Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-05-19
WHAT THE WOMEN OF A VERMONT
TOWN ACCOMPLISHMENT.
tHy Mrs. T.. +. GreenN ood in La Follctt's
WeeklyD

In the village of Enosb,rs Falls. YER
mont. there was. up to the year 1886 a
piece of land in the very center of the
village in the best business section, upon
which stood an cid brick church Many
had often oppressed the wish that this
land might hc converted into Il park but
ii would probably never have been ac-
complishcd. neither, indeed. would the
local Village Improvement society have
been organized. If lightning had not
struck the church and demolished it, so
that extensive repairs were necessary IN
order to put it in decent condition.
\ few women took M the matter OF
buying the site and in three days raised
Tia" sum Of sl.395 by subscription. A
society was organized and at once hogan
the work Of Transforming the land into A
park. We paid for surveying and grad
ing, hired a Landscape gardener to SET out
trees, flowers and shruhbery. We also
purchased comfortable seats and paid
tor the laying Of concrete walks. Al
first. We were few in number, but the
society grew to have seventy members
and, in the eleven years since it's or
gauization, We have raised and expended
in hcautifying and improll Ing the village
the sum of sl050o,
our little society claims the honor Of
being the first Ladies' Village improve
ment society in this par, of Vermont
although there are now many towns near
us in which the women have organized
and begun TO do excellent work. To show
ganizatlon intact, might say that we
ItaI fnr
years our dues are nominal, as they
are only fifty cents and so we are obliged
to raise most of our money by other
means. Our Ways Of doing this have
been many and varied. Whenever we
hear OF read of something new or novel
We try it. generally with considerable
success. IN the first five years of our
existence as society we earned $60si.
which. in village of between nine hun
bred and enc thousand inhabitants, means
that a great deal Of hard work was put
into the task. For three successive
years We held II fair or bazaar Just before
the holidays. one year the proceeds
were given to the public library, and for
several years we have undertaken the
WORK Of providing the library with
We have served meals in tent at the
County Fair. which is held some seven
miles from our village. We own a tent
and dishes When there is much hard
work to be done we hire extra help.
These are by no means the only things
we have undertaken in this way. One
rather novel idea, ] think, has been to
serve warm lunch on the evening Of
election day to those who We're awaiting
the news OF the returns. We have given
all kinds of entertainments, even includ-
ing ladies' minstre, show. For several
years we have maintained lecture
course. bringing to our village such men
as Dr. Conwell and Dr. Newell Dwight
Iiiris. In this way we are able to give
our local residents lectures which per
haps they could not hear in any other
way. Several wears ago we became
of the State Federation Of
Women's clubs, and in that way we have
received many helpful ideas.
More and more we are coming to realize
that great deal can be done for village
by awakening the interest
OF the children. Last year With tho
cooperation OF the school children VA
organized in the lower grades of our
school what Is called the Junior Natura-
lists society. These young people con-
sider themselves members OF the Improve
ment society and are thus taught at an
early age an excellent lesson I'm neatness
and in good taste