Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1911-03-15


COR the first year being sixteen. Before
the constitution OF the new club was
ready for signatures two otner women
4 joined the eight already named, viz:
Mrs. II. NJ. Johnson and Mrs. Claud
Bergman, and these ten. became the
| charter members of gre club. The
History of Civilization was chosen as
an interesting field of research and it
was decided to begin with the study
of primitive man. The first paper read
before the club was written by Mrs. A.
| j. McClatchie the subject being The
Physical Features of the Earth in re-
lation to Organic Development" fol-
lowed by THE Effect of the Earth's
Physical Features on Mans Develop
ment," a fitting foundation for the
/ four-year study of anthropology which
followed this beginning.
The first president was Mrs. A. J.
McClatchie: first vice president, Mrs.
| Il. A. Fowler: first secretary, Mrs. j. H.
McClintock: first treasurer. Mrs. Mary
Richmond Diehl.
In May. 1901, when the club was
only five months old, at the suggestion
Of Mrs McClatchie, it began to dis
cuss the organization of territorial
| federation Of woman's clubs as means
Of extending and broadening club in
terests Before the close of the first
season, 1901, the club name was
changed to The Woman's Club of
Phoenix and meetings We're held week
y. The season closed With eleven
me nbers, MIS- II. W. H1m;lton hav-
ing been admitted to membership.
AT the frs; meeting of the second
year in october, 1901 the bylaws pro-
,iding for Hunted membership was
dropped and the annual dues were
raised for 81 to 81. Early in this sec
Ond season the club invited other
women's clubs of Arizona To meet in
Phoenix to organize an Arizona feder-
alton of WOmen's clubs. and on Novem-
Der 20 and u of that year U90D, in
response to this invitation. delegates
from the following clubs became our
guests: The Woman's Club of Tucson,
the WOman's Club of Bisbee, the Mon
day Club Of Prescott. the Friday Club
Of Phoenix. and the ID. \. r. of Phoe-
nix The Sahuara club of Stafford and
the Village Improvement club of Flor
ence expressed by letter their interest
ton of Women's Clubs was organized
and Mrs. McClatchie, president of this
club. was elected president and. later,
was made honorary president Of the
federation. as also Of the Woman's Club
Of Phoenix, a fitting recognition and
honor in view of the fact that she was
the founder of both.
During the second year G9O1-2) the
club endeavOred to secure from Mr.
Andrew Carnegie a gift of a public |
library building. These efforts were
ultimately successful and the So. 900
building which Phoenix enjoys today |
is the result of this clubs enterprise |
Before the close of the second year
G902) the club extended its studies !
and activities by becoming a depart |
ment club with four lines of work: an
throp0logy. education, civics and art !
The educational department aroused 1
great interest in the subject of manual /
training and domestic science in the |
public schools. So great was the in
terest aroused and the influence de-
that, following plans present
ed by the Arizona Federation Of Clubs, /
a bill was passed by the Arizona legis-
lature providing for manual training /
and domestic science in the public
schools of Arizona. and there two most !
important features were included in
the course of public instruction in
Phoenix
With the opening of its third year
1902-3) the club was compelled to rent
= place of meeting, having OItgrown
the homes of the members; the parlor
of the Christian church, corner of !
Fifth avenue and Monroe street, was
the club home for a very brief period,
after which il was changed To the guild
hall of the Episcopal church on South
second avenue.
Early in the year a department of
music was added to the four depart
ments already named, and the club
under the direction of Mrs. J.
Elliott Walker with the exception of
a short time under the leadership of
Mrs. S f. Cravens) has been, until the
present time, a most enjoyable and i'm
poTtant feature of the club.
In 1902 and 1903 the attention of
the club was called to the efficient
work of child study circles in connec-
ton with public schools and as pro-
noted by the National Congress of
Mothers. The club interest in the sub
iect increased until a member of the
club, Mrs. Emery Kays, was appointed
10 organize child study circles in Phoe-
nix This was successfully done, re-
sultIng in the establishment of five
circles which, in turn, organized the
Arizona Congress of Mothers, which
lad been the ultimate purpose of the
hub members who started the work
rhe fact that the public schools of
Phoenix have been much benefited in
many material ways and in other di-
-ections not readily measured, shows
he wisdom of the Woman's club in
these organizations.
In the midst of the third club sea-
son december. 1902 Mrs. A. NJ. Ben
nam invited the club to use the Mu-
,eum hall of the Curio building on
West jefferson street, as its regular
place of meeting free of charge. The
,ffer was gladly accepted, and this club
home was thoroughly enjoyed for more
han a year. The next place OF meet
ng was Padget (now Melczer) hall on
West Adams street.
In January, 1908, the club began
printing it's programs monthly, and
binding them in removable cover
With leaves containing the constitution
md bylaws and official lists, consti-
uting at the end of the season year
book, which style of book has been
.etained to the present time. During
his year a member of the club pre-
,ented to the Arizona Federation of
loo. -