The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1914-04-07

should decide the time of a state con-
vention, unless there was nothing else
to be considered. 1t would be a very
great pleasure to have them with us
as they must know, for many cordial
invitations have been rendered to our
general executive board members TO
meet with Florida conventions. I am
sure also. they would be the last to
wish their names in connection with
a purely division point, SO I win not
go further than to say that our loved
president general has already re-
Iceived, and declined for reason of
pressure OF engagements. an urgent
invitation to attend our convention in
May; and has also been invited with
equal urgency to be with US the first
week In December, IL at all possible to
her.
9Th: There IS not one word In the
state presidents letter Of announce
ment of change of date, which could
imply that the hostess chapter was
unable or unwilling to entertain the
convention in May. She merely
thought the chapters would share her
pleasure that the deferred date was
not inconvenient to them, and so
quoted from the letter of the hostess
president.
invitation can be withdraw. 10 a grave
| dfscourtesy, and we should show the
| same courtesy to an organization, as
to the individual women composing it.
| L ne HOSI0SS CnapJ0r mas not SAID one
| word about 1t, but the state president
and a number Of chapter presidents,
| have thought It reasonable to sup
pose that some of the members in
Kissimmee might like to attend re-un-
| ion themselves and it would be almost
ipossible for them to do so, with
| convention the next week.
18th: The constitution of the Flor
| ida division reads: The power is
| hereby vested in the president at her
1 n n ha h0 rI11
for holding the annual meeting OF con-
vention, in case OF unavoida,bI or in
surmountable obstacles which may
arise" There Is no limitation in
stacle must be unavoidable or insur-
| mountable. To your president, and
| she doubts not, but to you also, the
obligation of courtesy and Difference
surmountable than fire. flood or ept-
demic,' for any of these might easily
be avoided by change OF place.
Therefore your president has OBJ
served the constitution in letter and
spirit.
None, OF the reasons you give. apply
in the slightest, in contradiction to
the carefully considered reasons for
postponements announced, nor have
they weight in themselves sufficient
to make your president reverse a de-
cfsion reached after months of paine
taking thought; decision voluntar-
lily submitted to her state executive
board, and approved by nine out of
her eleven colleagues thereon, one
member having expressed an adverse
opinion, and one being too i'll at the
time to write, leaving the vote OF the
board to one in favor of the deferred
date.
Therefore although your president
greatly regrets not being able to sat
isfy every member of her division,
the convention date remains Deem
Der 2, 1914.
AS a courtesy to you, your presi-
dent does not wish to seem to disre-
gard that portion OF your letter of
March p, which refers to your inter
probation of the wish Of the chap
tiers; pardon her If she calls your at
tention to two errors in IT.
LIST: If it were possible at all, to
constitutionally take the vote of the
chapters on the question of the date,
it would necessarily have to be done
on the exact constitutional authorize
ton Of votes in the convention, and
this you have not done. We do not
estimate votes on the aggregate
strength Of the division, or of num-
Der of chapters, but on the respective
strength of each chapter.
Estimating in this way. not ZAP
proximately," but accurately, on the
recorded membership of each chap
ter. the six chapters, three beside
those in Jacksonville, that have COM
municated directly to the state pres |
ident their wishes for May conven-
ton, with one G. OF c. chapter, aggre- !
gate thirty one (3D votes. The chap |
tiers that have communicated Off
cially to her their loyal support of her !
and her executive board, and five G. |
Of G. chapters, aggregate sixty-six
(66) votes. This last does not count |
the individual votes in convention who |
have expressed their support, the ex-
ecutive board, the several chapters |
who unofficially expressed their per- |
feet willingness to abide by the rul- |
ing of the state president and her |
board; nor the hostess chapter, |
whose telegram as sent in copy to the
state president reads: viii Bryan |
chapter stands ready to entertain |
convention whenever state executive
committee and state regent direct; |
SO you will see that even if the deci- |
sion had to be ratified by the di- |
vision, it would still be sustained
End: You assume the right to con- |
clude that all chapters who did not |
reply to you, were Indifferent to mat /
tiers of interest to the division. The /
chapters had q perfect right to reply /
Or not. they chose, to an unoffi- |
cial, If not unconstitutional commu-
nication from you, without giving |
grounds for such inference; and that |
you were mistaken in your conclusion
is best shown by the fact that many |
of these chapters evidently have writ
ten the state president on the sub
ject.
Your president regrets that you did |
not send her the half dozen courteous
lines. which would have saved you |
much trouble, Immediately after your