The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-12-31
The Fine Art Of I..sis a
the Social Secretary

went to a college friond who fad
undertaken tho work of ilttinr men d
and women to MI certain positions In u
the business and social world, and h
asked her to train social secretary.
The fashionable young matron CON. Is
planned that she could not find a q
young woman capable OF doing the !
work. The applicants wero either sec41
retarics for ofiico positions or tfey
wero women without any practical ti
business knowledge. ~
So tho college woman learned tho 6
young inatron's needs and trained Z S
girl for the position. II took three
months to coach her In all the usual q
phases of social secretaryship and ass
sistant hostess. Since then dozens OF
social secretaries have been trained 4
to work for women prominent social
~, both here and in other cities,9 and
the work of keeping the social ma
chinery of household :ssinn!hg
smoothly has become more ana ID Gre 4
desirable. tFssEts isltjS
AS an occupation the post or social
secretary has expanded Until 1t might
we'll be called a profession. In the be-
ginning women who took UP ( this u
work had only to know how to write
social notes correctly, keep an EN- Is,
gaSement book and visiting list WI IS
out mistakes. to look after hduseh6 did 1
accounts. and attend to charity giving
in order to be qualified to fill thtsT
position. ~! Iii it4 g 81 8.
But the social secretary Of to-day
must have all sorts of knowledge sat
her command, and be capable, at sIaS
moments notice, of running lotfsIthe3
most trying social entertainment hfitii-
out tho assistance OF tho mistress Gofs
the house. She must be moro than
secretary. and Just little less than
mistress of tho house. s 81 s3
Tact First Requisite.
Tho first and most important quail
iflcation for social sccretaryships5.; isY
tact" said Miss Elizabeth Rachets
Wylie, NJ. a., who Is a special trainer
Of young women who work for so-&
cioty hostesses Tact the social seq
rotary must have, and II nature has
not endowed her with any, .hen;sweS
must train her In the handling of crr-S
tain situations which arise at almost
any social gathering in the fashionable
household. III.
Tho social secretary must be a COLI
lego graduate. Society patrons insist
ON the distinction of a degree, whethers
they have ever been at college or not. .
And unless the girl has learned stenog-
raphy and typewrIting, which many
of them take now, we send her to
muster this part of her preparation
before giving her other branehes.i 81
we are not an employment agency.
On the contrary. we do not find sltua-
tions for persons in any line OF work.
Our aim Is to fit and train men and
women to suit tho position and to
work for certain employers. We make
them efficient in any branch Of work
desired Of them. and VIC call our
selves tho efficiency centre. We handle,
individually, each case that comes to
us, and we study the poculiarities. or
temperament and the requirements of
the employer in order to supply some
one who Will understand what She
wants without requiring great deal
OF explanation each time. KS
a Days Duty.
There are hundreds of gIriJ who
think That all the social secretary
need know is how to write II letter.,
| That ia Il very small part of her
| work. We teach her tho correct phrase
ology of different kinds of notes used
| in social and business correspondence
| Many of the society womnn's letters
| are business ones, and these must be
written with professional skill.
TT would be impossible for the sees
rotary without special training to-
take down one third OF what the So
ciety woman directs her to do ns she,
| goes hurredly over the days demands
| Perhaps while she is having her hair
dressed or a gown fitted she gives
| her orders. she begins by telling the
| secretary to write to this person for a.
! certain address, to that person ~
| note of condolences, to send lowers
| 10 third. ask a fourth TO use hers
| opera tickets for the next night. to-
,l-, Il
| paper prepared for her club meeting
| tomorrow, and send out invitatfrnss
| to series OF teas, l,incheons and
dinners. She rattles on at rapid IA Ia
and expects the secretary to catch 1T
| all, for the employer is too busy. o
! repeat her instructions. #i
! But, after all, this is only small
| part of the secretary's work. We show
| her how to manage social entertain
mcnts successfully, to choose and ar
range the flowers, 10 SEQ that the table
| appointments are perfect, and. in ads.
| dttlon TO these duties. we train her to-
| know the guests and to know how to-
| entertain them. 5sla
Must BE Familiar With Eads. <,
One OF tho things OF whichalwe
| make II point Is the woman's personal
! friends aud list of formal acquaint-
anccs. The secretary is trained to
know now TO place every person q T.
| table without assistance from tho mis-
trcss, and shc must not make Il miss
! take in this matter. or the dinner may
| be- il failure. sS
| The social secretary must keep up
, with the vngaries of fads and fashions
J that have to do with serving smart
dinners and luncheons, the arrange
ment Of flowers and the choice OF sta;
tionery The mistress wants to feel
/; that she can depend entirety on herS
secretary, and even ii she does not!
know how to distinguish the fine
points of style. to have Il secretarYS
/, who knows, and who saves her from
! mistakes. 53
The woman who is immersed IN
social duties and pleasures has so
/ little time 70 road and keen nhrnasts