Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1896-07-30
WOMEN AND CLUBS.
WHY SOME JOIN AND WHY OTHERS
MUST STAY OUT.
clubs Ths, Are Exclusive For One Reason
or Another-The National Society Of
New England Women Has Some Unique
and Interesting Features.

Womens societies are springing up In
every direction. There are clubs OF almost
every conceivable variety, and they have
caught almost every woman In the country
In their immense drag net. But IL Is the
so called historical societies which entice
a great many women who could not be
lured into an ordinary club Under this
head come the Daughters of the Revolu-
ton, the Daughters of the American Revo-
tuition, the Colonial Danes, the Society OF
New England Women and so on.
The historical part Of the scheme doesn't
appeal TO many of the women. It Is the
exclusiyeness of 1t. Half Of them join be-
cause their friends have joined, and they
want 10 show that they can get In too
Almost every woman In the country who
has had even one grandfather born on
American soil Is eligible to at least one Of
these societies Some Of them could be ad
mitted to them all Once In awhile some
poor friend pecked woman can't get hold
Of her papers so she has to stay on the
outside Then Is her life burden to the
flesh Her luckier neighbors who have
found and verified the records which prove
that their great grandfather carried mus
ket. or baked the regiments bread, or was
In some way connected with the war of the
Revolution says that Its just too bad
that the rules are so strict OF course we
have to make some limitations"
Oh, but that I'VE" Is gallingl And aft
err awhile some of these unhappy outsiders.
who have the proud but undemonstrable
conviction that they are OF much better
descent than their neighbors, go off and
form another society into which they can
get, while somebody else cannot. And 80
the trouble grows.
OF course all of these organizations do
not arise from any disgruntled desire for
revenge. 1t would not be just, either, TO
underestimate the work they do In arous-
ing an interest In the national history and
In preserving its records. Some Of them
have rather odd features, too, in their way
of organizing and conducting themselves.
The New England Women, for instance,
are chiefly remarkable, as society, be-
cause of their progressive dues and their
rotation of officers. This is almost the
latest of the historical societies. 1t held its
annual meeting in February, when 1t
numbered almost 400 members
This Is really one of the most interesting
OF all the similar organizations. 1t is call
ed the National Society of New England
Women, but, in spite of its name women
who live in New England are not really
desired as members. 1t Is supposed to be
especially designed for women of New
England descent Members must have had
at least one grandfather who lived in that
corner of the country One of the aims of
the organization is said to be ito give as
sistance and advice to New England wom-
en-" No requisites as to grandfathers are
mentioned, so that this may include actual
present New Englanders. In connection
with this, il is worth mentioning that the
only person To whom the society has been
known to offer assistance Is General Miles.
The general is not New England woman,
so there was some question as to his eligi-
bility TO receive the house which some
members of the society proposed TO build
and furnish for him. There was somewhat
Of schism within the ranks over this sub
ject, but the counsels of the literal inter
prefers prevailed, and General Miles did
not get his house.
The progressive dues of the society are
another interesting feature and one which
gives promise of good deal Of lively dis
cussion. This idea, as we'll as that of the
rotation of officers, was advanced by the
organizer and first president Mrs. Will
liam g. Slade of this city. 1t Is an in
genious way Of encouraging you to take
something now whether you want IL or
not, because in the future you may hap
pen to want 1t, and IL will cost you more.
The first hundred members paid 81 as an
initiation fee and have paid and will pay
as long as they retain their membership
only 81 annually for dues. The second
hundred paid So for initiation fee and are
paying So annually for dues The third
hundred pay SO, the fourth 81, and so on.
These rates will continue to progress until
the membership has reached 200. After
that they will continue to be $40 initiation
fee and $40 each year for dues.
This no doubt seems beautiful ar
rangement to the women who constitute
the first hundred members. Possibly even
those in the second and third hundreds
will not do much grumbling. But II those
way up in the eighth and ninth hundreds
and beyond-provided the membership
ever reaches that point-will go meekly on
paying eight and nine and ten times as
much every year as their sister members
do IL will be marvel.
The office rotating scheme is another In
teresting feature. There are president
and a number of vice presidents. The
president serves one year when she Is sue
ceeded by the first vice president, who is
succeeded In turn by the second vice presi-
dent, and so on through the list. There
fore 1t is necessary each year simply to SO
lect the last one Of the vice presidents, who
will become the president three or four
years hence. Mrs. Slade was the first
president At the expiration of her year
Of office Mrs. Theodore Frelinghuysen
Seward of Orange stepped up into the ex-
ecutive chair. Mrs. Slade was promptly
elected as the vice president at the end of
the list, and In few years she will have
progressed to her original position of pres
ident. It Is a great scheme The society,
which is almost entirely composed Of New
York women, hold monthly whist parties
d,,rd Nc. tho rrirtar af tho Windaor hntol