Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1893-12-08

THEIR CLUBS HELP YOUNG WoM'
TO IMPROVE THEIR LOT.

H. CirIs," Societies Are Buiit-V'
panizations That Have Done 1re"'
Daal to Make Women independent
Misc Grace Fl. Dodge, who first thoaght
If the Working Girls club and VINO mas NJ
yealously and helpfully lent her cooper"
| 6on from the beginning. has klndiy con
sontad m state the aims and endeavors OF
the members and does so in these wor''s;
Eyrst-Consider Just what clubs, name
" nm organization formed among ousy
,',o,,,en and girls to secure by cooperation
ma.ns of self improvement, opportunities
for social intercourse and the development
~ bigher. nobler aims. Secondhand IL Is
,ovarned by the members for the members
TTb;rd-Tbat it strives to be self supporting
# ;s not A charitable society. 1t isa CO.
onerative rather than philanthropic or
Yaniy.tion Methods that are usually
edonted to start charitable and philanthrop-
II movements cannot be carried out When
a working Girls club is planned.
A neiyhborhood or city club, OF either
mon or women. is started by n few VINO he
eide that the establishment of such cllD
would be desirable for social or literary
reasons. Then others are consulted con
situations and bylaws adopted, aconm'ttte
on rooms or location appointed and their
report acted upon by the club. Other com
mittees 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.
rooms or meetings. Fee and dues are
voted upon and other club affairs system
atized.
II the house or rooms are to be bought,
built or leased, capital must often he OBJ
tanned, and this is loaned on interest or
raised among the members. Those with
large incomes feel it privilege to give
more than the others, who perhaps give
time, talent or effort worth more than 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 given
number of guests, and from these new
members are obtained and fresh interest
aroused.
HOW A CLUB IS STARTED.
A similar plan is followed i'll starting
Working Girls society or club, If 1t is III
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. 10
guard against the springing up of cliques
it is well to have the early members repre-
sent different occupations. Women OF
leisure, teachers saeswomen, clerks, stem
ographers dressmakers and mill and fac
tory employees-if at the start there is Il
mingling OF these each will bring in
friends, and sisterhood of women will be
the result, all interested in mutual aims
but coming from different surroundings.
The Importance of impreSsing on members
their individual responsibility to the club
cannot be too strongly urged.
In Europe 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 enormous
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 m 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, I'VE 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 | feel
quarrelsome. Where are they3 We have
girls belonging to our clubs who earn but
3 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. | received miserable
anonymous letter two or three DAYS ago
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
tratlng everywhere and can any one say
That the results are not goodf
am asked by what right am 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 a discussion. II
} was decided that Mrs. Richard Irwin and
Others were working women, but they
might be said to be working with money
not Tor money. 1t is not question of dol.
lars ana cents, or of the kind of work One
nenoer may be just as busy keeping house
LOT her mother as another girl is in shon
ana 1t was thoroughly agreed that both
nave an equal right of membership. ASH
matter OF fact have no more voice in rho
Ihlrty-eighth Street club than tho vo,,m',
est cash girl.-New York Tribune,
Women of Chill.
Chill is the woman's Utopia II istho,
country in the world in which vo,,,a,, 10y