Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-11
SAYS CLUB WORK
IS TRUE RELIGION
Mrs. Pennybacker, President
of General Federation, Ad-
dresses Convention.
MAKES STRONG APPEAL
TO BETTER RURAL LIFE
Suffrage Advocates Busy Marshaling
Forces Today to Support "Votes
for Women" Resolution.

CHICAGO, June 1.-Declar1ng her be
lief that Club work is true religion,
and proposing that the federation join In
an earnest campaign for the betterment
of rural life, Mrs. Percy V. Pennyba cker
president of the General Federation OF
Women's Clubs. today addressed the bi-
ennial convention of the federation.
She asked that the federation work
be widened by being presented before
other organizations. by conferences at
state federations and primarily by in
dividual effort
Let US call for volunteers said Mrs.
Pennybacker, Ito carry the gospel OF
the general federation work to every
individual club at least once year.
would not hesitate to ask these women
to offer their services in the highest mis-
sionary spirit, for verify the message
they will bring is oftentimes of a re-
ligious nature"
Cites Good in Work.
"If you could hear as 1 have heard
stories of how sick babies had been
saved. of how women to whom every
door of life was closed have had their
lives made full of hope and courage; of
comforted and refreshed. you would not
feel that 1 have overstated the matter
when l claim that club work is true
religion
IF we could bring about these three
things during the next two years, if we
could deliver our message before every
other state organization, if We could
have a live general federation session
at each state meeting, if we could secure
fervid, consecrated women to carry a
message to every individual club, we
would find it easy to accomplish any
reform we undertook
The rural betterment campaign pro-
posed by Mrs. Penny hacker. which she
declared would be both inspirational and
concrete accomplishment, looked to-
ward providing comfortable homes for
country school teachers.
Urges Permanent Teachers.
The day will come when a poet will
arise to sing the virtues and unselfish
service of the country teacher. II the
school is to be a real center of the best
social life In the community, it must
be presided over by a teacher who has
at least some degree of permanency
Nothing will sooner give this permanency
than a comfortable house, with a plot
Of ground. where the teacher can have a
settled feeling.
There are today other forces think
Ing, planning and working along the line
have indicated. all standing ready to
cooperate with us in this service
The national president told of the in
crease in the ranks of the general fed
Grafton since the last biennial conven-
ton, six hundred and seventy clubs
having been admitted. leaving no state
uprepresented on the federation roll
l. F,yl
for the past. hopeful for the future. let
US gird on our armor and press for
ward
May Indorse Suffrage.
Suffrage advocates among the delegates
were busy marshaling their forces today
in preparation for an expected battle over
suffrage resolution that, it was re-
ported, might be offered to the convention
at any moment Leaders of the suffrage
wing exulted openly over the outburst OF
applause that last night greeted Miss
Jane Addams when she made the first
statement for suffrage to be heard from
the platform after the convention was
officially opened.
Without the franchise she declared,
women are suddenly shut out of the
game-the game played all over the world
by statesmen who at this moment are
trying to translate the new social SYM
pathy into political action
The applause, that seemed to be gen.
eral all over the floor and galleries. was
echoed from the stage. where a number
among the leaders cheered and waved
their handkerchiefs
"Women's clubs" said Miss Adams,
ARE a manifestation of the effort for
liberty and culture. The federation OF
women's clubs is a most important factor
in disseminating social sympathy and
social Information"
Miss Adams said that women's clubs
had for their forerunners the political
salons of the eighteenth century. and
that they furnished an outlet for the
brains and energy that women otherwise
would permit to run to seed.