The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1908-01-31

HOME.
So many ask, What has the Phyllis
Wheatley Club done?
This club was organized thirteen
years ago at the A. M. E. Sunday
School Union by Mrs G. S. Smith, and
it has worked and helped in many
ways. During Mrs. Smiths time as
president the club did work among the
sick, the poor, the unfortunate, and
the aged. There was never a time
that a needy person called at the
Union, the home of the president, or
at the home of Mrs Lewis Winter. the
chairman of the charitable department,
but that the desired help was received.
The poor in all parts of the city looked
to this club as their friend in need.
Well packed baskets were sent out reg
ularly from the Union to a number of
needy families. Sometimes during the
year the club has had at it's disposal
bread, hats, shoes, rubbers, ETC., kind
ly given by stores through the influ-
ence of Mrs. Smith and other ladies of
the club. These things were divided
equally to the poor of East, West,
North and South Nashville and sent
out by different club committees. All
over the city the Phyllis Wheatley
Club has sent light, help and cheer.
Under Mrs. Smith the club gave
substantial financial aid to the home
kept by Miss Baker, then worker
among the colored children.
The clubs work has not all been
along the line of giving financial aid,
but has given prayers, comfort, SYM
Dathy and cheer There was a time
when one of our boys was arrested
and almost sent to the gallows. A
committee of Phyllis Wheatley ladies,
with Mrs, Lewis Winter as chairman,
went to see the parents of the girl,
the preacher of the family, the doctor,
the lawyers and up into the legisla-
tive halls, to see the governor of the
state and to make intercession for the
boy. BY this effort of the club ladies
and others, the poor unfortunate boy
was sent to prison instead of to the
gallows.
A very important affair under Mrs.
Smith was the entertainment of the
National Federation of Women by the
Phyllis Wheatley Club. There had
never been a time when so many dis
tinguished colored women were enter
tanned in Nashville by a club of col
ored women. Great colored women
were here and great papers were read,
and bright, useful, wise and intelligent
ideas were interchanged.
When the time came for Mrs. Smith
to sever her connection with us, as she
must go to her new field of work,
many were the prayers that went up
in the homes of the poor of this city,
that God bless and keep her, and bless
and prosper the Phyllis Wheatley
Club
Mrs. G. M. Shelton was our second
president Under her we became more
specific in our work. and took a room
in the Mercy Hospital to be known as
the Phyllis Wheatley Room. We
furnished this room and took much
pride in seeing after it. The Phyllis
Wheatley room was the prettiest in
Mercy Hospital Mrs Shelton always
had on hand something given by some
of the stores, for the colored poor.
The club had on hand at one time
three hundred hats. These were dis
tributed equally to those needing hats
in the different parts of the city. I'm
der Mrs Shelton the club sent Miss
Emma J. Terry, then our secretary, to
Buffalo, N. Y, to represent us in the
I
and grandly represented and delighted
with the new ideas and inspiration
that she brought back to us. The Phyl-
lis Wheatley Club held the medal of
the National Federation for two years
which was a great honor. Mrs She,
ton moved to Chicago and again the
! club had to say goodbye to its presi-