Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1898-06-30
MUST Fo1Low THE NIGHT THE DAY, THoU oANsr
WOMAN'S CLUB CONVENTION

At tho first Convention of Wo-
mans Clubs, recently held ut Seneca,
the following admirable address of
welcome was delivered by Mrs. MI.
w. Coleman: ....". =,
Representing tho "Oncc-a- Week
Club" ] extend q welcome to you,
our sister club women, who, i'll an
swer to our call, are with lis to-day.
1t was not without great solicitude
that our little band assumed the re-
sponsibility of calling this conven-
ton, but, buoyod up by an ardent
desire to sec the club women of our
loved State in step with our sister
States, wo put into abcyance tEo
fact of tho narrow attractions offered
by 80 young n, city as ours, and
armed with n determination to dare
and do, we propose to nurture in our
simple way the infant Federation,
striving to make up what is wanting
in attraction and elegance by gcncr-
ous welcome. AS we look into your
faces we are inspired with a glow of
glad pride at the result Of our tcmer-
ity, and VIC SOC possibility of an
rganization--which, not rs Dickens
would put it, a transparency with q
feeble light behind it, but a vivid
panorama illumincd by a s,mburst of
earnest thought that will solve tho
riddle of mental and moral progress
of our day.
lMrELIED by CONSERVATISM.
We see our club women falling
into line and keeping step with
others whose conservatism has I'M
pcllcd them to engage in work the
most helpful and inspiring Of all
other work to those who arc seeking
a wholesome as well as optimistic
philosophy of life.
When we know of hundreds, yea
thousands, of women all over the
land working earnestly and zcalously
for the common good, we can feel
that the woman's club is a potent
factor in the progress of our national
life. Our modern civilization, im-
proved school systems and scientific
teaching have dono much for hui
manity, yet broad and fruitful fold
tenpts us to its tilling.
| We Of South Carolina have clung
to the prejudiccs of the past some
what tenaciously, yet wo feel and
know that the day is fast approach
ing when precedent will be thrown
TO the winds, and, catching the inspi-
ration, we move onward, clinging to
whatever is lovely, whatsoever is of
good report, above all, whatsoever is
womanly. We have our clubs, our
club workers, and the cxiecncy arises
for organized effort. Can we shut
our eyes to the fact that tho world
has less and less to say to the lag
gard? "IIc who wins must run the
race we'll"
We sec and know that unless we
essay contact with those whose
presence and words arc an inspira-
ton, and arc thereby enabled to keep
in touch with life, we see the world
spinning away. and the fact grows
| emphatic that we are impotcnt to
check it.
INTELLECruAL, civic AND pHILAN-
TIIROpIC.
To-day we are gathered together
with common aim, the hclpfulncss
and ben eIits to be gained from
united efforts for a common purpose.
That purpose is az organization--a
union for all kinds of operation,
and to establish neutral ground for
conference upon plans and problems,
intellectual, civic and philanthropic.
Two points arc essential to SUCCESS.
TO secure the large and varied men,
bcrships, representative of all local
organizations Of women, and of
many social sets; nothing less than
this can secure the wholesome fric-
ton by which the mind warns to
the reception Of new ideas and de-
vclops broadcned powers.
Each member must be possessed
of n democratic spirit; in other
words, let all petty jcalousics and
suspicious be forgotten in tho desire
to make our organization one of
strength, and will prove helpful
ally to every other educational and
charitable association in tn. State,
and direct stimulus to broader
culture and generous action.
Another idea ! would urge, that
we keep uppcrmost the bcttcring OF
our educational system. Who knows
what can 30 accomplished by an
earnest effort on this line ? Per-
haps VIC may be able to forge the