St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1913-10-29
THE WOMANpS CLUB
Miss Crawford Gave Address at
Special Meeting Of the Organ
izatiOn Yesterday Afternoon.

The ST Johnsbury Woman's club
and a large number of guests who
included the mothers of the older
children of the public schools and
teachers enjoyed a treat in the ex-
ira meeting of the club held at Grace
Methodist church on Tuesday after
noon. While the company was gath
ering Miss Elsye Sargent rendered a
musical program on the organ which
was much enjoyed. Mrs. Gray, pres
ident of the club, presented the chair
man of the education committee,
Mrs. Ellen f. Brooks, who introduc-
ed the speaker of the afternoon, Miss
Caroline Crawford of New York, for
merIy dean of women at Middlebury.
Miss Crawford was a speaker at the
State Federation meeting in June
and her talk this time wa no less de-
Iightful than the one given on that
occasion.
Her subject, "The Woman's Club
as the Guardian of Social Life" was
an optimistic study of the causes
of the present so-caIled unrest among
women of today. She said that the
great Industrial revolution which
sent women out into the world to
work began only a little over 100
years ago when certain towns de-
manded that all women who were
not occupied in the home spend a
certain amount of time daily in the
public spinning room. The factory
followed naturally upon the discov-
cry of the uses of steam and made
it necessary for women to do some
work outside the home. Women who
went to work were socially outside
the domestic cirile which no longer
protected them.
The economic change brought
with it a moral and ethical effect al
so. Women could no longer be pro-
tected by the individual and the
working woman is really a new type
who needs the care and protection
of US collectively.
Through the changed conditions
in the home women have now to
meet the problems of expense and
that they may know how to do this !
wisely all the colleges in the land
are now Offering courses in domes-
tic science The woman who was
formerly a producer has become a |
spender of wealth. Through her |
efforts outside the homo the pure
food law has come about and the
move to remedy conditions in sweat
shops. The restlessness of women
is caused Ey their endeayor to get
adjusted to the new and startling
changes in their work Everything
is now spoken of as evolutionary.
history is no longer matter of
dates but of causes and effects; the
present is the child of the past, the
present the parent of the future and
things must become better because
society is progressive. The home is
where you center all the forces to
make them adequate for humanity.
The home is a socialized forc9 and
woman must know the factors that
it. The industrial situation
brought about the political. which is
shown in the demand that conditions
outside meet the needs of the home
within.
Miss Crawford dwelt particularly
lpon the social needs of the young
people for gathering places. Among
he places which should be studied
ire the dances anu the moving pic
.ure shows which are the literature
If the people of the present day.
Both are 70 be encouraged but We
should know abort them and try to
Know where our young people are
lancing and what kind of pictures
hey are seeing. A room where
hey can dance and where moving
pictures and monographs or me-
.hanical piano players can entertain
hem is one of the first things club
.houId try 10 control if not possess.
she suggested that instead OF
cholarhip at some college the
state Federation send some gradu-
tie out to study what has been done
n other places in meeting these con-
Iitions and then telling the clubs
lere the results of her investigation.
This is the finest cooperative move
nent for democracy the world has
,uown, that all women stand togeth- j
r. for a better, finer home, and the s
Iesire to promote the social life or r
,ur young people is one of the I
-reatest signs of promise for the '
uture. s
An informal reception was given +
Eiss Crawford after her splendid, {
Inspiring talk. {
Alexander Defeated