, 1892-03-08
CLUBS FOR WOMEN.
How They May BE Established in this
Smaller Towns.

toni
The leayen of the woman's club is ex-
tending throughout the country. The
smaller cities have followed the lead of
the larger ones, and now in towns and
villages the clubbable instinct is devel-
oping.
The increasing prominence given to
the work of her sex in the weekly news
paper and family journal makes it pos
sible for the m who lives at the
crossroads to keep informed of her sis
ters' doings all over the world, and as
she reads she thrills in unison with this
reaching out of her kind. She asks her
self, "If the native women of far off
India can have their Sorosis, why may
not the village and hamlet women of
America have?'
The village club in starting will do
well to avoid being IN outgrowth of any
n church society. Don't go to pieces
in the beginning On the rock of ~sectari-
anism. The church sociables and sew
ing societies have their functions-the
club, it viii be found. has one quite dis
tinct from these. Nor is it necessary to
await the motion of the one or two
known and accepted leaders which ev-
cry community, small or great, holds.
Any woman can start a club any
where.
She has only to speak to q few of her
friends and neighbors, appoint a day
and place for a meeting to consider the
matter and the pregnant first step is
over.
If there is a college graduate among
the women of your town, put her in as
the first president. She will be sure to
know something Of parliamentary usage
gained from attendance at her college
societies. 1t is recognized in New York,
where women's clubs flourish wonder
fully, that the Vassar graduate makes
the best presiding. officer. In default,
however, of the collegebred woman, the
few points of order" needed to conduct
the meetings are not difficult to secure.
Any member of the village council will
be glad to enlighten feminine ignorance
in this regard.
And it is not positively necessary that
there should be a president. A well
known and long established New York
club has no president. The chair is
filled at every meeting by the members
in alphabetical rotation. The papers are
assigned in the same way a month in ad-
vance. For instance, Mrs. Adams is
asked to prepare one on n subject, with
the next Mrs. Al ready as her alter
nate with one on another topic. The other
members familiarize themselves with
the two topics, preference being given
of COURSE to the first. In this way the
club is always ready. If Mrs. Adams
has prepared her paper and is prevented
at the last moment from reading it, she
may designate some one to perform that
Office for her, thus preserving the rota-
ton.
Papers should be limited to a reading
length of twenty minutes. In the dis
cussion which follows, five minutes to
each speaker ought to secure a sufficient
ly long speech. Five or ten minutes is
hen accorded to the reader to answer
arguments and suggestions that may
have been offered. The chair then
briefly r~ecapitulates and gives what
seems to be the concensus of opinions
expressed.
The object of the reading and discus
sion is not to gain a victory so much as
to get all phases possible of the question
presented.
Two hours is the usual session of a
club. except some of the very large ones,
which need more time.
The chair should keep a watch before
her and ruthlessly cut down members
speeches and papers to the stated length.
1t is not considered rude to interrupt a
member at any time if she is t~ransgress-
ing. 1t has been said that women AN
not keep to their subject in conversation
or argument, and undoubtedly the habit
of generalizing is peculiarly a feminine
one. A club, therefore, is a good place
to practice overcoming this tendency.
Think well over your five minute speech,
and on a card which may be held in the
hand jot down its heads and hold your
self as closely to them as possible.
Don't make the scheme of your club
too similar to a Chautauqua circle.
Practical questions ought to be con-
sidered along with literary ones, vii
lage abuses discussed and improvements
suggested, home topics regarded. AS
soon as a club is under way its members
will discover what themes most interest,
and such it will be wise to frequently
consider.
No member should shirk her share.
The basis of membership should be a
willingness to participate in allotted club
work.
If the club is large enough it is a good
plan to divide it up into committees for
each monthly meeting during a season.
The duties of the committees will be to
take charge of the meeting assigned to
them, one long paper and one or two
short ones being furnished, and to TAKE
the lead in the discussion, opportunity
of course being given to the entire club
to participate briefly. 1t adds to the
pleasure of a meeting to have a suspen-
sion of discussion for five or ten minutes
and listen to a piece of music or a reel
tation. Such entertainment is part of
the service of the days committee.
A final suggestion is that in the be-
ginning, if it is thought desirable, sister
clubs in larger communities may be
asked to send their papers for second
readings. In this way models can be
studied and confidence gained until the
club feels able to stand alone.
MARGARET II. WEIGH.