The Monmouth inquirer., 1898-03-10
THE WoMAN's CLUB
or Chicago Is One Of the Largest and
Finest Clubs in the Country.

of Chicago Is One Of the Largest and
Finest Clubs in the Country.
One of the largest and finest clubs in
the country is the Chicago Woman $
club which dates back twenty-one
years and over There was already a
literary club of hight standing, in good
working order, but there seemed to be
a place in Chicago, however, for club
pledged TO study and to work on practi-
cal and economic lines, especially in ed
ucation and philanthropy. About
twenty women, therefore, met together
at the residence of Mrs. Caroline M
Brown. for three years president of the
club. and organized the Chicago Wom-
ans club. The club is divided into six
departments-refor home, education,
philanthrn py, art and literature, sci
ence and philosophy. The membership
of the club is now nearly 700 and the
club occupies large rooms in the club
building directly in the centre of the
city. The club holds its literary meet
ings on the first and third Wednesdays
of the month. The six departments
take turns in supplying the topic and
essayist of the day
When a woman is elected a member
of the Chicago's Woman's clut sne
signifies which department she desires
to join, and takes the following
pledge: Holding my membership in
the Chicago yVomans club as some-
thing sacred and worthy Of unfailing
loyalty, will sustain the club in it's
good work and guard its reputation as
long as / am member" This pledge
nj ght we'll be adopted in many other
clubs.
The club rooms are open all the time
for the service of the members, and the
custodian, Mrs. Underwood, is brill
liant example of what the right woman
in the right place can accomplish.
There is a resting room, with loung-
es and easy chairs, and where members
can retire to hold conferences when
they desire to be free from interrupt
ton. There is a dressing room with a
partition for each member, and hall
way where on club days is seated
representative of the treasurer and as
sistant. and also one of the social COM
mittee to receive cards of guests and
hand their names to the president for
announcement to the club. The audi
torium is simply but very effectively
furnished, the platform is raised and
the chairs are in a semicircle. A grand
piano is on the platform and the chairs
occupied by the spresident and secre-
tary are very beautiful They were
donated to the club Palms decorate
the platform and flowers are always on
the table in front of the president, and
also on the dining room table. so that
the elegances of life are never over3
looked by these practical working
women.
Out of the auditorium opens the Ii
brary. where all the periodicals are
kept. American and foreign, The
committee rooms connected are large
enough to seat an audience Of 100 TO
125. and there is also a dining room,
with a small kitchen The lunch serv-
ed is always a simple one-one warm
dish with salad, chocolate and coffee
or tea, and sandwiches, substantial,
daintily served and always good.
The accomplishments of this famous
Chicago Woman's club, in the way OF
public service, have been summed up
by Mrs Ellen NJ EIenrotin, who is
prominent member, as follows:
1t supplied 10000 people with work
during the depression which followed
the closing of the worlds fair.
1t introduced the kindergarten sys-
ten into the public schools.
1t supports the school for boys in
the city jail
1t established the Children's Aid
society which distributes garments to
poor school children.
It raised $35, 900 to aid the Kenwood
industrial school for boys.
1t secured the appointment of a
woman physician in the insane asylum
a DunniDg.
1t ipaugurated the movement for
raising funds for the woman's dormi-
tory at the Chicago University.
1t raieed an endowment fund
scholarship for the art institute.
1t has organized the following asso-
Citations: The Protective Agency for
Women and Children the Physiologi-
cal Institute, the Society OF Physical
Culture and Correct Dress. the Public
School Art association, and the Chi
cargo Political league.