, 1892-02-18
CLUB LIFE FOR WOMEN.

some of tho Duties That DevoIve on
Every ember Of N woman'A Club.
1t has been playfully said that certain
women are "clubable," while others are
not so. Some women are willing and
able to obey the laws and regulations of
o club and enjoy their membership from
the first moment. Others who are less
social or more thoughtless or willful,
fret against the necessary restraints
which are imposed upon them, and an
noy their fellow members and themselves
by factious opposition, or by a careless
disregard of the ethical and moral code
which governs all organized bodies.
When we remember the ideas which
until very recently nave governed the
education of women, we cannot be sur
priced at this state Of things. Our sex
was taught to think that it was its mis-
sion and duty to please, and thus to win
privileges which were much more desir-
able-according to the old theory-than
rights. Now, to be capricious-to be
all things by urn and nothing long
was held to be an important part OF the
art of pleasing.
One of the most important functions
of club life is that of making women
take a serious view of one and another
and of themselves, and of banishing
from their minds the old and false idea
that capricious responsibility was an
essential part of feminine nature. | do
not mean to say that many women now
consciously hold this theory; but they
are still more or less governed by it, al
though they would probably be surprised
If one should tell them so. The leaven
of an old idea does not lose its power at
once, but dies out very gradually.
The reasoning powers Of our sex are
not yet fully developed, because they
have, until recently, received little ex-
ercise. 1t results from these two causes
that women who are new to club mem
bership-and some, perhaps, who are
not new to it-are occasionally illogical
in their behavior; they blame other mem
beers for carrying out the laws of the
organization, and perhaps do not even
take the trouble to find out what those
laws arel
1t should be the first duty of the new
member to "read, mark, and inwardly
digest the constitution or rules Of the
body to which she has united herself,
and to refrain from all factious opposi-
ton thereto. The government of a free
club-like that of a free countrywide
rives its power from the consent of the
governed" 1t is certainly desirable that
reforms and changes should be made
from time to time, and every member
should be at liberty to express her opin-
ion fully and freely-at the right time,
and in the right place.
Club life teaches women that higher
politeness which does away with insin.
cerity, and shows them how to express a
difference Of opinion with frankness,
and yet with courtesy. Thus, if the
chairman of the body has made a hasty
decision or an unfair ruling, the woman
who is familiar with the workings of the
club will appeal, in a courteous manner
from the decision of the chair; whereas
the new member would, under the same
circumstances, remain silent ut the mo
ment, and say afterward to her friends
that she thought she had been treated
unfairly. In other words, she will go
away with a grievance from a mistaken
notion of politeness. This conduct is
not in accordance with club etiquette,
which frowns upon grievances-and
frowns also upon undue or unfair ex-
ercise of authority on the part of the
governing power.
In a society which hopes to do good
work and promote the happiness of its
members there should always be a
strong esprit du corps, and the members
should avoid criticising each other or the
club, especially when talking to the
outside world.-Florence Howe Hall in
Homemaker.