The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-12-19


fanaticism in any shape; it is non-sec-
tartan, political and non-aggres-
sive; thus it has not appealed TO any
special sect, any political party or any
movement which is founded on aggres-
sive methods, and yet, to-day, the larg-
est organization of the country is un-
doubtedIy the General Federation Of
Women's Clubs with the auxiliary
State Federations.
The wOmen's club movement is but
one phase of the popular education and
of voluntary association. Twenty or
thirty years ago when the first clubs
We're organized, they were almost en-
tirely literary in character and the
members We're composed of women who
had passed the school age and who
found in the clubs the means Of fur
Their education.
At the time the various avenues OF
popular education had not yet been
opened; summer schools, night schools,
university extension were unknown,
neither had the universities opened
their doors to women. The trades and
professions which underlie the home,
had. through the centraliZa ton of cap
ital and invention of machinery, been
recently taken out of the home and
the factory life had begun to develop
in all the cities and towns. Women,
who in the past had carried on Sc
many branches of manufacturing in
their own homes, found themselves
with much leisure time on their hands
and noticing the tendency toward asso-
citation, they sought to ally themselves
with the great movement toward or
ganiZatiOn which has been character
istic of the latter part of the nine
teenth century. From these two i'm
pulses toward education and associa-
ton was born the women's club move
ment. The president of one of the
large universities said to me during the
past summer that he considered that
the women's club movement had ac-
complished as much for the educationaI
interest of the country as had the uni
versities.
From the literary club was evolved
the department club. Women are.
above all. practical, and care very lit
tie for anything which they cannot
use; knowledge which they cannot pass
on is Of little value TO them; they,
therefore. organized the great depar.-
ment clubs in order to practically ap-
ply the study which they had made of
the home, of philanthropy, of social
economics, education, art and litera-
ture, science and philosophy.
The name and fame Of some of the
department clubs is national, even In
ternatCnal. The Cincinnati Women's
Club, the Brooklyn Women's Club, the
New Century Club of Philadelphia, the
New Century Of Wilmington the
Women's Club of Peoria, the Wednes-
day Club of st. Louis, the EbeI Socl-
n
Chicago Women's Club. the Denver
Women's Club. these and many Others
are examples Of the efficient, practical
clubs, now so numerous all over the
country and so dear to the hearts OF
their members.
Nearly eight years ago, a call was is
sued by Sorosis of New York to form
a federation Of literary clubs, to COM
pare methods of work and of study
At that meeting the General Fedora
ton of Women's Clubs was organized
with about ffty-siX charter members,
which represented most of the States
of the Union. The first biennial of the
federation was held in Chica go in 1897.
the second at Philadelphia in 1894, and
the third at Louisville in 1896, and the
fourth will be held at Denver the thru
week of June of 1898.
At the Philadelphia biennial sos clubs
were reported in membership in the
general federation and five State fed
eratiOns, which had been formed auxiI-
larry to the general also reported their
work. These State declarations were
the Social Science Federation of Kan
sas, and the State declarations of Utah,
Maine. Iowa and Massachusetts. Since
1894, the number OF States federated
auxiliary TO the general swell the num-
Der to tWenty-eight auxiliary State fed
erations. The list is shorter of those
not federated than those federated.
West of the Mississippi the following
States have State declarations: Mime
sofa, Iowa, North Dakota, Missouri,
Arkansas, Kansas, Washington ana
Colorado. Texas has recently formed
a State federation, but has not yet
joined the General Federation Al,
through the Northwest women's clubs
are being rapidly organized, so that
hardly a week passes without the name
being sent to the chairman Of State
correspondence of a new club. The
clubs in the West are also rapidly cons
ing into membership in the General
Federation.
The work of the State Federation is
extremely practical in it's scope and
largely educational. Each State FED
GRAFTON has appointed a committee on
public education from the kindergar-
ten to the university. The effect of this
educational work is seen in the aroused
interest in the public school system,
its defects and its needs, in the CO.
operation Of parents and teachers, in
the more sanitary condition of school
buildings and the greater attention
which is being paid the artistic deco
ration Of school houses, both in the
cities and rural districts.
The State declarations have also ap-
pointed committees on library extern
sion and on travelling libraries.
Through the efforts of these fedora
lions, cooperating with the State IL
brarians, the following States have Sc
cured the passage Of the travelling H.
brary law, namely: Ohio, Michigan and
Iowa, while Wisconsin, Tennessee.
Georgia, Pennsylvania and several
other States are preparing travelling IL
brary bills to present at the next meet
ing of the various library associations.
Committees have also been appointed
on village and town Improvement as
sociations, and at the last meeting OF
the Georgia federation a committee
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