The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-02-26
NEWS OF THE DAY
IN SOCIETY WORLD
Reciprocity Meeting At COun-
try Club
NOTES HERE AND THERE
Mrs. cOleman's Address Before Biz
mingham Club Women-An In
formal Tea-Personal
Mention.
NOTES HERE AND THERE
BY MYRTLE MILES.

The reciprocity meeting of the Blrmlng-
ham literary clubs took place yesterday
afternoon at the Country club, and was
attended by representatives of all the
clubs. Mrs. Phares Coleman of Mont
gomery addressed the meeting. The ball
room, where seats were placed for those
in attendance was filled with women
deeply interested in club work. Subjects
of vital interest were Incorporated in the
programme arranged for the afternoon,
and they were discussed with the grace
and tact notable at the gatherings of the
brainy women who compose our literary
organizations.
The programme was opened with
group of songs from six well-known sing
ers. They were Mrs. Oscar GLADDEN., Mrs.
Burbage, Miss Annie Lou Wood, Miss
Hamilton, Miss Corrie Handley and Miss
Flora Orr. This was followed with Mrs.
Coleman's address on What Alabama
Women Are Doing" an able treatise on
the philanthropic and educational work
of the clubwomen of Alabama.
Mrs Harriette O'Neil sang with her
usual exquisite taste two numbers which
were received with much appreciation by
her audience Mrs. L. J. Haley gave
bright and extremely interesting talk on
Our Scholarships and Mrs. Matlock one
on School Improvement Mrs. }. IL.
Phillips completed the programme with
a superb address on "Our Ideals in Educa-
tion.n
Mrs. Coleman said, in her address on
the doings of women in Alabama:
IT was asked to say something OF the
part our federation Is doing for educa-
ton In Alabama and something of reci-
procity from the clubwoman's viewpoint
Our work is done largely through the
standing committees. AS ] look over
the duties of each committee the thought
comes to me that all the work we are
doing Is educational. for we stand for
progress and development, which are com
pretended in philanthropy in Its broad
est best sense; and all philanthropy is
educational So it Is in this wider and
more comprehensive way that l would
review our work.
Your board of directors at a recent
meeting tried as best they could to COM
ply with the request of the general feder-
alton that our standing committees be
made to follow the same plan as that
adopted by the general federation. l am
glad at this time to report to you just
what was done and shall do so as l pro-
ceed.''
Referring to the work of the committee
on civic Improvement, she said:
who will dare say that we are not
doing 6QuCaI1Ond1 WOTh III It's ploduOSty
best sense, when we turn our attention to
civic Improvement, to cities beautiful?
This means that we demand cleaner sur
| roundings improved sanitary conditions
with which to fight dread disease, arous-
| ing the people to a higher conception of
| duty to humanity and the love of nature
| by cleansing streets, highways and home
/ environments; by demanding the removal
| of ugly and obscene biliboards and replac-
| ing them with attractive structures and
works of art; by the tearing away of gro
| tesque, unsightly decorations and put
| ting In their stead sheltering trees and
| beautiful flowers, and In every way throw
| ing q protective mantle Of hygiene and
| beauty about human kind. Surely this
| work Is worth while and elevatingi
Recently our art committee haW waned
| into innocuous desuetude. Constant ap-
| peals have been coming in and no COM
| naittee to which to refer the work. So we
| hope to see this work rejuvenated, be-
| lieying with the knowledge of noble and
| beautiful things will come higher ideals
| for mankind"
OF the legislative committee Mrs. Cole
| man said:
..The legislative committee, in conjunc-
| tion with other committees, has fought
ya1fantly for many vital matters of state
| wide interest. Among them the juvenile
/ court bill, compulsory education, an edu-
| cational qualification for county superin-
tendents of education, placing of women
| on school boards and the child's labor law
| of Alabama. My friends, that was far
| cry from the droning of wheels as they.
| in their merciless grind, made the chill
dren weepl' To shorter hours of labor,
| to longer years of childhood, that the chill
| dren might not weep ere they ran; to
| bright schoolraoms a part of each year,
| and to the protection of their health, life
and morals. And yet had not the voices
| of our women, 5000 strong, demanded these
| things. would Alabama have heard the
| cry of the children? dare to say no. And
| Ia not this education in its highest
| sense?
| In our list of standing committees Is a
| new conner created by you at the last
| federation, the forestry committee. I'm
| der the sole leadership of Miss Lulie
Jones of Florence, Ala.3 women are pre-
| pared to do their share In the educational
work of making people realize how they
| are beggaring themselves by wasting
| their heritage, the forests" I would
| saw here that each director in the state
| has been made ex-officio a member of
| the committee"
| The work of the education committee
| was here touched upon and the speaker
| continued her discourse with this: