Milford chronicle., 1912-05-24
STATE FEDERATION
OF WOMEN'S CLUBS
Held In Middletown. More Libraries
Are Urged. Favor College Plan.

Are Urged. Favor College Plan.
With invocation by Rev. Francis H
Moore, minister of Forest Presbyterian
Church, a gracious welcome by Mrs
Charles Derrickson, president of the
Middletown Century Club, and an in.
spring address by the president Mrs
John c. Robinson, of Wilmington, the
Fifteenth Annual State Federation oi
Women's Clubs opened their crystal an
niversary Thursday, May 10th, in the
Middletown Opera House. Reports oi
officers followed and Individual club re-
ports with all the speakers seated on the
stage beneath the federation banner and
1S97-19l2 in big gilt letters.
That libraries and education with civ
les approaching in importance were the
main issues of the federation year, was
very apparent as the club reports were
read. Every club in the State has been
vitality interested in its community, not
only for mind and morals with libraries,
but for health and beauty with clean
streets and pure water, and their homes
have not been neglected for every club
has had cooking lessons and arts and
crafts days. Mostof them have increased
in membership and none reported loss.
Many have contributed to Hope Farm
and the Old Folks Home at Dover.
Nearly all reported with pleasure visits
from the State President and State Chair
man.
The afternoon session closed with an
unexpected and pleasantly fraternal fea-
ture, in the appearance and cutting of
birthday cake carrying out the color
scheme of the local club, in its yellow
ness, its whiteness and its adornment of
green candles, II in number, and lighted
by turns with single tape III the hands
of each representative who had carried
the greetings of her club to AIiddletOwn.
One was reminded by the symbolism of
the ceremony, of TOwell's beautiful lines
on the ceiling of the Congressional lii
brary.
" As one lamp lights another nor grows less;
So nobess enkindeth nobleness."
So may generous ardor among mem
bers of sister clubs, impart the contagion
of enthusiasm for some noble end with
no diminution of its own.
Thursday evenings entertainment was
a recital of " Maggie Pepper by Miss
Gay Zenola MacTaren. Before the re
cital Mrs. +. T. Negendank of the Will
mington Club sang two solos. After the
recital Mrs. 1. D. Niles, of Townsend,
sang a solo and an encore.
Delegates, club visitors and guests
then walked to the home of Mrs. Jesse
T. Shepherd, where a delightful recep- |
ton was given by the New Century Club,
of AIiddletown. Mrs. Shepherd was as
sisted in receiving by the officers of the
Federation and Mrs Charles w. Derrick !
son, President of the Middletown Club |
Fruit punch, ice cream, cake, strawber /
rief, candy and coffee were served the /
guests, and the pool quartette and or
chestra furnished delightful music dur |
ing the evening.
On Friday morning after the State
Chairman had given their excellent re |
ports, the program was carried out /
which had been arranged to give impetus |
for free libraries i'll Delaware towns.
Mrs. Henry Ridgely, of Dover, spoke
briefly of Libraries and Literature.
She said that Delaware towns are not /
taking advantage of the liberal state aid I
that the law allows. She wants the club
women to get out the popular vote for
libraries and told them, if necessary, to
vote on the receipts for taxes paid on
their silver-spoOns and cows. Only two
towns, Dover and Odessa, are receiving
State aid The commission hopes TO
have the law amended by the next Leg
islature so as to allow $50 or 500 from
the State to purchase books for each new
library.
''Three fourths of the town libraries in
New Jersey were started by club women
and then made public Miss Askew
said, "Their laws are not as liberal as
Delaware's yet they are doing a great
work in rural communities. They have
MANY libraries with an annual income of
only 500 and libraries i'll many towns of
inhabitants. They have Is
Libraries and reading-rooms in cross-road
stores, and in many places they raise
library funds by auction of farm and gar
den products. Some districts have conf
centres.
The discussion was continued by Mrs.
Caleb E. Burchenal; she said, There
1as been in recent years a virtable revo-
luton in the attitude which thinking
men and women have taken toward the
question of the reading which the boys
md girls of today are doing. The prob /
EN- is no longer subject merely for the !
librarian; it is no longer s
subject that is being considered merely '
" a few isolated donors of libraries and !
/ few unusual men and women; it is no
onger a subject that is being kept in
he background of the clubs for social