The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1911-01-05
A PLEASANT EVENT.
Continued from Page OneJ

emma giving very da1H9y t0ucn 70
the tables.
The arrangements for the evening
were under the direction or Mrs
Adelaide Ordway and Mrs Edna
Smith. The very apparent SUCCESS o.
the evening must be very gratifying
to all taking part in H.
The following is the history OF the
Club as given by Mrs. Griffin:
To the happy incident Of being
Charter member OF SkoWhegan Soro-
sis Is years ago owe the distinguish
ed honor which falls to me tonight
i II keenly feel my inability 10 do Jus
tiee -. aston or 10 y-1e subject
asslsned me
IT is difficult for me 10 realize that
the whirl OF time and the trend Of
/ affairs have brought me TO that condi-
ton Of fossilized antiquity that could
suggest 10 any one M fitness to
spe' as historian.
| can remember and to some eX-
tent relate. hence the brief history
OF Skowhegan Sorosis IS its twenty
fifth year finds it, In the columns OF
the Somerset Reporter Of November
G, 1886. may be found this local
Saturday afternoon eighteen Young
ladies' met at Miss kathleen l.. Ia
tons and with the aid Of Mrs. Fuller.
the popular eX-President OF the Wo-
mans club organized a young ladies'
club having for its object the social
and intellectual Improvement of its
members
The name chosen WIS Skowhegan
SOrosis its method Of work to be
somewhat like that of the Woman
club which is SO much in favor
among the older ladies'.
Miss Kathleen l.. Baton was elect
e President DR. Cara II. Johnson
Vice President Mlss Mida Webb
Secretary. Miss May steward, Assist
ant Secretary; Miss Lille White
Treasurer; Mrs. Edith Goodwin, the
Misses kezzie Munroe Annie Russell
and Miss Nellie Shattuek wth May
Steward chairman, constituted the
board of directors.
Ladies', thus was your club formed
but before this elimination the
thought, plan, in its entirety origin
ated with your first president
we'll remember her enthusiasm and
her working and planning for your
success and the years She held the
Office of President must be called
Sorosis golden days for we know
that no club even in these days OF
clubs could have lasted through
twenty-five years unless based upon
very firm foundation and we'll
started upon the road to success by
it's pioneers.
The membership of the club was
limited to fifty, the flower of Show
hegan's youth and intelligence of
course.
The secretary's reports are indeed
interesting reading for in those days
the secretary's reports were fea-
ture of the program. We had not
copied our fathers. husbands and
brothers in just a concise statement
of facts as occurs in the lodge room.
but they were bright witty criticisms
and many full accounts OF the papers
can be found there.
1t Was said b. one lady not long
since that after listening to
one secretary's report of her paper
she felt so pleased with the paper
and herself because the report sound
ed so we'll.
We held our meetings in our mem
bers' homes and it was pleasure
and honor TO be hostess for Sorosis
and the neighbors proudly contributed
the use of their chairs and wistfully
watched from their windows "Soro-
sis girls go to their club.
We have had for our editication
art, talent and learning from the
outside world. among the lecturers
being Mrs. Mary A. Livermore, Abba
GooId Woolson, Alice Freeman Palm
er and many others of later days.
Sorosis has always had great his
trionic ability and the present mem
bers will pardon me, because the
things that are past are always GOV
cred with a silver sheen. if ! say We
were shining lights in works like the
Mouse Trap" the Only Young Man
in Town" "A Box of Monkeys and
others. These plays presented BY
Sorosis talent only. gave much pleas
ur' to its members.
The club teas n that time were
functions of great anxiety as regarded
clothes and men as at the present
time, though the reports tell of one
young lady who had two men as her
guests nj Sorosis cldb tea. Alas.
that was indeed in the days of our
youth.
In the twenty-five wears SOrosis
has had for Presidents. Miss kath
I, en- Eaton. the first president OF
whom | spoke previously; Miss Ger
trude Weston Mrs. Josephine Muir
jhy, Mrs. Laura Frost. Mrs. Edith
Shepherd. Mrs, Mary Colby, Mrs. Lois
Patten. Miss Gertrude Weston, Mrs.
Mary Colby. Mrs. Cornelia Jackson.
Mrs. Martha L. Griffin. Mrs. Corne-
lie Jackson and Miss Edith Gledhill
The original club dues We're 800 bu
as we gained in popularity our eX
penses grew in proportion and the
dues were raised to. $500 and il
/ has always been time honored
custom of Sorosis not to make the
Canadian border of interest to its
/ treasurer by prompt attention 10
certain article in the constitution.
In 1892 the State Federation was
formed and Sorosis was one of the
nineteen charter members and the
first club of our town to be a part of
/ The Federation Of Womeu's clubs
which now numbers $500 clubs and
20 600 members.
Through all these years Sorosis
has kept to her original plan and
those who are behind the scenes
alone know of the arduous duties the
deep dilemmas and the artful plans
that fall to the lot of a board OF di-
rectors. The lines of work have in