Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1909-1915, 1911-10-13
PRESIDENTS ADDRESS BEFORE ~. =
Z. WOMEN'S FEDERATED CLUBS

/ The feature of today's session, in a
4 large measure centered in the address
of Mrs. N. G. Young Of Fargo; presi-
dent of the State Federation. Mrs.
Young spoke as follows &s. -
4 Fifteen years OF age are; we. We
| have passed the periods Of infancy,
childhood I and youth, and find our
selves in that restless and transitional
/ age lad olescence. Behind us are the
days Of toys and play, the days Of ear
1 " schooling; before us stretch the
serious years Of maturity Eagerly
we question ourselves as to what this
/ future is to be. The purpose Of our
4 life, it's aim, its direction, perplex us.
4 Unrest seizes upon us. We would be
up and doing, but how and where.
STRINGS of a new, strong life are felt
through all our body; eyes look up
with longing; ears are strained to
catch the message Of the great world
into which we would plunge;~ limbs
ache to carry us into some great. en-
terprise, and the soul prays, 'Send me,
o Lord, send me"
| At such a. time it is well, as we have
done, to cast a look backward over the
path which we have come, and then
take stock and consider carefully what
talents in us lie, for what labor are
we fitted, and whittier does our des-
ting lead US. That some real and vital
duty, peculiar to us, lies near at hand
cannot be doubted. But, O to be Ger
tain that we make no mistake In our
choice of field or weapons or method!
am but one of many workers and
can therefore speak only the vision
that comes to me.
We shall be effective and success
full only as we are true to our own pc:
culiar character and destiny. AS each
child has it's individual capacity and
force so we, as one of the social chill
dren of this age, have our own char.
acteristics, powers and possibilities
10 meet the future fairly and honestly
we should, so far as we can, under
stand these and shape our course to
utilize them to the best advantage, In
the first place our aim has always been
an educational one. The history o1
the club movement is too we'll known
TO permit OF my dwelling. upon this
fact; that Women's clubs were organ
lied as study clubs and have achieved
their greatest successes where they
have preserved this peculiar and diff
Terminating quality. AS a band o.
women federated for concerted work
W stand always and ever for Informed
and intelligent action.
AS women's clubs-made up of WON
en--our chief asset is women. With
them we can deal at first hand, direct
ly, and closely. They are our mater
ial for education. The womans clut
was the first tangible and widespread
protest against the narrow iddea tina
education ends with the schools. The
club asserted positively and practi
cally that knowledge and learning arr
eternal, and that our schooling here
ends only, with lift Following ou
leadership other educational agencies
working along similar lines hav'
sprung up, notably the Chautauqu:
movement, and greater than this, thu
University Extension Movement. Grea
praise has been given the universit.
] that promulgated the idea that tn
university is for all the people and al
ages, not just for the youth who fire
quent it's doors for schooling. But be
fore this ever came to pass the WON
ans club had put into practice tn
same idea land therefore claim tn
woman's club is the mother of the Uni
versity Extension Movement, ant
should be SO honored.
Adult education is our motto. II
s be sure we have developed and broad
ened in our. conception Of this item
In the beginning we considered it ed
ucation for the chosen few along cul
t tured lines, adapted only to the keen
ly intellectual and scholarly. In ou
broader understanding of the term W.
read it to mean progressive education
| for all women along lines adapted t
their needs, understanding and condi
ton in life. We all need to be learn
ers, and we may fit the studies to tn
capacity and interest Of the student
lust as the curriculum. of the schools
Lhave broadened in this respect, 81
Ihave we developed our courses from
i history and art to include almost eV
cry phase of human knowledge an!
Investigation, and we shall still fur
! Their broaden as there is need and de
lmand.! t;*>}Fr' %.z&aI< H. 4. a...%
Now that we are no longer children
1--we are not to be the beneficiaries alon
of this education, but we must pre-
i pare to assist in, its spread and t.
carry it to others. Hence the origil
i of our Extension Movement, of whic]
I'll Sud1l SpSdh% AdCCA. DUI OuA - 49,
nearest dut, yis to fashion our tool
for work; to lay aside outgrown an
demolished weapons and to take unit
ourselves an equipment: for real work
We find ourselves facing many need
ed chang The increasing numbe
of proposed Fl constitutional amend
ments each year marks this. We hav
50 many before us at this session tina
lit threatens to tear our Sconstitutiol
Ito tatters to alter it to these demands
lLet me, as briefly as possible, brin
i Ito your notice some Of the more prom
ID I.nent changes which seem, Imminent
= lAs a body holding and handling cor
siderable monies, is it not time to II
corporate With the growth in nun
n bers that We are annually making, GU
So regular funds are becoming CORES
II pondingly larger, Then add to | TIL
81 the Endowment Fund which We hop
n no raise and keep as q perpetual funt
a Invested and Int crest bearing, and yo
y can readily see that our financial =
b responsibilities become heavy and ser
3f ~, SsE 81 M !, Yn cI1rnr5 seEE a1rAad