The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-05-27
WHY WOMEN JOIN.
They Are.Exclusive, and Membership
Seems to Be Desirable.

Women's societies are springing up in
very direction.
There are clubs OF almost every conceiv-
able variety, and they have caught al
most every woman in the country in
their immense Drag net. But IL Is the
so-called historical societies which entice
q 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-
luton, 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. IL 10 the
exclusiveness of il. Half of them join
because their friends have Joined, and
they want TO 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 admitted 20 them all. Once in
a while some poor friend pecked woman
can't get mold of her "papers," so she
has 10 stay on the outside. Then is her
life burden TO the. flesh. Her luckier
neig hbors who have found and verified
the records which prove that their great
grandfather carried a nusket, or baked
the regiment's bread, or was in some
way connected with the war Of the Revo-
the rules are so strict; OF course We have
TO make some limitations"
Oh, but that "we" is gallingl And
after a while some of these unhappy out
siders, who have the prond but undemon-
strable conviction that they are OF much
better descent than their neighbors 60
oh and form another society in which
they can get, while somebody else can
not. And so the trouble grows
Or course all OF these organizations do
not arise from any disgruntled desire of
revenge; IL would not be just, either, TO
underestimate the work they do in areHs
ing an interest i'm 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, because of their progressive dues
and their rotation OF officers. This Is al
most the latest OF the historical societies.
Ii held its first annual meeting in Feb
ruary, when it numbered almost 400
meml ers.
This is really one OF the most interesting
of all the similar organizations. Ii is cal
led 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 grand father who lived
in that corner of the country. One of the
aims of the organizatio ion is said TO be ''to
give assistance ana advice to New Eng
land Women" No requisites as to grand
fathers are mentioned SO that this may
include actual present New Epglanders.
In connection with this II is worth men,
tioning that the only person TO whom
the society has been known to offer as
sistance is General Miles. The general Is
not q New England woman, SO there was
some question as to his eligibility to re-
ceive the house which some members of
the society proposed to build and furnish
for him. There was somewhat Of a schIsm
within the ranks over this subject, but
the counsels OF the literal interpreters
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 discussion, This idea, as well as
that of the rotation Of officers, was ad-
vsnced by the organizer aud first presi-
dent, Mrs. VIM. q. Slade of New York.
lt Is an ingenious way OF encouraging
you to take something new, whether you
want it or not, because in the future you
may happen to want 1t and it will cost
you more. The first hundred members
paid II az an initiation fee, and have
paid and will pay ss long as they retain
their mem eership only 81 annually for
dues. The second hundred paid AZ for
initiation fee and are paying ~ annually
for dues; the third hundred pay ,3, the
fourth ga. and so on. These rates will
continue 20 progress until the member
ship has reached a Thousand. After that
they will continue TO be $40 initiation fee
and ;10 each year for dues.
This no doubt seems TO be a beautiful
arrangement 10 the women who constitute
the first hundred members. Possibly
even those in the second and third hund-
reds will not do much grumbling. But
II those way up in the eighth and ninth
hundreds and beyond provided the
mem bership ever reaches that point
will go meekly on paying eight or nino
and ten times rs much every year as their
sister mem bcrs do, ii will be a marvel
The Office rotating scheme is another
interesting feature. There are a president
and a number Of vice presidents. The
president serves one year, when she is
succeeded by the first ce-president, who
is succeeded In turn by the second vice
president, and so on through the list.
Therefore II is necessary each year simply
to select tho last one ot the ylce-presi-
dents, 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 step
ped up into the executive 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 president. II il
great scheme. The society, which is
composed almost entirely OF New York
women, holds monthly whist parties dur
ing the winter at the Windsor Hotel. IL
also meets IN the same place once
month to listen TO historical papers by its
members. This demonstrates the breadth