The San Francisco call., 1907-02-07
CLUbWOMEN HOLD
STATE ASSE MbLY
Annual Convention Opened
in Bakersfield Is Marked
by an Impressive Activity
DISCUSS CANDIDATES
BY Mary Ashe Miller

By Mary AsI1e Miller
BAKERSFIELD, Feb. 6-The annual
convention Of the State Federation of
Women's Clubs was opened in this city
today with representatives present
from all of the 200 women's clubs in
the Golden State. An impressive ac-
tfvity marked the initial session and
all signs indicate that the assembly
will be the most successful ever held
by the federation.
All topics were overshadowed today
by the keen interest shown in the po-
litical situation, the election next Fri
day morning of a State president.
Many discussions as to the probable
winning candidate were held tonight
and on all sides the availability of
certain members was talked of over
and over again by their supporters.
1t is many sided matter, involving
not only the ability of the candidate,
but her personality, her household
cares, her physical health, her promi-
nence in the local and State club
world, her geographical position in the
State, which of the six club districts
she comes from, and the matter where
all of the State presidents before her
have hailed from.
The nominating committee will meet
tOlIlOIIOW dHu lIlcIc 10 IlO Gel ldlilty do
yet as to what names will come before
them The San Joaquin district has
never had a president and the members
there feel that the honor should come
to them. They are having some diff
ficulty finding a candidate, however.
An informal caucus was held this aft
ernoon and the name of Mrs. E. d.
Buss of the Bakersfield Woman's Club
was brought up and indorsed by the
r1oa nf bar Iictr INT har
seems considerable doubt as to wheth-
er she will accept the Office should it be
offered to her. 1t was announced that
she would, and later this was contra
dicted, and there seems no certainty to-
night as to her position. There is much
opposition to the selection of Mrs. Buss
among some of the prominent club
women of the federation, who feel
that she has not been sufficiently iden-
titled with the State federation inter-
ests to be a representative president
although she is an able and clever
woman.
OTHER CANDIDATES
Mrs. Dixon L. Phillips. the district
president, is still spoken of prom
inently for the office, and also Mrs
]. E. Hughes of Fresno, but their ad-
herents seem to have agreed to the
election of Mrs. Buss, should she decide
to run for the presidency. Mrs. ]. B.
Hume of Berkeley, member of the
Ebell Club of Oakland, is the choice of
many and is said to be admirably fitted
for the place, but her geographical
situation is against her, as the saying:
mo north, no SOUTH in no wise ap-
plies to the State Federation, and Mrs.
Hume is too northern for the presi-
Dental ideas of some. There is a
strong possibility, however, that Mrs.
Hume may be the successful candi-
date.
An exciting discussion took place at
an informal meeting this morning for
the consideration of topics of moment
| in the educational world. The first
question was: Are fraternities and So
cieties in our high schools detrimental
to the general welfare of these
schools?"
Miss Sarah Horton of Oakland read
a paper in which she condemned the
organizations as bad, not only for the
schools, but for the boys and girls as
well, and she cited a number of in
stances when snobbishness and conse-
quent unhappiness were fostered by the
societies in the high chools.
Mrs. Woodbury. of the Ebell Club of
Oakland followed with a series of
amusing anecdotes illustrating the
snobbshness and cruelty displayed in
A%~~N.
come to her knowledge.
Then the discussion turned to the
other side and Mrs. Aaron Schloss of
the California Club of San Fran
cisco raised her voice in defense
of some of the "frats." She spoke
from a personal standpoint, as she
had a son and daughter both at
tached to the line of these organiza-
tions She thought fraternities were
not so black as painted, save in rare
instances. Mrs. Schloss acknowledged.
however, that she did not think they
are for the best good of the schools,
although children could not be blamed
| for joining them.
LAUDs FRATERNITIES
Mrs. j. w. Orr, president of the Cali
fornia Club. also spoke for the fra
ternities and thought that at least
among girls they stood for loyalty and
kindliness She said also that they
were signs of the times Mrs Burle-
son of Santa Rosa voiced the senti-
ment of many when she said she
thought the "frats' should be left for
college days. when boys and girls were
older and able to be more discriminat-
ing.
No definite action was taken in the
matter by the federation as body.
In the afternoon there were ad-
dresses of greeting from Major Frank
S. Rice and Mrs. f. w. Mitchell. presi-
dent of the Hostess Club. and a re-
sponse and address from Mrs. Hill, the
State president. after which the rep
resentatives of the State offices were
heard Mrs. Murgotten of San Jose, the
vice president, waS absent on ac-
count of illness, and on motion of Mrs.
George Law Smith telegram of sym
pathy was sent her.
Mrs. Lewis Hartwell Thompson of
Corning, chairman of club extension,
reported eighteen new clubs received
into the federation during the past
year.
Mrs. May Cheney reported on the
clubhouse loan by which a special
club for sixteen girls was maintained
at the State University and urged that
the federation on account of the sue
cess of the existing club there raise
money to supply the furnishings for
another This was discussed with in
terest, and the idea was favored.
At the meeting of the executive
board routine business occupied most
of the time. but in response to the
request from Governor Chamberlain
of Oregon, president of the National
irrigation Congress, that representa-
l - H. - -