The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-05-29
wOMfN's CLUBS



People to whom women's cIuhs ors b,+
name will be astonished to know that tbore
are more than 2il0 clubs scattered through
out the country. with total membershin
of half a million women. Furthermore
this number includes only clubs thar arc
regularly organized and federated and not
the hosts of social. literary. eaucat ional
and musical clubs, or patriotic societies,
which, from time to time, are absorbed INTO
the federation, that is ever increasig like
a gigantic SNOWFALL This club movement.
begun in 1852, with one or two small soci-
cites, has extended throughout the United
States and has branches in Africa, South
America, India, England and Australia
Maine was the first state to take ND the
special work of education, and so great is
her power now that in 1897 twenty-five bills
were passed through the influence of the
clubs by the legislature for the benefit of
the schools. Minnesota, Iowa, Utah and
Colorado have been very active in the
cause of education and village and town
Improvement, some of the southern states
notably Georgia and Tennessee, are doing
much in the way of educating the noun
taineers by means of reading circles and
travelling libraries; the women's clubs of
New Orleans has established night schools;
and the education committee of the New
York federation, which consists of ISL
clubs and nearly q, 900 women has the best
plans for carrying on it's educational work.
The organization of the womens clubs is
like the little nests of Japanese boxes that
fit one into the other, or perhaps, we may
say a wheel within a wheel.
The individual club has its officers. its
line of work or study. its badge. its en-
blem, its own character. and its own life.
1t joins the state federation Cor sometimes
the city federal tom. which has its special
officers, committees, badges. emblems.
etc., and broad lines of work. and all the
state declarations again belong to the gen
eral federation of women's clubs, which
has it's officers, board of directors and
honorary members, as well as it's commit
tees and it's chairman of correspondence.
Although Maine was the first state to
| lead the way in its organization of feder-
ated women's clubs for mutual benefit,
Kansas claims the honor of possessing sew
enty-one more clubs than any other state
in the Union. Three hundred and one clubs
| in all is her boast, with membership of
2o43 women New York states comes next
on the roll, with $780, counting $3.50 mem.
bers. Iowa is the strong third, with 10.
clubs and 1887 women on her roll call. Ohio.
Illinois, Massachusetts and Maine follow
] in regular order, while North Carolina,
Virginia, Delaware and Mississippi bring
| up lame rear with only one club each.
Every one of the far western states
| makes fair showing for New Mexico,
even has four clubs, Utah seventeen and
California twenty-siX. 1t would probably
make the grandmothers of these club wom
| en- stare and gasp merely to read over the
amazing list of topics and problems that
| the modern feminine mind wrestles with
valiantly and often successfully in the
privacy of her club meeting.
The women of Ohio lead off with variety
| in club study topics, and the following is
| a veracious statement Of their special in
| terests and work:
| There are forty-six clubs whose subject
| of study IS literature and this penera1iv
| includes English. American or French IT.
erature: fifty-six clubs whose subject is
history. twenty-eieht of which are devoted
to American history: nineteen clubs study
current events. seventeen studv art. ten
| Sharekspeare. thirtv-three are devoted IN
miscellaneous TOPICS; three clubs to Nor
way, Sweden and Denmark: seven to Ger
many: three to italy: three to France: two
clubs consider Spain: six are interested in
| civ.cs: seven in household economies and
five in social science; four clubs dedicate
| their study to Greece: two to Russia. one