The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-19

ested in things intellectual are mem
bers of the federation through their
individual clubs They are interested
IN their clubs, in the purely cultural
side of club work, and enjoy the pleas
ant informalfty of the discussions at
the small meetings. If you want to
know what is really being done that is
vital and absorbing and progressive
in an intellectual way by the local
club women you. must attend the
meetings of the individual clubs. Here
there is lively interest, healthy action
and much good talk and if the feder-
alton meetings could be inoculated
with this spirit the organization would
become the powerful force in the COM
munity which was in the minds of the
women who founded it.
What the federation needs is a
leader who can bring out the latent
possibilities of the federation in these
uninterested but capable and clever
women who are now hardly aware that
they are members of the organization
and are only reminded of its existence
when the dues are raised or there is
some other call for money"
'eThe federation is suffering from
dry rot" says another club woman, a
club leader since the organization of
the federation. I'VE need new force
or impetus or inspiration of some
kind. At the meetings sometimes the
cut and dried way in which every mo-
ton is carried and all the business
transacted almost drives me wild. I
get SO tired of the dull and HStleSS
way in which the delegates vote for
anything that is suggested without
knowing or caring what it is all about
that I could scream. fairly ache to
| hear dissenting voice.
L know so well before attend a
federation meeting what it win all be
about. I know just who will speak
and about what they will say on any
given subject. The fact of the matter
is that there are half dozen or so of
US who have talked ourselves out.
NOBODY wants to hear US any longer,
and we are tired of talking but it
seems to be up to US for nobody else
| will help If we could only bring out
the talent which we all know is in the
| federation what interest our meetings
| might have"
| 1--WE must get up better programmes. -
! said another woman who was interview
ed on this subject. 1--WE must get
speakers whom everybody, not the club
| members alone, but other women and
men, are interested in and we must ad-
Vertise our meetings better"
T think" said fourth woman, that
! when club woman admits that she is
not interested in the federation it is be-
/ cause she has never been brought to see
/ her true relation to that organization
and does not understand its objects.
| The individual club has its own indi-
! vidual object-usually strictly cultural
There are a few philanthropic clubs in
the federation but most of them have
for their object the intellectual ad-
vancement of their members. The
/ clubs are too small and too weak in
I themselves to accomplish anything in
a large way whether philanthropical or
otherwise and for this reason the feder-
alton has been formed so that the
clubs, while each pursuing its own OBJ
ject may unite in some bigger under
! takings otherwise impossible of accom-
plishment No one club by itself would
feel able to establish a kindergarten on
the east side as the federation has done
so successfully. No one club could have
| accomplished much good during the
flood. No one club could undertake a
lecture course or bring a speaker Of
note to town or ask a local man or wo-
man of busy prominence to give his
| or her time to mere handful of wo-
men, such as compose an individual
club. The federation can do all these
things and every woman who belongs to
it through her clubs ought to receive a
! great deal of benefit from it.
when you consider how much good
the federation has accomplished with
a little money it is easy to see how
| much more in a phiIanthropical way
can be done If the dues are increased