty eighth Street club than the Young.
est cash girl.-New York Tribune
Women of Chilli.
Chilli the woman's Utopia 1t is the only