The Idaho scimitar. [volume] (Boise, Idaho) 1907-1908, 1908-07-04
WOmdn'S Pale
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Federated Clubs.


In 1888 Soross Club of New York suggested to
many prominent club women in all parts of the
United States the ACCESSIBILITY from various stand
points of a General Federation of women's clubs
The suggestion favorably received and was
acted upon so promptly that in March of 1889 the
great national body was organized and advisory
board was formed composed of these women:
Chairman, Mrs Ella Dietz Clymer New York; Mrs
Charlotte Emerson Brown, New York; Mrs. Jennie
c. Croly New York; Miss Sarah E. Doyle Rhode
Island; Mrs Driscoll, Minnesota Mrs Mary R.
Hail. Pennsylvania; Mrs Sophia c. Hoffman, New
York; Mrs. Julia Ward Howe Massachusetts,; Miss
Katherine Nob1es louisiana Mrs. May Wright
Sewa, Indiana; DR.. Julia Holmes Smith, Illinois;
Mrs NJ Louise Thomas, New York; and Mrs.
Amelia K Wing New York.
In 1890 the first election of officers was held Mrs.
Charlotte Emmerson Brown elected to the presi
dency the vce-presdent was Mrs. May Wright
Sewall, the recording secretary Mrs. ]. c. Croly,
Jennie June" Mrs. Mary B. Temple the
responding secretary, Mrs Phoebe A. Hearst was the
treasurer and Mrs Kate Tannat Woods the auditor
In 1892 the first biennial convention of the general
federation Mrs Charlotte Emmerson Brown
elected president Successive presidents have been
Mrs. Ellen M. Henrotin of Illinois; Mrs. Rebecca
Douglas Lowe of Georgia. Mrs. Dmies T. S. Deni-
son of New York and Mrs Sarah S. Plat Decker,
the present president, who is serving her second
term of two years
The committees appointed at the first biennial con-
vention bore the of the departments under
which individual clubs worked or studied in their
early years These pertaned to the home to litera-
ture and to mutual and self Improvement. Gradu-
ally as the federation grew its interests grew in
number and broadened in their scope. When the
fourth biennial convention held, at Denver, in
$685. three new departments added, on
civcs, one on industrial affairs and the other on
libraries. At Milwaukee, where the fifth biennial
was held the subject of forestry had its first hearing
and committee was appointed to in its inter
ests The matter of civil reform was also presented
at this meeting for consideration When the many
thousand women that comprised the federation in
1902 met at Los Angeles for the sixth biennial civil
service reform became department and Mrs. A. o.
Granger of Georgia entered the first plea for the
child laborer At the seventh biennial convention
held in ST. Louis, the first pure food committee
appointed and the executive board established the
bureau of information When the biennial conven-
ton was held ST. Paul two years later that is, in
1906, this bureau made regular department and
committee to serve in the interests of child labor
was appointed.
At the present time stage has been reached in
this great union of forces by which the outside work
Of the federation is carried on by twelve standing
committees. These are art, civics civil service
form, education forestry household economics, in
1ustria and child labor legislative library extension
literature pure food and reciprocity.