The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-12-26
Inauguration Of the. Move
ment and It's Present
Results.
CHAIN OF STRONG
ORGANIZATIONS
They Are Bound Together In the
II Utah Federation.
A Review Of the Leading Clubs of
Salt Lake, Ogden, Provo and Park
City, Their Officers, Lines of
Work and Plans For the Future.

The history of the club movement in
Utah has been much the same as that
in other parts Of the country. At first
women came together who were drawn
to each other by the common desire
for something beyond the everyday
round of pleasures and duties, who
erased the higher things of soul and
mind, and realized the benefit and
stimulus of a common purpose. These
women met together for years maybe,
studying the wealth of treasures which
other ages have given TO our own, ana
striving to keep in touch with the
problems of the present day. Through
the feeling of loyalty to their own or
CARNATIONS which was in their hearts,
came the desire to know of other kin
dred organizations.
After the various clubs knew of each
others existence, the wish to compare
courses of study, methods Of work. ETC.,
was a natural consequence. To do this
it Was necessary to come together at
stated intervals, and thus the Fedora
ton of WOmens clubs was born.
The General Federation of Women's
clubs was organized in 1880, the Utah
State Federation in 1894. The Utah
Federation was the second state fed
Grafton to be formed Maine having
preceded Utah in federating by two or
three weeks only. The call for the
- formation of federation was issued
the Ladies Literary club in the
SnTing Of 1893. ard in RESPONSE six
clubs went into the organization as
charter members. NOW, aICer nealIy
five years of existence, there are II
clubs il the federation, representing q
1i.f.r-es in, of a 500
This does not, perhaps, seem like
very rapid growth, but to those who
know best the conditions of life in
this community, it is most encouraging
that every year sees at least few
clubs added to the sisterhood. The
membership last year increased from
seven TO II clubs There are at pres
ent q number of clubs which are con-
sidering the question Of joining and
Will probably come into the federation
as soon as they see clearly the benefits
of association.
That there are very real benefits de-
rived from this coming together at Ger
tain times, none can doubt who has
been present at any of the annual con-
ventions, notably the one held in Salt
Lake last May. The members of one
club are stirred out of their complacent
self-satisfactiOn when they know of
the good work being done in other
CiuDS. uASEflSIlGSS Is IOSltIBA III lUe
hearts of all by the desire to be OF
some real benefit to the community at
large.
The federation Appeals first of ALL
naturally. to women and to club Wonl-
en-, but that the community is also
awakening to the Importance of its
work is shown by the fact that these
columns in The Herald are devoted 70
the federated clubs. During the annual
meeting last May, much space in the
daily papers was given up to the re-
port of the sessions. At the evening
meeting held in the Congregational
church, at which the president of the
National Federation, Mrs Henrotin,
and three very prominent club women
from Colorado spoke, every seat in the
auditorium was taken. The audience
consisted of the most thoughtful, the
most progressive men and women of
the community.
What does all this mean if not that
after all. the world is not very slow to
recognize a movement which seeks to
introduce into the materialism of life
desire for the things of the spirit?
The object of the Utah Federation as
expressed in the second article of its
constitution. is Ito bring into commu-
nication with one another, the various
women's clubs in Utah, that they may
compare methods of work and become
doubtedly the purpose Of the organiza-
ton in its inception, but now, its pur-
pose, although immature. is deeper
and broader. Every earnest club wom-
an in Utah feels that she must help to
right the wrong, TO preserve the good
and to bring about an era of purer
public and private living not only for
our own sake. but for that of cur chill
Gren and OF those who come after u.s.
As a first step towards the attain
nent OF this loftier aim the clubs are
very generally studying the education
al conditions existing in our midst. BY
accepting the report of our educational
committee we pledged ourselves to
study the science of education, to visit
the public schools, TO bring into closer
relationship the schools and the libra
ries. We. as women. are the mothers
!. and the teachers of the nation, and we
3 feel that the school and the home
should Se IN close touch. At the COM
ing Teachers association meeting at
Provo, the Utah Federation viii be rep
resented by one of its officers, Mrs
McNicker, who will speak on What
the women's clubs are doing for edu-.
cation"
The Utah Federation has also pledged
itself to establish travelling Libraries.
This matter has not yet got beyond
the committee, but when ARRANGEMENTS
are completed it is hoped that several
libraries VIII be started on their way
to small towns where there are Int
few books, taking their help and com
fort TO many q hungry mind and soul.
Yes, the outlook for the Utah Fed
GRAFTON is an encouraging one Though
yet weak in numbers, it is strong in
the power TO feel and. better still, to
do, for others.