New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-05-12
Your Daughters Vocation
A Word for Settlements

she begins her career. II she can go TO
school Of philanthropy so much TIE better
for this is the surest road to getting good
opening In settlement work
But for the girl who can go neither 10
college nor to the school of philanthropy
what then?
In the first place, she should find OUT
where the nearest settlement houses are 10
Gated and make the acquaintance OF women
already engaged in this work. There IS al
ways volunteer work 10 be done ABOUT
settlement house. There are girls SOCIAL
and industrial clubs in need OF leaders
there is visiting among the poor to be done,
mothers meetings 20 be conducted, ana
odds and ends OF clerical work waiting Tor
willing hands. II possible, she should 90
as much Of this work as she can get, Tor
even IL IL takes time and strength II IS
really the most valuable training, and Will
in time lead to openings of the right sort.
To the young woman who wants TO make
a permanent thing of settlement work this
piece of advice, Endorsed by every settle
ment worker OF experience, should serve
AS a watchword: Be faithful II you have
q cIass mr. a club always be on hand and
on time for it's meetings. Almost any one
work. The feeling of self-satisfaction mat
doing good to others always inspires VIII
make the first few weeks run smoothly 1t
Is the young woman VINO continues "1i
efforts in good weather and bad, whose
cheerfulness and enthusiasm are persistent
who finds a permanent place IN settienich'
work.
| Let US imagine, then, that the S"""o
| lam or
woman who desires to take up settleiheHl
| work has done steady, successful WORK dS
a volunteer In most settlement houSe''
nowadays, as soon as a volunteer proves
that she Is doing good work, she may eA-
| nect a payment for her services, ana THIS
usually ranges from two to two ana nan
dollars an evening or an afternoon lol
about two hours work.
TIL. next rung on the ladder Of the settle
mcnt workers career usually consists or
resident position in the settlement house
An assistant worker, generally speaking
receives from four hundred to a Thousand
dollars. besides her board and residence.
Tho head worker OF q we'll run house usu-
ally draws a salary OF from $1,000 10 N,oVV
"A year
At the present time there are several Sood
openings in settlement work for once
workers-stenographer and typewriters and
bookkeepers-openings which might serve
as stepping stones to positions as head eX-
ecu,iyes So for the young woman who
cannot take time TO train herself for work
as a nurse. or Kindergarten or special
teacher perhaps the quickest way TO find a
paying opening In settlement work is
through a course in business methods. A
| t,a -
OF the young woman so trained to the head
OF any large settlement house would no
doubt put the applicant In line for the ONCE
work she desires
There is no doubt Of the fact that settle
ment work is hard There are times when
the picturesqueness OF poverty loses all its
charm, and even the most ardent settle
ment worker sometimes loses wellngh
every grain Of courage she possesses.
There are days when the work In the
settlement house seems endless. There are
emergencies that require untold pluck and
perseverance, But. In spite OF a.! that the
life OF a settlement worker has as much
Joy as is to be found in any vocation. And
the reason? Because she is doing good to
others.
The life Of almost every settlement
worker would read like tale Of adventure.
! The settlement worker who. in 1897, when
! settlement work was in its infancy, went
/ to live In Packingtown Chicago. among the
! unsuccessful strikers Of the stock yards, is
! only one OF many who have lived lives OF
! heroism and the best sort of adventure.
= The story OF how this plucky woman rail-
/ led the wives and daughters of the
! strikers around her and really did more in
| her quiet way TO help out the situation
/ than any one else could be matched by
stories OF hundreds OF other settlement
workers. whose deeds Of everyday heroism
| are unrecorded.