The age-herald., 1898-07-14
Growth of the Department Club
 Amonq Southern Women


 While the matter of organizing a large department club is being quietly discussed by number of progressive Birmingham women, it is of interest to read what is said on this subject by capable and ex- perienced women of other cities. Mrs. Enoch Ensley, in the Woman's Department of the Memphis Scimitar, thus wrote few days ago:
 'There Is an ever-increasing tendency among clubwomen toward the department club, or large and inclusive club and away from the small and exclusive study club. There are those who go so far as to declare that when another decade shall have rolled around these select circles will have dropped out of clubdom, their purpose and work being absorbed into and carried out by the department work of the large clubs.
 Mrs. Platt, the president of the Denver Woman's club, vice-president of the G. F. w. c. and the uncrowned queen Of Colo rado woman of wealth and social prom thence, is an earnest advocate of the large and inclusive club'-her own club has membership of 900. She grows quite elo- quent in discussing the subject, which Is one of her pet hobbies. While she dis tinctly aSSeVerateS that she has nothing to say against the small select literary or study clubs, and gives them the credit for having made the larger clubs possibe-she distinctly proceeds to say good deal against the small clubs in an indirect way.
 "In a recent discussion of the question she is thus quoted:
 "I received letter not long since from an eastern woman unkown to me, asking me to describe to her the work of the Wo- mans club of Denver. Not that l shall ever belong to such club" the letter ran; haIn fn colo o111 fxra one years old, and we have never had but twenty-five members, and never shall increase our membership. We are very exclusive!' I felt like replying: You poor, narrow soul what would be the use of describing "Beulah Land' itself to you, for we hope there will be more than twen- ty-fve there.
 "For twenty-one years, for fifteen, ten, five years companies of women-women of means, women Of leisure, women of cui- ture-have been storing their brains and minds with the choicest gems and pearls of art and literature, science, travels, bl- ography, history, philosophy and music. To what end? To be exclusive-to keep it narrowed down to twenty-five!
 q grant you that it is much pleasanter to sit in comfortable, easy chairs in well-furnshed drawing room with twenty five of ones chosen friends, and chat pleasantly, or exchange ideas about the beautiful things of ife-rather than to at tend meetings where possibly disagreeable subjects may be mentioned-poverty, sin, sorrow, misery, mayhap-and where the company in attendance may not, forsooth, include one of our own 'set-indeed, it may be composed of some we do not know even at all.
 "But : think how much of frag- rance, of blessing, of graciousness of edu- eating, broadening influence we may give out from our years of study if we are only willing to spend ourselves.
 "Ah! if you have only time for one club, join the great club-organize the great club, because of the blessed help and inspiration you may give to others and to the worlds work. We are not measured by what we get, nor by what we keep, but by what we share.'-"
 In Mrs. Platt's eloquent appeal in behalf of the large club she takes high and un- selfish grounds. With "nobesse obige'' as her motto, she views the subject esesn- tially from the standpoint of the inclusive grande dame of whom Lillian Whiting writes. All this is beautiful and altrustic and beneficent. But nothing Is said of what the inclusive grande dame herself re- ceives from her favored sisters. This is a srious omission Reciprocity is the key note of club life. No doubt the inclusive grande dame gives much and unselfshly through the medium of the club-if she makes the most of the opportunities afford ed. But it is also true that the woman of wealth and social position receives much. The women from another "set'' are not en- tlrely recipients. They also give, and In this mutual giving and receiving both classes are the benefieiaries.