The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-05-17
EDITORS CHAT.


The secand Biennial Session of the General
Federation of Woman's Clubs, and
Thoughts on Club Work.
The second biennial session of the Genera
Federation of Woman's Clubs, which the editor
of the c. c. had the pleasure Of attending IL
Philadelphia the second week in May, was g
notable expression of the value of organization
in the line of general culture and progress.
From the Atlantic to the Pacific, and from
the Northern Lakes to the Gulf, came the as
sembled hundreds to give the fraternal hand
CLASH aud to stimulate each other in their intel
1ectual development.
Some of the clubs represented were purely
literary. some were historic. Some, like the
great mother of all, the woman's club, New
York Sorosis, has department In every line Of
womans work, literature, art music philan'
thropy, physical culture, the drama, the pro-
fessions.
The delegates met and compared notes, gave
outlines of their work, discussed the ideal club
and how to attain il, held receptions and con-
versations, and considered the attitude oil
woman in relation to her home, her family,
herself and to the great world of women here
and everywhere.
Among papers read was one from the So
Tosis of Bombay. India. Club work in Aus
trRlia was set forth. and Syria was represented
by "a Syrian woman. in her national costume,
but American bred and her mind fully III touch
with the spirit OF the times.
These clubs mean great things for women OF
America and the world. They mean clubs IN
every State, in every County, in every town,
multiplied many times over; the training
schools for women in the wider sphere, mental,
moral, spiritual and Indirectly governmental
and reiormatory, 10 which she has been called.
THE CONVERSATION CLUB.
There are worlds within worlds, circles with
in circles. forces within forces. And the same
broad shirt of self-assertion, cOnceRtered into
cumulative centers, as shown in the union of
woman's clubs of every variety in one great
Whaling. human force, is actuating the Con-
versation Club in its reaching out into Ma
tional federation, and in its aims for all that
is brightest and best growing out of It,
All efforts are experimental, but the expert
ment sets thought currents IN motion and gen.
crates the heat that affords the propelling-
power of human effort
The general federation of woman's clubs is
sn experiment whose every promise has thus
far been for good The Conversation Club is an
experiment whose victories have been great.
We must move on. guided by common pur-
pose. to the higher goal.
THE FEDERATION IDEA.
The federation idea is the absolute indie
peudence of every club. free to come and free
10 90. There is no red tape no per capita, no
discipline, no effort to enforce or propagate.
Inasmuch as some doubt is expressed as to
The possibility of the c. c. Guards to carry on
bic organization as at present organized with
3 system Of returns and per capita tax it may
be well for them in fifth annual Reunion to
consider the feasibility of resolving themselves
into a simple federation.
In the general federation all clubs whether
numerically large or small, are on a common
level Each club pays SO to the General Fed
Grafton, and secures representation By the Presi-
dent and one delegate.
Let the C. c. and Guards from every State
consider the federation and be able to express
their views as 10 its value as compared with
she present organization of Guards.