The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-05-31
MRS. DECKER'S ADDRESS
President Of the General Federation
Reports to Biennial.

The report Of the general president,
Col, was the feature of the opening
business business session Of ths biennial Of the
this morning: Mrs. DecKer5s official
statement was 3 departure from the
usual presidential address for it was
largely composed Of recommendations
which will be discussed tomorrow and
which if passed by the convention will
constitute a splendid working plan for
the next two years ..--
The recommendation were to con-
tinue the information bureau for the
coming biennial period; to make the
federation secretary the medium of COM
munication with the bureau from state
and clubs, to continue the council meet
ings between the biennials; that the
the Industrial committee and child labor
subcommittee shall be combined in a
committee to be called the industrial
committee; that new committee to be
called the. outlook committee shall be
All May Help.
This plan of making recommendations
to be discussed by the federation is one
as ewes e7eT deegae to an ms
ity to assist in shaping the policy of the
organization and the idea was enthu-
siastically approved by the board Of di-
rectors.
at is my own belief that in the near
future so necessary will it become to
have a fixed and systematic policy for
the federation that it will be wisdom
to appoint committee to act in con
junction with the president, in .compil-
ing her biennial report said Mrs.
Decker.
She compared the 15-year-old fedora
ton to child and shetched the steps
next period in the development of the
general federation should be one of
Capitalization. the perfection or consum;
nation Of the organization, with all
that it implies. During the early years
with their problems and their sometime
stormy periods, it has not been posi-
BILE to consider this phase Of federation
life. The present board assumed office
''during the piping times of peace. - Nc
great issue was being discussed, nc
new plans were under way. no crisis. was
imminent. For this reason it has been
possible to give special attention to Ger;
tain details which it is believed will
make for the future stable growth of
the federation if thoroly known and ap'
proved by the convention
President Kept Busy.
The president has been guest at
twenty-six state federation conventions
at which these questions were ever pres
ent: Why should we belong to the
general federation? What is 1T for?
What is the good of it7 It is evident
force. There are officers, rules and BY:
laws, but they are merely the body and
flesh, not the spirit and soul. The fed
Grafton is not merely a business propo
sition for club, it is not question
Of paying dues and attending the bien
To bring the clubs and federation
into closer relation, letters were sent
to each president asking the clubs tc
organize their committees in harmony
Nth those Of the general federation
This suggestion has been acted upon BY
many presidents and it's effect in in
creasing, interest and loyalty is already
apparent. .."-.. =
Bureau of Information.
IA second and the most important
the same direction, has been the be
ginning of the bureau of information
The criticism oftenest made Of club an1
federation work is that it is without
system or harmony. To a certain e1
tent, this is just Judgment, which il
time may be, dlspf0Ved, however, by the
work Of the bureau, which will be tn,
trines. will give enlightenment, as t
the purposes md scope of the fedora
tion and--shall we dare to hope---wil
eventually evolve general fedora
ton course of study UNDERSTANDING,
arranged. - Mrs. Decker Just hintet
at the advantages of having a perma
nent headquarters for the federation.
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