The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-04-14
The Fourth Biennial of General
Federation of Women's Clubs

The city of Denver, Col, has been Sc
lected as the place of meeting for the
fourth biennial convention of the General
Federation of Women's clubs. This con-
vention will begin it's sessions June ~, In
the opera house at Denver. In speaking OF
this great gathering of club women from
all parts of the country, an exchange says:
"There are over one hundred clubs in the
state of Colorado, the number equaling that
of many states which have several times
its population. These belong to the. Col
orado federation, and before the biennial
comes they will all belong to the general
federation. In Denver there are twenty
five federated clubs. These are all small lit
erary or study clubs, with membership
ranging from twenty-five to fifty, with
three exceptions. The latter are the Wo-
vans club of Denver, the North Side Wo-
mans club and the Denver section of the
Woman's Jewish council. The two last
named are successful, energetic and pro-
gressive organizations of about 200 mem
bers each. 1t is the Woman's club, how
ever, with its thousand members and its re-
markable growth and progress which VIII
be the chief hostess of the biennial, and to
which the visitors will look as the chief ex-
ponent of Colorado clubdom.
The Woman's Club will keep open house
during the biennial. In Its large, pleas
ant rooms, which are located near the
Broadway theater, where the convention Is
to be held, there will be fresh flowers, cool
ing lemonade and the grateful Ice, couches
and easy chairs, magazines and papers,
and committees In attendance There club
women from Maine to California may meet
to discuss mutual interests when the con-
vention grows tiresome and each learn
something from the interchange OF IDEAS.
This arrangement is, of course, entirely dis
tinct from the usual bureau of informa-
tion which will be located in the theater,
and where everything from pins to bicy-
Gle inn will be found. The Broadway,
which has been chosen as the convention
hail. is beautiful opera house with seat
ing capacity of about 1900. AS many Dem
yer women have spoken successfully from
this platform, it is thought that the vexed
question of acoustics will not arise TO
trouble, as it does in many women's con-
ventions. The theater will be freshly dec
GRATED each day with the famous wild
flowers of the Rockies, sent in by the wo-
men of the mountain towns. Pretty girls
in fresh summer gowns will act as ushers,
and their little sisters will serve as pages.
All club women, for In Denver the women S
clubs have annexes and extensions which
take in girls all the way down to IL years
of age.
1t was the existence of the woman's club
of Denver which made it possible to invite
the biennial to Denver. This club is type
of the great modern department club, into
which the cautious, conservative literary
club of the early days of the club movement
has evolved Organized in 1894, this bright
child of four years has become leader
among the clubs of the country. 1t has
seven departments-reform, philanthropy,
art and literature science and philosophy
home, education and music. All these de-
partments carry on their monthly meet
fngs, with their literary programmes, pa
pers and discussions, along the lines 1ndl-
Gated by the name of each. The depart
ment of science and philosophy has been
studying this year the tendencies of the
nineteenth century, as to the development
of phi1osophic thought, growth OF popular
rights, increase of corporate powers, IN
fuence of the progress of invention upon
civilization, etc. The reform and philan-
xhropio departments have devoted their
meetings entirely to the consideration OF
practical questions of the day, like munich
pal ownership, vivisection, the Audubon
movement, rational dress, trusts and mo-
nopolies, the child and state. shall we
have the poor always with us?" and kin
dred themes. Both these departments have
standing committees to visit public and
charitable institutions and make regular re-
ports. The music department has studied
the development of music, each step of the
course being illustrated with the finest
music the city affords. The art and litera-
ture department has been making an ex-
haustive review of London, artistic, liter
ary, musical and historical, with stereop-
ticon illustrations.
All this, however, is only a small part
of the work of the club.