The Owosso times., 1904-11-25
Address of the President OF the Mloh-
.igan State Federation OF Womens
Clubs.


We are pleased to give our readers
the opportunity to read the address oi
Mrs. Josephine M. Gould. retiring pres.
ident of the Michigan Federation OF
Women's Clubs delivered at the meet
ing recently held in Bay City
Today it is our pleasure TO ADDRESS
von IN our tenth annual convention Oh
the Federated clubs of Michigan as
sembled. since we met last the sea-
sons have made their busy rouhu
once more, each one bearing its luli
freight of Joy and sadness TO us all
Today marks the, end of years SER
vice of your executive board ana they'
together with your committees are
here TO report results-to lay before
Won their work for your Inspection.
None offers a finished product, but the
pattern is set and little Oh the WOOL
is drawn in. We are thankful.
At the beginning of this meeting
vour president wishes to give you
kew for all our counsels. she wouid
strike II. not in the sad, ut might have
been. but rather in the glad 1t hath
been.' Plan now to go Forward.
what" 1 hear you ask, rs all the
work done?" that was laid out for
the tenth year of this State Fedora
tion to do? No, is the answer, not all,
but something Is accomplished; some
thing done has earned a nights re-
pose: enough to inspire every delegate
present to return, to her home club
and tell them "I, was glad, was
proud. that our club belongs to the
State Federation. But we must do
more this coming year than we DID
last / wish you every one had gone
to Bay City, for, sitting in that con-
vention, I felt, as listened, as IL
wanted to get home and go to work
there is so much we can do right here
at home" Now, ladies, hope this
will be the spirit of this convention.
If we are retrospective, it is be-
cause the evening of service draws
near All laborers travel home al
eventide, and as they go review their
days work more or less thoughtfully
1t is because this meeting is the tenth
milestone, too, in the history of oui
Federation.
For these reasons, if for no other
passing before her as in Kaleidoscope
L.Swo gears of federation work. Ter
Years! The whole history is clearly
within the vision of some who are witt
us today. Would they were all here
those, the wise women who planned
to federate fifty-five clubs in Lansing
in '94, to know how, on the founda-
ton so we'll laid by them, has risen a
tall superstructure. Would they
might know how our State Fedora
tion is respected at home, and hon.
ored abroad in the General Federation
of Women's Clubs. Why. were it not
to me like praising nv very own,
should right here tell you how proud
1 was of Michigan at the late Biennial
where "she sat with the daughters OF
the whole land" but L forbear. Only
this will say: She improved hei
opportunity, when the chance came
to help to place in the strong but ten
der hands of her whose presence ir
this convention inspires us all, Mrs
Sarah Platt Decker, the guiding power
saof that vast body called the Genera
AFederation of Women's Clubs.
idea, and the states were slow to ac
cept it. Clubs were isolated in worl
and in action. At that time our club
were few; out Of touch with one an
other; giving no help and expecting
: none. If there arose any need 70
concerted. action, there was no com
mon center, and, therefore, no organi
zation, and much wasted energy. To
day, If the need arose, we could enlis
twelve thousand women ready to serv,
the State Federation. All honor anC
reverence to the brave, far-sightet
pioneers in the Michigan Federation
of Women's Clubs.
But as we look backward will
thankfulness. we must also look for
ward and plan to advance. Offer
have we said. that we believed in tn
permanence of federation, believed II
it as a factor in civilization that will