The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-03-26
Have Members of the
Wonlan's Club
CHANGED MINDS.
Their Resolutions Reveal
a Change in Policy.

AS there seems to be a misapprehen-
sion not only on the part of the general
public, but of some of the club men,
bers also, as to the present and past
relation of the Worcester Woman's
Club to the General Federation and the
state federation, it may be of interest
to review the clubs relations to these
two important bodies.
In 1889, when Sorosis celebrated its
21st birthday, sending out invitations
to as many women's clubs as it knew
of, the subject of a general federation
was discussed and Mrs. Edith Loring
Getchell was sent as the Worcester
Woman's Club delegate to the Sorosis
birthday party. This preliminary meet
ing was so successful that the follow
ing year Sorosis sent out invitations to
the clubs to send delegates authorized
to adopt constitution of a general
federation, and, believing it wise in the
beginning not to hamper the develop
ment of new association with fixed
rules, they left all minor questions open
Tor future consideration. Mrs. Abby
LOCKE Stone was sent to this confer
ence as the representative of the Wor-
cester Woman's Club. About so clubs
were represented and IS states; II of
the clubs were from New England To
represent the interests of the general
federation in the several states, a com
mittee was formed in each state under
the name of the state committee of
correspondence
SO much good will and good fellow
ship were developed and the federation
idea was so advanced that the subject
of state federation was considered
Maine was the first state actually to
organize its clubs into a state fedora
ton.
In November, 1892. Mrs. EsteIle M Fl
Merrill, who was chairman of the club
Woman's day at the Mechanics fair i'm
Boston, invited the club women of Mas
sachusetts to be present to discuss the
oeslrabllity of the formation of a state
federation in Massachusetts. In re-
spouse to the invitation there were
present. officers from the Maine state
federation, Mrs. Charlotte Emerson
Brown, president of the General Fedora
TioE' MRS. Mary A. Livermore, Mrs
Mooliy OF Chicago, Mrs. Palmer of
providence and other prominent clul
women. Miss Peabody of the New
England Women's Club announced thai
ner cluD would celebrate it's 25th birth.
uay IN February, and that a part of II,
pan was TO inaugurate a state fedora
| ton. AN"Vi 4"
IN accordance with their plan, notices
We're sent to several of the best knowr
cIuos' requesting that they be repres
eneeo ny thelr delegates at confer.
ence to be held on Feb. 9, and if was
FARTHER requested that the delegate,
oe given full authority to represent anc
act Tor their clubs in deciding the va.
rlous questions that might arise,
AT this time the Massachusetts state
committee of correspondence of thf
General Federation had upon its board
TWO members of the Worcester Wo-
man club. According to the words
OF the chairman of that committee "it
having come to the knowledge of the
state committee of correspondence thai
the New England Womens Club might
after having successfully inaue1rafe1
state federation, withdraw from the
General Federation, and possibly infu,
ence other clubs to do the same, thew
decided to print and circulate the fol-
lowing protest, and it was accordingly
done:
ITO the Women's Literary Clubs Of
Massachusetts:
we cannot speak to YOU officially
of the wisdom of the movement for a
state federation, because the policy of
the General Federation is so broad that
it would not for a moment interfere
with any plan which any club might
for itself think wise to endorse But
we should find ourselves false to our
duty as members of the correspondence
committee for the state, if we should
at this time keep silent in regard to
1t. This seems to US so important a
movement that we should think if best
to postpone all consideration of it I'M
til the biennial meeting, that the mat
ter may be fully discussed there and
if rumor be true, the present plan
might interfere with the best inten $
of our General Federation, which has
already done so much to bring into
loving sympathy that the women of the
North and the South, of the East ana
the West. In our opinion the recep-
tons held by the different clubs
throughout the state make for the pre-
sent at least any farther organization