The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1915-10-16
THE TAMPA WOMANS'
4 ~
CLUB.

CLUB.
Mrs. c. S. Bonacker, editor of the
Pensacola department of the Fedora
ton of Women's Clubs, has sent to /
The Journal the following account of
the work of the Tampa club, which
will be read with interest by members
of the Federation and other club wo-
men. The Journal will resume the
publication of the page devoted 20
Federation news. about the first of
November. In the meantime, when
space permits, articles dealing with
Federation work will appear in this
department:
Having been requested by Mrs. w.
L. Light, president of the Womans'
Club, to write a short history of the
club, for the Federation, I have, with
the assistance of Mrs. Seckinger, the
secretary, gone over the printed rec
ords, collected in the Club Scrap Book
and the authentic minutes, and have
gathered the most important events
of the club work, from the year of
its anization-19OO-up to the
present year, 1915.
In bylaws No. 3, section No. 6, we
read-"Honorary Members shall be
elected by unanimous vote of the
Board of Management on the recon-
mendation of three members, in
recognition Of distinguished merit, or
a tribute Of respect" So we take up
the list of our Honorary Members and
from their work get a fairly concise
history of the club, as it would be
impossible, in so limited a space, to
mention the good work done by each
of the thirteen presidents, following:
Mrs. A. E. Dick, two terms; Mrs
P. W. Smith, two terms; Mrs. M. L.
Douglass, two terms; Mrs. o. D.
Wetherell, Mrs. ]. D. Calhoun, Mrs.
Thos. Palmer, Mrs. J. H. Fessenden,
Mrs. John Hansbrough, Mrs. E. w.
Shaw, Mrs. Barron Phillips, Mrs. H.
P. Inabnett, Mrs. w. w. Jones, Mrs.
W. L. Ligat, two terms.
The idea of a Literary Club for the
exchange of intellectual work among
Tampa Women, originated in the &C
tive brain of Mrs. Thomas Shackel-
ford, now of Tallahassee. In Janu-
airy, 1900, Mrs. Shackelford talked
over her plan of a Woman's Club,
with Mrs. A. E. Dick and Mrs. M. w.
Carruth. The club was organized by
ten Tampa women, Mesdames. Shack
helford, Dick, Carruth, Long, Leon
ardi, Sprague, Adams, Gibbons,
! Douglass and Senour. The first meet
ing was held January 26th, 1900. At
this meeting nine more members were
admitted, Mesdames. Wetherell, Phil
lips, Gillett, Almut, Jennings, Pal
mer, Ferriss Conoley, Gundercheimer.
At the second meeting February 1sU,
the bylaws and constitution were
adopted and on February 9Th, the fol-
lowing officers were elected: Mrs.
Dick, president; Mrs. Shackelford,
vice-president; Mrs. Carruth, secre-
tary; Mrs. Seckinger, treasurer; Mes
danes. Douglass, B. Phillips, Moore,
Wetherell, Long and Leonardo, direc-
tors.
Mrs. Shackelford has never ceased
to be a member of the club. After
five years of work for its upbuildinc,
she moved to Tallahassee and in
recognition of her work in organizing
the club she was elected an honorary
member in 1905.
Mrs. A. E. Dick has also been a
member of the Womans' club from
its inception. She was the first pres
ident and served two terms. She was
instrumental in bringing the club in
contact with some famous people.
thus broadening their outlook on in
tellectual lines. By her invitation,
Mr.. William Jennings Bryan spoke to
the club, also Mrs. Custer, the wife of
the soldier hero, General Custer. It
was during Mrs. Dicks administra-
ton that a Carnegie Library for
Tampa, was suggested by Mrs, S. L.
Lowry. Mrs. Dick Immediately took
it up as a good work for the club,
and how faithfully the club worked
for the library during these first few
years, can be seen by the printed rec
orls in the scrap book. Now we
have the beautiful library and though
its completion was postponed for