The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-07-29

The club woman seems rather to sup
plement the church woman than Sup
plant" her. by the account Mrs. Charlotte
Perkins Gilman gives of their relations.
The Womans Home Companion (July)
prints Mrs. Gilmans vigorous contribution
to the question. She thinks it rather a
''pitiful thing that the church should add
this one more complaint to her others
about "the young men" and 1.-THE working
people" not coming to church. AS re-
CARDS the question of allegiance she in
sists that the church must prove its
place as a leader Of life IL it wants fol-
lowers" The world needs broad, gem
eral swift, good work in a thousand lines
of social progress" says Mrs. Gilman,
and considerable initiative in this line she
attributes to the woman's club. She does
not, however, exclude all churches. "A
healthy, prosperous church today, like
Or. Rainsford's in New York, spends two
thirds OF its efforts on humanitarian work
like a good woman's clubl' But while
the womans club is doing some things
not done by the churches, this activity is
in no way detrimental to the church.
Thus:
"If the membership of our women $
clubs could be shown to increase at the
expense of the membership or our
churches, or If the new activity IN educa-
ton and reform were at the expense OF
earlier activities in charity ana philah-
thropy there would be soma ground for
fear of the club movement, o. at least tho
defender of the club would have 10 show
that women in clubs did more to serve
God and man than they had previously
done in the churches
mo such contrast need be made. Our
church membership is still composed
mainly of women, and the good works Of
the church were never so widespread and
efficacous as today.
"While there are some club women who
do not go to church. and many church wo-
men who do not go to clubs, still In most
cases the strong worker in the village
Improvement society is also a strong
worker in the church Quite aside from
any such numerical balancing as this we
have two things to be measured, one the
effect of the club membership on the wo-
man herself, the other the effect of the
club work on the world. l think 1t can
be shown that ON both lines the club Will
be found fellow servant of the church.,
a developer of character. and a means OF
social service As to worship, l have yet
10 hear of a womans club whose meetings
coincide with church services. They do
not conflict In the slightest, but may be
of wide help to each other and to human
tty."
The topics chosen for study by women
clubs cover a wide area, but none or
them, the writer thinks. could react with
anything but helpfulness to church inter-
ests and some might serve to show where
the church has lacked. Mrs. Gilman says:
Here is a body of women numbering
hundreds of thousands, usually women
of middle age (of one club in Massachu-
sets it is said every rnembsr is between
fifty-two and eighty-two years OF age),
all reaching out to serve humanity. Even
where the purpose of tho club is self
Improvement, that enlarged and enlight-
ened mind is of service to all 1t touches.
How can It be said of work like this that
II 'supplants' chuch work, or that the de-
votion OF the woman to her club supplants
her devotion to the church?
ut ~ rHse that certain of the clubs in
our wise .ist study the Bible, and others
ethics, r.i4G others practical religion, but
II their churches had been meeting every
want In these lines we would not have
started clubs for them.
rs 1t not condemnation in itself that
we must needs form clubs TO study ethics
and practical religion. because the church
will linger forever over dogmas and the
cries? What teaching in ethics does It
offer? Our Sunday school teachers are no
experts-estimable old ladies and ardent
schoolgirls mostly; the child learns little
from them.
LAS to practical religion, that Chris
tian church can remain prosperous and
silent among the glaring injustices and
crying needs of today shows great lack
somewhere. Love is no good without ac-
tom to love the world means to serve It.,
and the way Of service is plain. The most
important evil of today is in high places,
and needs open discussion and attack; the
most important good of today is concerted
action for social betterment."
The club has placed woman In an en-
tirely new relation such as society has
never before provided for her, and Mrs.
Gilman thinks that the church ought TO
recognize the value of this relation ana