The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-09-25
What constitutes society?

What constitutes society?
Some there are who reply: Society
is an aggregation of gilded fools"
Others less rampant will tell you that
society-the real thing-is made UP OF
those born Of fine old families" and
reared in an atmosphere Of ancestry.
Then there are the oracles who scott
at the "old family classification as
un-American and proclaim in favor Of
the 'self-made man-and the fellow
that's carved out his own career and
fortune"
Then along come the artist. the
sculptor the writer and the maker OF
music-am Of that ilk for whom
money hath no charms, save for the
good cheer il bringeth. who says: So
ciety is an aggregation Of congenial
people who contribute to the worlds
work or to its pleasure"
And there you are-with a def
milton Of society rejecting the personal
view Of each creature, colored wholly
from the circle in which he moves.
even as the chameleon changes its hue
according TO its habitat.
But let US see what the first state
ment means-''the gilded fool" defini-
tion.
When men and women, apparently
sane, and Of ordinary mental equip
ment, spend every volt Of their energy
in an endless pursuit Of physical
pleasure-giving simian dinners, ca
nine luncheons, twenty-four-hour
bridge parties-they ARE gilded fools;
but luckily a benevolent Providence
hath given US only a few of this type
and therefore their little set cannot
justly be said TO constitute society"
Then there are the people who sus-
pend themselves from family tree
which may be either a sapling or a
seQuoia-who spend most of their
energy looking up at their ancestors
and singing hymnals TO their bones
and cultivating a fine disdain for those
who boast Of less noble ancestors. Now,
unless those musty old grandsires left
legacies Of heart and brain and gen.
eral worth 10 their descendants, then
ancestry isn't worth a ha'penny-
and thus ancestry alone cannot form
any distinct phase Of sociay.
Nor do those who began life as rail-
splitters or newsboys and latterly ex-
banded into corpulence and railway
presidencies constitute society, lest.
indeed, tact and culture and person
ality have made them their own-and
which. by the way. they often fail
10 do.
Nor indeed do the purveyors of the
arts OF sciences make up the social
life Of communities; unless they pos
sess within them. the horticulture
that frees them from boorishness and
pOsing-illnesses that often affect real
masters OF divine art
Well, then, If these classes cannot
be said TO constitute society, what.
pray. does?
why, good friends, It's an aggrega-
ton Of all these classes-the vain
seekers after pleasure, the descendants
o. first families" the self-made man
and his interesting display of gold, the
artists and writer's and the doors and
the dreamers Of the worlds work. All
these constitute that complex thing
called society. wherein there are as
many sub-societies, or sets. as there
are differences in aims, tastes and en-
vironments.
the giant OF the California forest, the
Sequoia-wherein all the elements of
society are supposed to mingle. And
this splendid idea took root in the brain
OF a clever girl, Miss Ednah Robinson.
whose hope has long been to see in San
Francisco such a club as flourishes in
New York (the Nineteenth Century,
and likewise in London.
The Sequoia has now grown to the
dignity Of a householder, and on Fri
day night IL demonstrated its splendid
vitality, when its members and guests
gathered in its new quarters at the st.
Francis and blessed them with the
benizons Of good fellowship. And twas
the good fellowship Of the highest type
that which springs from the intelli-
gent friendships Of clever men and
women.
From now on the members Of the Sc
quota viii indulge in the drop i'm
habit, and between 4 and o'clock tea
will be served in the clubroom. Tea
for the men2 Well, now, you know
what men want they usually get-and
there's a push button in the clubrooms
In the evening the members will find
much pleasure drifting in for a chat
and 70 listen 10 the music makers, who
play in the gallery just without the
Rreenroom door.
Among those who were identified with
the first evening at home were: Charles
Sedgwick Aiken, president; William
Greer Harrison, chairman Of the COM
mittee; Courtenay w. Bennett. treas
urer; Miss Grace Llewellyn Jones, Miss
Jessica Peixotto, Phi. D.: Mrs. G. e.
Norris. Mrs Albert Gerberding and
others equally interesting.