The courier., 1901-11-23
CLUB N O 7 E S
THE WEEKS REVIEW


made up of five associations-of Con-
necticut, Long Island, Massachusetts,
Pennsylvania and New York state. 1t
includes one hundred clubs in Yer
mont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island,
Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania
and Maryland, with a membership of
eight thousand women. The league is
governed by an executive board of
eight members. 1t was organized in
November, 1897, and each of the five
associations composing il is represent
ed on the board of delegates appointed
by the officers of the association.
Organized in the interest of women
workers and their clubs, ii is intended
that the league shall stand as a central
bureau of club work offering counsel
and help when sought, but not placing
restrictions upon any club or associa-
ton, writes Helen NJ. Winslow in the
Dehneator. Clubs joining the league
are brought in touch, by correspond
ence and interchange of visits, with
many workers with experiences IN
common. Thus they profit by the sue
cesses and failures of others and also
contribute toward the success of the
whole movement. Tangible and i'm
mediate results of affiliation are re-
duCed rates for various publications,
privileges of consultation about vari-
.e int. md
personal visits from officers of the
league to the isolated clubs which do
not come in touch with other clubs
through the regular meetings.
The alliance employment bureau was
originally established to meet the needs
of women seeking employment, and to
offer to fair and just employers an ave-
nue. through which they might secure
reliable workers. This bureau found
after working along ordinary lines for
several years with somewhat disheart-
ening experiences in trying to make
the supply cf workers fit the demand,
that every year brought certain dis
crepancies How to turn the undesired
skill into a desired calling of market
able value became a problem or the
league. and especially of its bureau,
which considered the problem worth
solution. Accordingly, it was decided
that an experiment should be made.
Any working girl who could take the
time was offered instruction on a sew
iag machine. OF fifteen girls taught
in 1899 every one found a place at
once. In 1900 il was decided to make
a larger effort, when the league was
able to point out the thoughtlessness
with which the average girl is forced
to choose her employment, fact made
more apparent every day by the num-
ber of middle-aged women who, after
years of industry, are without any spe-
cial trade and consequently must be
classed among the unskilled workers,
and are therefore the first to be laid
off" when they least expect it.
The grave problems of how to tram
young women and how to make more
secure older women set some women
of the league thinking. One remedy
seemed applicable for both problems,
and that was industrial training. Con-
a summer school for working
girls was opened in the summer of 1900.
The course of training was eight weeks
five days in the week and eight hours
a day. Over fifty applicants came and
ffty-one were graduated, each receiv-
a training which would meet demand
in the market, teach her how to think
for herself and bring out as much orig
inality as possible in the product of