The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1904-06-09
Federation WOmen's Clubs
Entertained at WaterOWn
Annual Meeting Discusses Public Libraries and Other I'M
poranf Topics.

The South Dakota State Federation
OF Women's Clubs held its Fifth An
nual meeting in Watertown, May 81,
June ! and >.
"Oh what Is SO rare as a day in Juncl
Then, If ever, come perfect days.
Heaven tries the earth if it be in tune,
Aud over it softly warm ear lays
Thus sang the poet long ago, but in
the state Of South Dakota, in the year
nineteen naught four, rules were sus.
pended, and Jupiter Pluvius was
unanimously elected president OF tn,
day-for several days.
Notwithstanding this fact, the six.
enterprising club women who boarded
the early morning train on Wednesday
June first, were amply repaid for the
unusual eXertiOns OF rising betimes
and sallying forth before breakfast, as
most Of them did.
Abundant preparation had been made
the cordial welcome given them proved
that the ardOf Of the hOspitable club
women Of Watertown could not be
damped by any outward circumstance.
The Brookings contingent, being in
in its nOvitiate with regard to fedora
ton, made the mistake of missing the
first day. 1t hopes to regain its loss
in Il measure, next year, by arriving a
day too soon and remaining until the
day after the convention closes.
Hotels, restaurants andprivate homes
ministered to our comfort
Professor Parsons met us at the
station and appropriated one Of oul
number, another was taken in charg,
by lady friend, while the remainder
OF our band repaired to the kampes ka
House, its charming hostess being O
the reception committee.
In due time the breakfast hour ar
rived, and after manifesting hearty
appreciation of the good things Sc
before Us we were conveyed to the
scene Of activity-the Congregations
church.
The morning program included
music, prayer, village improvement
conference, and miscellaneous bust
ness, at the close of which we were
assigned to our visiting places. An
agreeable addition to the pleasure o
one Of Us came with the discovery that
her hostess and herself were educated
in the same seminary in western New
York, although not contemporary.
Returning to the churches we list
ened with interest to the general dis
cussion, "What clubs can do for town
libraries"
Miss Price OF the State University ,
Nermillion, introduced the discussion
by reading paper entitled, Library
Commissions, 4" from which we learned
that while there are in South Dakota
one hundred and thirty-eight cities,
towns, and villages, twenty-five Of
which have a population Of over one
tiipb'"iits tlitit dit bAil IpuIlStil pun
lie Libraries. Kansas, Nebraska, Col
oradO, Iowa, Minnesota, Idaho and
other states have solved the problem
for the smaller towns by establishing
library commissions. Why not South
Dakota?
After hearing the experience OF those
who had successfully warred against
all opposition and secured within four
years a library of four thousand vol
umes, for whose accommodation a
Carnegie building is soon to be erected
we realized that we had relinquis he'd
our effort to obtain a library and read
ing room for BrOokings at the very
outset, and keenly sympathized with
that one of our company who remarked:
81 feel as though the first thing ! do
after ! get home will be to resign. !
am not fit to be club woman.''
While we had been enjoying our
fortnightly meetings very selfishly,
club women in other South Dakota
towns had been earnestly laboring for
the public good. "Not self but cause, u
was the very worthy sentiment ex-
pressed by one OF them. A reaction