Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-08
FEATURES OF WoMEN'S CLUBS
MANAGEMENT OF SOME OF THE
MANNERIsMS OF MEMBERS.
Discussion of the Question care
Women ClubabIeP" - Ladies
Who Gossip and Whisper.

Lady Grove in the London Chronicle.
Women belong to clubs for various rea-
sons. I belong to four clubs of which ]
am. what is called. an original member
and I belong to them all because 1 was
asked to join when they were being
started 1 mention this fact. because I
imag CINE that many women have joined
clubs for the same reason--not because
they felt that it was a necessity to them
as it is to most men in the same social
circles.
There have been many debates and ar
ticles on the subject of whether women
are "clubable," whatever may be meant
by that phrase. In the matter of be-
havior | submit that men are better
judges of the way women's clubs are
conducted than women can possibly be of
the conditions appertaning to mems
clubs. For the simple reason that of all
the women's clubs l know or have heard
of. except one, men are admitted either
as members or as. guests.
MIXED" Clubs.
Now, 1 know of only four mems clubs
where ladies are received as guests, and
they do not afford any valuable data
whereon to form an opinion of how those
where members are not permitted to re-
ceive ladies as guests are conducted. A
woman even when writing on the sub
ject cannot, with any chance of being
believed, speak with much authority. AS
l. desire, above all things, to retain the
credence of my readers in my good faith.
1 will not imperil it by pretending to a
more than hearsay knowledge of any
thing connected with men in their rela-
ton to their clubs.
l have never even had occasion to sup
plement my casually acquired informa-
ton by awaiting myself of certain Mr..
So-and-So's generous offer, who adver-
tised copiously at one time in the daily
papers to the effect that he undertook to
ascertain beyond all doubt whether, in
deed, 1.-The club and the club alone, was
responsible for late hours" and absences
which the club was ostensibly made to
account for. But neither can l claim a
very extensive knowledge of women s
clubs. The four delightful and luxurious
clubs to which l have the privilege of be-
longing are not unduly benefited, or the
reverse by my presence
Women with houses of their own in
London do not, l think. find club the
same necessity as men with the same ad-
vantageOus possession. But the one l
frequent most has men as well as women
members. l know of one man who re-
signed his membership of a certain club
of this kind because he said he found
that If he went there to read the papers
or to write letters, instead of finding rest
and quiet, he met female acquaintance
there who were exacting in the mat
ter of expecting him to fetch and carry
for them. that his whole pleasure and
peace were utterly destroyed. Now. 1
think that that is objectionable in a club.
To exact dreary drawing room manners
from a fellowmember in a cock and
hen club Uo use a familiar, if vulgar,
expression) is to destroy the raison
d'etre of club life. But it was given to
me in perfect seriousness by a man as his
reason for ceasing to be a member of a
certain club which shall, as in all other
cases, be nameless.