The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1911-05-25
KINGSTREE DELEGATE
GIVES IMPRESSIONS
OF CONVENTION OF THE SOUTH
CAROLINA FEDERATION OF WO-
MEN IN COLUMBIA RECENTLY.
IL

On her return from the recent
Federation Of Women'S clubs IN Co.
lumbia. at which she represented the
Kingstree Civic league, Mrs L w
Gilland made the following very IN
teresting report to the league, in
which she is serving her second year
as president:
When the question of our Civic
league becoming a member of the
State Federation of Womens CLUBS
was brought up in one of our recent
meetings voted that we should JOIN,
because thought it good thing to
do in a general way and when | was
elected as the first delegate from our
league to convention was pleased
not only because of the honor 1t
meant. but because | was glad of a
chance to see what the convention
was like
When went to get my credentials
the afternoon before the formal open
ing of the convention, confess it was
more with a feeling of amusement
than any other that | sat back IN a
quiet corner and watched the women
crowding over one another in their
eagerness to be recognized officially
as bona fide delegates. | was pre-
pared to see for. the most part
crowd of femininity flocking together
for the main purpose of showing off
brand new spring dresses and the lat
est style hats, with here and there a
typical suffragette clad in mannish
suit and wearing spectacles. But
somehow the satirical smile had pre-
pared began to die on my lips and IN
nv heart surged-pity immeasur-
able and tender. Somehow these Wo-
mems eager. so intense, touched me
as nothing else had ever done. How
well | knew the narrow ruts in which
the lives of most of them run, the
deep grooves of three meals a day,
cleaning house, minding babies and
darning. 1t seemed to me that
could almost hear the clanking OF the
chains which for centuries have hung
to woman's feet, dragging her down
into the place of slave. Her free
dom is yet so new thing that she
hasn't learned to take in the fresh
air of liberty quietly, but drinks 1t
with pitiful gulps. This thought
came over me more and more as
watched one woman after another
come in with eagerness and earnest
ness writ on every feature. 1t was
the bond of universal sisterhood that
drew us all together, the sympathy
that only one woman can feel for an
other. To eve seemed delegates
not only of individual clubs and small
organizations, but of the larger body
of the Daughters of Eve.
1T was with this feeling of deep
est enthusiasm that | went to hear
the address of the president OF the
General Federation of Women's
clubs, and the speeches of welcome
by several prominent club women.
| came away from the hall that even
ing with a feeling of reverence and
respect for woman and her work SO
deep that to voice it was impossible
and at each meeting of the conven-
ton this feeling deepened and
STRENGTHENED until | was in a passion
of pride for my sex, and humoiy
grateful that | was even so small
part of that noble body of women.
q shall not attempt to chronicle
Vie actual work of the convention
from day to day, because that has
been amply set down in the press and
I have complete file of papers for
any of you who may care to look
over them. 1t is rather the spirit OF
the convention which should like to
make YOU feel, so that you may take
nm the work we have to do here IN
onr little town with larger enthu-
siasm - realizing that discourage
,. ;e mot to he admitted, because