The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1913-03-14
womeo's Club.
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The presidents annual address,
given in full, follows:
DIR. Van Dyke once said that the
best speech he ever made was in the
carriage going home, recalling the
things he forgot to say, and Mr.. Jos.
Choate once said that there was no
substitute for wisdom. The next
best thing to wisdom was silence. So
/ shall strike a medium somewhere
between silence and good speech.
The time has come for the presi-
dent OF the Woman's Club to make
her annual address. Custom seems
to have decreed that this speech
should have no subject, no climax
and no perceptible ending. Tnis day
stands out in the years program like
a great rock or mountain peak, which
separates two sunny undulating and
fertile valleys.
We go ons through the club days,
happy and unsuspecting. enjoying
the feasts spread out before us by the
program committee, then before we
know 1t, we are up against this thing,
this barrier which must be surmount-
ed before we can participate in the
joys that are set before us. l remem-
Der that the first year that l was
president, attempted to review in a
more or less-mostly less-serious
way, our study Of Hebrew Literature.
| But when the next year rolled
around, in fear and trepidation, lit
i OBJ trx,,b
took you all with me on a tour
through Europe, and We did not re-
turn until our guests had arrived and
supper was served.
The next year having nothing bet
ter to do than to stay in my own.
my native land" made a brave at
tempt at making speech, without
saying anything in particular, and
succeeded beyond my own expecta-
tons.
| (Story) So here 1 am for the
fourth time to tell you what you al
ready know or may not be particul-
arly interested to hear. There is this
difference, however. On former oc-
casions my name has been on the
list OF officers as presented by the
nominating committee, and as l said
on former occasion 1 had no way of
Knowing whether my speech would
be recorded as an inaugural, or a
farewell. But as stand here today,
| am not a candidate for office, so l
can say most freely, and / assure you
most sincerely, that there Is no Joy
or privilege or pleasure, greater than
to serve the Woman's club of Owosso
This fact remains, that either you
of women or l am very dull, (and l,
of course prefer to believe the for
mer) because l cannot recall a thing
that has been hard or unpleasant. In
| fact the past four years, stand out in
my mind expressed in one word,-
Harmony. And | am sure / express
the sentiment of each one nere, when
pledge your love and devotion to
our new president and the other Of
ficers. OF course in an open club like
this the personnel of the club chang
es in the course of few years. But
amidst all these changes our devo-
ton to the club, our love for each
other and our loyalty to those presid-
ing over us should go on unchanged,
and interchangeable.
An ideal club is like an ideal fam
H.. Each one is expected to say and
do taat which makes for the peace
and happiness of the whole.
| .
| lated family or at least one in which
the highest ideals were not set forth
or one in which the most noble prin-
ciples had not been inculcated, If
thing had to be done to please one, or
if you had to be on the alert for fear
true of an organization. Its strength
inspiration and helpfulness is gone
as soon as there is dissention and
criticism.
SO that is why / say, it has been a
joy to have served for four years,
such an united, harmonious and low
able body of women, as those to be
found in the Woman's club.
There is sentence which reads 81
am a part Of all | have met" In our
study from year to year, we may not
retain all that we would like to. But
tne reading, the effort, the inspira-
ton, altogether, help in the general
culture and uplift.
So the leading, the being lead, the
adapting Of ourselves to each other,
the giving up of our own preferences
to please some one else does not
seem great at the time, but in the
end, means character. These are the
gifts we unconsciously receive as we
meet from time to time. So l trust
that we may go on "Forever-ever"
like Tennyson's Brook" receiving,
giving ont, loving and being loved.
AS G.. Fl. Morrison has so beautifully
said 1T is not rare gifts that make
men happy. 1t Is the common and
simple and universal gifts, 1t is
healti, and the CLEAN of sunshine in
the morning, it is fresh air, 1t Is the
friend, the lover; it is the kindness
that meets us on the journey; it Is a
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