Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-08-06
HAVE A"23" CLUB
Novel Organization of Young Peo
pie Formed at Tuxedo,
Mo.
sKi00o THEIR WATCHWORD
Feminine Members in Minority, But
They Rule Everything, lncIud-
ing Finance.


in Tuxedo St Louis county, Me, with
4 membership of twenty three kindred
spirits from St Louis county and st.
Louis.
The skidoo is not meant for the mem
bers of the Twenty three club. but for
any outsider who may dare 10 apply
for admission or to pass the portals
when an executive meeting of the or
ganiZation is in session, says the st.
Louis Republic. OF course it IS not
meant that skidoo could not be used
within the ranks, for the skid is always
ready for Il backslider who is not will
ing to live up to the rules of the organ
ization-to wit, have n good time, be
good fellow, always be on hand and
never talk back to the feminine mem-
bcrS.
The controlling idea of the club is
feminine rule 1t is women's rights
principles practically applied. The
eleven young women i'll the club are in
the minority numerically, but are a
majority on questions of management
except finance, which they have grace
fully surrendered to the men, with per-
mission to receive audit and pay all
bills.
Names of Ladies'.
The young women who thus eXem-
plify one OF the most cherished princi-
pies OF their sex are the Misses Bur
ney Kruger. Rose Moctz, Ruth De
Runtz. Pauline Martini, Agnes Schrei-
Der Louise Martini. Ida Bader, Minnie
Scheske Kathryn Carr. Minnie De
Runtz and Amelia Witthaus. With
the exception of Misses Carr and
Witthaus, who live in st. Louis, they
are residents of Tuxedo. The finance
committee is composed of Albert Ba-
der Roland Werheim, james Clark,
Leo Ferns. Adolph Burri, George
Mortz. John Witthaus, Leo BurI.i, Irl
De Runtz, Henry Bader, Lonnie De
Runtz and Emil Lang.
The idea of forming the Twenty
three club originated ut Il meeting held
recently 1T the home of the Misses De
RuntZ, OH Marshall avenue. in Tuxedo.
For two years the young women, most
of whom are members of Il graduating
class at the Loretto academy IN Web
ster Groves have been meeting 1T the
homes of their respective parents,
while the finance committee was being
enlarged one by one.
At the De Runtz meeting il was dis
covered that there We're just twenty
three persons present. and it was then
and there decided to organize formal
~. The first rule adopted was to per-
nit the women TO manage all depart
ments except finance and the second
was that there should not be an cleo
ton of officers. The second rule was
proposed by Miss Pauline Martini, be
cause the men numbered twelve votes
to the young women's eleven. The rule
was railroaded through by vote of
II to 10 by sending two of the men on
errands before taking the vote.
Rule 8 provides for no revision OF
the bylaws for one year. insuring fem
mime supremacy for Il time believed
to he sufficient in which to demon
strate the wisdom of women's rule.
Rule 4. proposed, but not yet voted
on. is causing trouble. 1t provides
that no member of the club shall mar
~ outside of the club without the con-
sent of the other twenty-five members
or marry within the organization with
out consent OF the other twenty-one.
Rule i has caused many sleepleSs
nights. Every member favors it, but
all are afraid of the result if it should
pass, for the Twenty-three club usually
holds its meetings on the lawns of
Tuxedo, which are suggestive of ro-
nance.
Really i'm Fear.
Deep down in their hearts the mem
bers of the Twenty-three club will tell
you there is Il fear of 10 escape from
the enchantment. and then rule would
prove Il most awkward regulation. they
say. The applicants for favors might
hear the fatal word ''skidoo." If all the
members could get married together
there would be no trouble in adopting
the rule. Now they are imagining, but
Misses Carr and Witthaus say that
imagination begets procrastination and
argue that it is the source of all evil
Spanish has been adopted as the of
fetal language of the Twenty-three
club. Miss Ruth De Runtz is studying
In st. Louis and will impart her knowl-
edge to fellow club members Skidoo
is said to be the order of the day in
Spain, where young Alfonso has receiv-
ed the fatal mandate If an explosion
occlrs in their midst they believe it
would be better to skidoo to Spanish
than in any other language.
The members of the Twenty three |