Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-05-10
.WOMEN'S CLUBS MAY
REFLECT PRESIDENT
OF THE FEDERATION
Movement on Foot to Place Mrs. J. O.
Hume of Oakland Again at
Head of State Asso-
citation

one of the "unwritten" laws of the
California Federation of Women's clubs
may be broken when that body meets
at Del Monte May 10 by the reelection
to the presidency of Mrs. Joseph IS.
Hume of Oakland.
Mrs. Hume is the eighth president or
the federation and is the only one VINO
ever has been a candidate to succeed
herself. She did not become candl-
date until after strong pressure nad
been brought to bear on her. Her ad-
ministration has been so satisfactory
her friends, after considering the ques-
ton in all its phases, decided 10 re-
elect their president.
Whether or not this course Will meet
with unanimous approval remains 20
be revealed at the meeting There is
strong probability that the second term
plan will be opposed. In fact 1t is sald
! that San Francisco clubwomen already
have set themselves against the second
| term idea and have formed the nucleus
| of an opposing faction which Will nave
| to be considered.
Los Angeles clubwomen are said 10
be favorable to the succession plan ana
are particularly favorable to Mrs.
Hume. OF course no one can say with
any definiteness exactly how the dele :
gates from this city and district VIII
vote on this question, but prominent
clubwoman stated last night that In her
opinion Mrs. Hume was the choice OF
the Los Angeles district.
Friday of this week meeting OF
clubwomen will be held at the Ebell
club, at which the names of delegates
to the Del Monte convention will be an
nounced At that time no doubt the
women will indulge in a large amount
of "chat" on the subject, and a fair
idea of how they stand on the second
term policy probably will be Cleaned
Believes Woman Will Be Reelected
Even women sometimes change their
minds" said a clubwoman last night
who insisted her name be not used. Il
believe it is entirely probable Mrs.
Hume will be elected to the second
term. | can see no good reason why
she should not be returned. while there
is every reason why she should.
There is no provision as to now
MANY terms a president shall serve, but
there is a custom, or unWritten law,
that no person shall be twice elected
president of the federation. This IS
merely an application OF the principe
of rotation in office We believe in
that, but it may be as well or even bet
ter for the organization to rotate every
two years instead of every year. Inc
fact is our presidents, and we nave had
many excellent ones, were not in OFFICE
long enough to develop TO tne nlSheSl
point of usefulness.
1.-THE president is supposed to visit
each club in the federation once year.
She. can't possibly do this more than
once and be at home any, and by the
time she becomes acquainted with the
clubs and their members she is ousted
by the one-term custom.
Mrs. Hume has made an eXcellent
president The same can be said of her
predecessors, and I'm sure had they
been returned the organization would
have been benefited Would it be
strange at all if we women changed our
mind about mere organization tradi-
ton. or for that matter If we had
changed our laws on any particular
matter. There is such thing as
foolish consistency. 1t is as fatal to
any organized effort as a wise consis-
tency is wholesome. To me it would
not appear a weird thing at all, not
even unnatural or uncannny, If we
women at the Del Monte meetings
changed our minds about this one-term
custom"
The California Federation was or
ganized in 1900. The state is divided
into six districts Mrs. R. G. Waters
of 900 West Adams street is president
of the Los Angeles district. This city
has had two presidents-Mrs. r. j. Bur-
dette and Mrs. Josiah Evans Cowles.
If the Los Angeles club can secure
forty delegates the railroad company
will give them a special car and send
them through without change.