The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1909-04-09

i been In session at San Antonio, Tex
| We may not be large enough In mum
bers or strong In federation to bring
the dinnenial in our direction for sew
eral years, but why not try for .
council meeting at Salt Lake. Oul
neighboring metropolis is big, gener
4 GUS and capable, and we could all 60
Suppose we try for it..
i + i. +
\ METHODS AND FACTORS IN PUB
4, Lie WORK.
4 Mrs. w. w. Penfield, New York.
/ Madam President and Members 81
i the Convention: 1t seems almost 3
shame to come from so beautiful 9
picture to the discussion OF methods
and factors. Indeed, confess to you
that would like to lead in the dis
cussion OF a place SO ideal, where
high officials all AIS one man, welcome
the civic work. / do not know exact
ly that condition in the United States
Nothing emphasizes, however, more
strongly that service is the co-word
or watch-word or the hour, as does
the civic work done by our women's
| clubs, and nothing ] believe more
| clearly points to the general trendOf
club thought as does this same civic
work. The mind which thirty years
ago, sought self-culture and pleasure
| in the exclusive women's literary or
musical club, and knew no other
social obligations besides her church,
has developed a civic conscience
which gives her family, her city, or
herself no peace, while we of the
younger generation seem to have been
to this conscience born. There are
! still some unfamiliar with its work
/ ings, and possess the indifference Of
which Mr.. Walker spoke. 1t is this
indifference that forms the greatest
deterrent factor in all civic work,
while on the other hand we all know
that it is to awaken public sentiment
we must inevitably come to.
The problem of creating civic pride
and developing a sense of civic re-
sponsibility are difficult ones. In the
first place, the worker isein most
cases a learner herself, and in the
second place the lessons she seeks to
teach are different ones. In the gen
eral struggle for meat and mind in
which the average business man is
daily engaged, it requires sharp
mental range for him to place HIM
self in the view point of the civic
worker, whose heart is thrilled con-
stantly by contact with human need
and whose mind is kindled with a
vision of opportunity. To him she lis
simply another fool woman with a
fad, who wants to spend his money
and the city's.
The most obstinate city officials
may be made upon occasion to dream
dreams, and believe il all the civic
workers were together, we would
unite on several points which make
for success. In the first place, we
must have vision, we must appre-
ciate the value of thing before
we will work for it, every man and
woman must be made to know what 1t
will mean to themselves, to their
family, to the state, if theiy city
is clean, well-ordered city before
they will exert themselves to make 1t
SO. We all know that from high
ideals come loftier visions. 1t is just |
the same with you and me, without
club, city or state, we go from bad |
to good, from good to better, better
to best, following the changing ideals
which in the concourse of the. years
our visions bring to us.
1t is not my province this morning
to speak of some particular subject,
such as | said, as work for our chill
dren, which would fire your imagin-
alton with visions Of responsibility
and duty, but such story will come
to you in few moments from Miss
American. Mr.. Walker has given us
ideals we must live up to. Others
will tell us stories when they are
thrilled with the active, vital sub
jects that are before us. We only
nope no club woman will return home
bringing broader vision
than what she had when she came
here. 1t in the sharing Of these
visions with our neighbors, with our
friends, with citizens it is from this
sharing that civic righteousness and
social betterment is to come.
In the second place, an interest
,nce awakened among women in
affairs must be made in
.elligent. We must know what we
ire talking about, we must know