The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-10-01
CLUBS AND SOCIETIES

The following statement was issued
today by Mrs. Grace Julian Clarke OF
Indianapolis:
Mrs. Percy V. Pennybacker presi-
dent of the General Federation of
Women's Clubs, has taken time and
made opportunity, since she was in
stalled in office to travel about the
United States and get acquainted with
the local club problems and with the
local club women who make up the
millions of the Federation's mem
bership lists. Recently she was halted
long enough to CLEAN from her some
interesting information as to her OBJ
servations, impression and conclusions
about club women in general and club
work in particular.
When it is remembered that Mrs
Pennybacker' S itineraries have extend
ed over nearly the whole of the Unit
ed States during the last year, it is
evident that what she says can be
taken as striking the universal note"
for the club women of America as the
testimony of the more limited observ-
er could not be expected to do. And
what she says is this:
I'm travelling about the country do
you know what impresses me most
deeply is the fact that the majority of
the club women into whose homes
good are good housekeepers and home
makers"
Perhaps she keeps an especially
keen eye on evidence of this sort, be-
cause she admits that in her eyes
home making is "a woman's first
duty''-an admission that hardly Ats
in with the old historic notion that
women's clubs were TO be frowned
down and laughed out of existence as
a menace to the hearths and homes of
America. Having thus treasured the
fearful. Mrs. Pennybacker quite as I'M
hesitatingly announces that the next
most impressive thing in her observa-
ton of club women has been the fact
that club women are good citizens
And forthwith she reConCiles any seem
ing contradiction in terms by adding
cheerfully, They realize that home
making now extends beyond the four
walls of woman's own house"
The most hopeful feature of club
life?' The answer is ready almost
as soon as the question: 1T is that
women have discovered one another,
and have become able TO do good team
work. Club women possess a fine spir-
it one toward another"
Mrs. Pennybacker seems Instructive
~ 10 Hlu Tue pIdlSSNOllIS ledLuI ( Ol
club work first; it is always easier to
get her to praise than to critiCise, but
one you challenge her to criticism, she
talks very much TO the point. One of
the weakest features in women's club
work is, she considers, Our tendency
to omit to make a thorough study Of
question undertaking practical work
along the chosen line of reform i'm
movement Goethe has we'll said:
Nothing is more dangerous than ig
norance at work and every little
while havoc and distress are wrought
for no better reason than that we'll
meaning people undertake work in
itself good. but bound to suffer unless
it be undertaken with proper under
standing of the basic truths involved
IL it. | am sometimes rather keenly
struck with the fact that when wOm-
am discovers a need that is new TO
her she assumes that the need is like
wise new to the world; whereas
careful study of the question would
show her that the very steps in reform
that she wishes to take have already
been taken and been found to lead
nowhere"
A woman of fine and insistent dem
ocracy, the president of the Fedora
ton is constantly working out some
project for the increased solidarity of
womanhood. Just now" she says.