The Topeka state journal., 1906-05-19
THE TOPEKA CLUB WOMAN.

The life of the club reporter is no con-
tlnuous tapioca pudding. The average
club meeting is not a sensational news
item, still the newspapers which have
club column print reports of the
small club meetings. not so much be-
cause they are Of especial Importance
or interest outside their personnel as
because the club members generally
seem to ike to read about their own
ciups. Ihey may not, but that is the
employed, and il they do not her time
IS wasted because it is certain nobody
else cares anything about the individ-
ua1 club meetings. Therefore you may
imagine that It IS somewhat trying to
the reporter when she telephones one
member OF the club to ask her about
the meeting to be told, with no good
reason to call somebody else. This
week the State Journal reporter who's
buster than gas metre anyway on
the day she gets up her club stuff
Friday, telephOned the hostess Of one
OF the clubs and asked for a report It
took about five minutes for the hostess
to tell her that she didn't want to give
the item herself, because she was hos
tess, and she was before the public
50 much. anyway" Wouldn't the re-
porter call Mrs. So-and-So and ask
her about It. The reporter did as she
was told (she really ought to be happy
cause she Ais so good) and was prompt
~ turned down by Mrs. So-and-So who
4GLCLIEQ u6L TO the nCSl6SS. The TeDOF-
ter explained the objections of the hos
tess to gain such embarrassing pub
nc1ty through her own interview but
Mrs. So-and-So remained firm. She
said the hostess was also the president,
an additional reason why she should be
interviewed. The reporter now began
to scent a big scandal, or at least a
meeting of some Importance, so she ~
another, but they had more excuses
than the invited guests in the parable
Some said they hadn't attended the
meeting; others snapped that they
weren't the "club reporter" one didn't
have any time for reporters, anyway
When the item was finally obtained it
was too trivial to publish. The ordi-
nary club programme, with no especial
intelligence or social significance, had
been given and the hostess had SERVED
refreshments during the social hour"
If you think a busy woman apprecia-
ted having her time wasted in this
fashion you little comprehend the small
stock of patience which the average
newspaper reporters work leaves her.
And yet, you might say that that is the
reporters lot and that If she wants
ing to work for it. But you must re-
member that the reporter didn't es-
pecially want the item. That it would
not detract from her column notably
had she missed it, that she was onlv
trying to publish it in order to please
and crafty the II or Is women VINO
belong to that club and who frequent
/ ~ call her up to ask her to print Items.
as to the. meeting place of the club its
larger and more important meetings
and other things for which they par
J ticularly desire publicity.
/ The relations of the club reporter to
the club women IS close and should
/ be marked by consideration and fair
ness on the part of both. The club
women need the reporter and the repor-
/ ter can't exist, officially, without the
club women. All club women sooner
or later ask a favor of the club repor-
ter and every club reporter goes to
considerable trouble, first and last, for
the club women, trouble that is not de-
manded Of her by her position and
which she is under no obligations to
take. Most of the club women appre-
c1ate such favors and are kindness it.
self to the reporters who grant them
They give her news. treat her fairly
and they show gratitude for her hum
bic services. This lecture is not for
them but for the inconsiderate fussy,
quibbling club woman who makes the
life of the club reporter a burden.
The Vignette club had its last regu-
lar meeting until fail with Mrs. Speed
Hughes Wednesday afternoon. The
annual election was held Mrs. A ].