The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-06-06
"WOMAN AND CLUB LIFE"
Paper Read by Mrs. f. n Bradshaw Before the Fifteen
Club at Recent Session at Leon, Iowa.

IN asking ME to present this sub
Ject suppose Mrs. McGinnis thought
that since | am minister's wife my
point or view might be a little differ
ent from that of others differently
situated, and, too, because | have
been cub woman myself | might
understand little better about the
influence of clubs on the members
than could one who has never be-
longed, because ner opinion must be
based chiefly on hearsay and imasi-
nation. and, too, since am a woman,
| suppose she thought | might better
understand the impulses and the
desires and the lC1gings of woman's
heart.
We all know that oftentimes We
are misunderstood, criticised and
censl red as being weak and foolish
ana frivolous, when we are certain
that the trouble does not lie there
at all but it is only the call of the
peculiar nature of woman for refresh
| ment, for sustenance, for room to
grow. The feeling or dependence on
others is strong in woman. 1t is
oftentimes this reaching out tor
strength and support that causes the
social impulses to spring forward SO
prominently The woman's idea is
| the outgrowth of this need of social
| intercourse.
This is an age of organization-the
telephone, the wireless telegraphy
the electric cars, the automobiles
have had much to 10 with strength
ening the social feeling. The more
we see and hear and know people the
more we wish to do so.
And, too, we recognize that some
needs at present must be met by
United effort. Great social needs
beyond the powe: of any one individ-
uai, call for the joint action of many.
Social evils call for combined attack
and we must go at them as we do
the fly pest and the mosquito null
sance in the southern states. A single
individual, standing alone can do but
little, there must be collective de-
Tense, hence we can do a work in
clubs that We can not do alone
The Civic clubs in our cities stand
out and work for better streets, neat
err lawns, the preservation of old
burying grounds and historical build
|
patriotism and courage in the young
by giving prizes, for examples of
these They encourage industry by
ocerirg to children who excel in gar
den making and vegetable growing, in
! making and vegetable growing, in
! cooking and house keeping. The
crying need of the inhabitants in
many towns is not for more work but
for some good clean legitimate pleas
ures. This is splendid chance for
the clubs as single individuals alone
can do little to help. 1t is ones duty
to brighten the lives CT those who
are down ana out, nh0ce lays are
| always just dull round of work,
year in, and year out. will say
right here that one Of my chief pleas
ures since | have been in Leon is
| the memory Of IN afternoon spent
as the guest of THE Fifteen Club. {"
l was then almost complete stran-
ger. had slight speaking acquain-
lance with only three or four women
[ was homesick and lonesome. ad-
mired so much the spirit that prompt
ed the club to invite the elderly
women, the shut-ins and the stran-
gers to spend the afternoon as guests
of the club. Such work will bring
forth fruit, for the people must live
! to themselves a great deal, they be-
| come, oftent'EaeS, sou and bitter.
\ social afternoon, such as We had
mat day means much. This is some.
thing that one woman alone could
not do. | am certain that | am not
the only one whose memory will
never let go the thought OF that af-
rernoOn.
There are many problems which
| ore woman alone can not satisfac-
torily. Problems regarding the
general welfare Of home and society
need the united effort of many. For
instance the problem of getting a
rest room so that girls might be
kept from going to the court house to
loiter and wait. All thinking people
must admire the motive that prompt
ed this club for the past three years,
to bring lecture course to Leon for
the pleasure and up!ift of the people.
Yet while there are many good
things to be gained in clubs, there is
danger Of wasted time, danger of
neglect of homes; danger of eXtrava-
gance; in lavish enterta inments; dan
ger of strife and rivalry; dan
ger of being carried away from the
really good things, the kernel Of
things, to the hulls and husks of
of things For about two years, once,
l belonged to a club, that now, as
look back from this milestone of
| life's journey, believe were wasted
i years. In the first place l should
not have belonged to that club be-
cause nearly all the members were
wealthy and I was not. While nearly
I all of them had been school mates of
mine, and several of us belonged to
the same church, yet for financial
/ reasons l should not have belonged.
; Matters of expense which to them
were mere trifles to me meant some
| times a months board bill or one
! half my salary as teacher. 1t was
time wasted, also because the club
| was absolutely selfish in all it's work.
| We never thought of helping any one
| but ourselves. We had our set of
! friends whom we entertained over
and owe" again, and that was all. AS