Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-05-19

I away to be in the least affected. The
first question suggested to the average
club woman by Mr.. Cleveland's article
is, Who revealed TO him what is the
sphere of woman's appointed minis
~trations'?"
Mr.. Cleveland generously admits that
IL a woman wishes to engage in philan-
thropic work or social life she may
probably be trusted to do so, but woe
TO that woman who Graves and works
for intellectual life and development.
Such an one is a perversion of Gods
gift to humanity. She is responsible
for marred happiness in the home, and
Is INJECTING an injury upon domestic
life.
We will cheerfully join hands with
any one who declares that what the
world most of all needs is better moth
ers. but the ways of the woman's clubs
must part from the ways OF Grover.
when 1t comes 10 a discussion of how
better mothers are to be brought about.
1t is not more Ignorance. more mar
rownesS, more ~prejudices that are
needed among mothers, but less OF
these things. Ever SO beautiful a
thing as a love may be mis-
applied through lack of an educated
Judgment and cultivated perception.
There is ignorance among mothers
OF the physical needs of the child, OF
the mental needs, of the social condi-
tons into which it must enter at an
early age, of the evils and temptations
into which ii will enter in the life out
side of the home. There are hundreds
of women for whom the best
and indeed the only resource which is
available is the club. That the club
habit" so obnoxious to Mr.. Cleveland,
is not allowed to go to an extreme, as
any good thing may be allowed TO do.
and SO defeat it's own good ends, must
be left to the individual conscience Of
each individual m And / am
confident that this may be safely done.
Women AVE long ago recognized and
accepted the fact that whatever chill
dren are born into this world must be
born by women n nat there is ev-
cry probability that a majority Of
women will be called to the Office Of
motherhood. 1t is for this reason that
women nave from the very beginning
been studying the club movement, and
watching its effect Upon home life and
the life and development OF the chill
dTen in the home. Can a mother for
get her child? Do not ever fear IL.
but hail her seeming devotion to her
club as a prophecy of a renewed and
more intelligent devotion to those of her
own flesh and blood. Mr.. Cleveland
makes the statement that no woman
who estimates motherhood as less than
her highest and hottest function and
privileges is fit TO be a mother. A
woman's fitness to become a mother
depends pom her fitness physical,
mental and moral to become a good
mother. 1t is every woman's right to
prove that motherhood is her highest
and hottest right and privilege, but it
is wrong to a il for granted. The
assumption of motherhood by the UNI
fit is a constant menace to the good Of
the world.
What the club is to the individual
woman, federation is to the individual
clubs. 1t draws them out of their mar
1t uplifts them by an inter
change of thought; it brings inspiration
and enthusiasm which can come only
through numbers. lows women be-
lieve In clubs IA in their federation.
The state federation was organized
twelve years ago at Des Moines. and
since that time has grown steadily. The
first state president was Mrs. James
G.. Berryhill of Des Moines.
There are at the present time 309 fed
Grated clubs in 173 towns. The num-
Der Of members in these > federated
clubs is Il, 000.
The efficient president of the state
federation is Mrs. Alice G.. Fletcher of
Marshalltown. The work Of the state
federation is divided into departments,
which are in charge of committees Sc
leCIeO from inherent parts OF the state.
The dues of the clubs to the federation
are small and the work and assistance
of the committees is always available
for any club in the federation at no
cost at all, or merely a nominal one.
The departments of the federation work
are the reciprocity bureau "a classified
collection of club papers upon different
subjects), library work, educational,
village Improvement, art, household
economics, child study, child labor. club
program and Industrial state meet
ing is held once in two years, alternat-
ing with the meeting of the general
federation. May 10, IL and II are the
dates TO which Iowa women are look
ing forward. a the 1905 biennial oc-
ours at that time at Waterloo.
The federation idea is applied locally
in all the larger cities of Iowa, the vari-
Gus clubs of each locality uniting for
mutual fellowship, acquaintance
good work.
'Of course" says Mrs. Decker. 1.-THE
great advantage of federation is the
union for good work and the acquaint-
ance with each other. No club has an
excuse for being unless it is doing good
to some one beside it's individual mem
bers. Think what a splendid Gordon Of
wise and sensible women a state FEEDER
alton OF IL, 900 members means to any
commonwealth. / ask you to increase
your clubs and your federation. The
more club women there are the greater
will be the advance of the state and
the community. spiritually, physically
and Intellectually because they are the
home women, the happy women, the
hopeful women n the helpful wonl-
en-"