Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-12
MEETING OF WOMAN'S CLUB
su6I'ct of Reorganization Of the Nation, |
Body is Discussed.
LEFT IN AN UNDECIDED CONDITION
Committee Presents Report on the
3ueHtion-Tcn Drinking aud
Announcements for the
Future.

Inc Omaha Woman's club in common with
all tho other clubs OF the General" or Ma.
tional Federation o, Women clubs, was
asked soma tina age to express ilt opin-
Ion regarding the reorganization e the
national body and Mondays meeting de-
voted "a dis. ussion OF tho subject
The matter was presented by commit
tee consisting Of Mrs. Ford, Mrs. Hartford,
Mrs. Towne, Mrs. Andrews and Mrs Heller.
summary c! tho report OF tbs commit
&c, iolowc:
The present construction OF the general
federation is defective for the following
reasons:
l. 1t is illogical Membership In the ma
tional organization has no relation to mem
bership In the state body-the two are CO.
ordinate while he national sequence is
from club to state and from state to ma
tional
2 1t Is inconsistent. An individual club
may be as powerful as a state federation.
The Nebraska federation has seven dele
gates, the Omaha club six
B. 1t Is unjust. All clubs have the bene-
ft of the general federation, while the ex-
pensee are borne by comparatively few
A. II is undemocratlc The management
of the national body is practically in the
hands Of a few clubs. To make taxation
just and representation democratic all clubs
the general federation and be represented
In its councils.
Reorganization is therefore, recommended
with the following suggestions:
/. That the general federation consist OF
state federations only.
2. That council be constituted to con.
sst of not less than two or more than three
delegates from each state federation, of
whom shall re the president and that this
council meet annually.
g. That the general federation apportion
to each state its per capita duec fer the
support of the general federation and as
sign the number of delegates dependent
thereon, leaving each state to arrange for
the collection of the dues and the election
o. tn, delegates.
4. That the general federation meet tri-
ennially.
Discuss the Report.
For greater convenience of discussion the
club went into the committee of the whole,
with Mrs Belden as chairman. Mrs. L. l..
Ricketts, of Lincoln, the official of the gen.
eral federation for Nebraska, was the guest
of the club and was asked for her view of
the matter. Mrs. Ricketts, spoke at length !
and with force from the standpoint of oppo-
sition to the proposed plan. She thought |
dissatisfaction had arisen from a mistaken |
idea that the present organization is un- !
wicldly and she believes that the larger
the meetings the greater the inspiration they |
give. She advocated the committing of the |
business to committees and the continued !
association of the clubs with the general |
federation independent Of the state.
Mrs. McGilton agreed with this view.
Mrs. Heller stated that at national club |
conventions heretofore, club representation |
had been merged in that of the state and no |
woman desired to represent anything less |
than her state. She commended the idea |
Of a council.
Mrs. Hartford outlined the detail of the |
proposed plan showing how taxation would |
be more evenly distributed
Miss Farbrother declared that state rep
resentation in national bodies was the only |
one that experience could recommend and [
cited the power of party political organiza-
tion.
Mrs. Towne emphasized the idea that sue
cess under the plan would depend |
largely on the interest in it OF the president |
of the state federation and that individual
clubs might be expected to feel greater sym
pathy with the national work when they
found themselves an integral part of the |
national body.
As the club desired to meet Mrs. Rick
etts socially the discussion was abruptly |
closed at o'clock, the committee of the
whole rising and reporting no conclusion,
htter WnlCn the Wnole matter was recon- |
mitted, to be brought forward at the meet
Ing Of January s.
business Matters.
During the routine business the club
listened to a letter of thanks from the
League for Social Service, New York for
work done in circulating the anti Roberts
petitions, upon which upwards of 1900 names
were secured. 1t also appropriated the sum
of s15 month for six mcnths to conduct
cooking classes and mothers classes in the
Child Saving institute.
After adjournment an informal tea drink
Ing was held in the parlors in honor of
Mrs Ricketts,, Mrs. Tainferro and Mrs.
Berry presided over the tea tables.
The announcements as follows
Household economics will meet at 10 o'clock
on Thursday. The class in ethics will dis
cuss Shelleys place In ethics and phlos-
ophy and Will greet w. r. Lghton at its
meeting this afternoon. The social science /
department will consider the unemployed
and will hear from Dean Fair on next Mon
day afternoon. There will be no meeting
of the oratory department this week. Mrs.
Keysor will lecture the mural decora-
tions of the Boston public library on Thurs
day evening. Members of the art depart
ment will act as hostess at the picture eX-
L. H.. N.s..