The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-03-18
HISTORY OF
WOMAN'S CLUB
Given by Mrs. j. c. Dewitt
in Regular Club Meet
ing Yesterday
ADDRESS BY MISS
FLORENCE JACKSON


and Industrial Union of Boston,
Showing Many Vocational opportun-
tiles Open to Women.
\ regular meeting of the Brattleboro |
Woman's club was held in the Congrega-
tional chapel yesterday afternoon. i |
good sized audience was present to hear
Miss Florence Jackson of the Educational
and Industrial union Of Boston speak of
her work; and to listen to an interesting
history OF the Woman's club written by
Mrs john C. Dewitt, president of the
club for two years.
Miss jackson is head OF the appointment
bureau Of the Educational and Industrial
union, and has served i'll other capacities
| from time to time. 80 her knowledge OF
the institution l. very complete.
! This well established work is housed
on Boylston street. and was begun in
! 1877 by a group OF women DESTROYS OF
! finding employment for women, not Of 4
domestic nature. From this small begin
ming the work has grown and branched
out until it .ncudes L. departments.
The speaker told first OF the research
department where each year three young
women having feIlowships are trained in
! the work of collecting statistics relating
to the industrial conditions OF women,
whether they work i'm their homes and if
50 at what kinds of employment. These
facts and many more the fellows collect
and put into useful form. These are col
legc women and when they have added to
the theoretical knowledge gained there
the practical work given them by the
union they are well fitted to take up work
for state commissions and the Federal
Labor bureau, where many OF them are
working, at good salaries This point
e Miss jackson made clear. The women
: trained III any OF the l.; departments arc
50 we'll equipped that they are worth good
salaries. An employer may be sure he IS
securing a woman who has had ample OPP
portnity to apply hcI theory and find It's
weak points.
Diversified Training
In this establishment childrens clothes
Fl are made and sold-therebv meeting the
: requirement that each department shall b,
; both educational and Industrial The
j.. workers are taught to design and maxi
the clothing, and 50 it l. educational
= When sold it makes the department in
dustrial as we'll.
In the same manner are conducted dress
: making and millinery shops, an art lie
Il partment lunch rooms and the selling o
K food. There Is also d social service blu
I reau. where the obhging workers Will rem
: der any service from reaching an umbrel.
. 10 directing one to suitable lodgings o
finding a temporary home Tor a eat II
the kitchens Of this surprising place ar
put up 5000 lunches daily, for schoo
L children.
II There is a department for the finding o
! employment for those handicapped ply
= sicaly by the lack OF sufficient and techn
: cal training. There is alse a school 70
I teaching craftsmanship, which has bee
t very successful. Groups of girls from tn
+ Boston shops are sent here for three hom
Il a day for three months to learn the man
q, things that 20 TO make a good sale
.s woman, In turn many OF these girls hav
70 themselves becomes heads OF such school
- in various cities Then there are the stl
:. dent workers, many taking course Q
+ some kind at Simmons in the morning an
getting the practical work in the atte1
q, noon at the union.
aS Miss jackson says that all employee
le with the very few exceptions of tho>
O. brought in for special short-tne WORT
d receive their wages or salary for the /
u months of the year and have regula
i. vacation.
! Many more interesting things are dor
- in this building, and, a Miss ,Jacksu
NJ said, she hadn't half time enough to tc
it. She proved very conelusively tn;
4 there are many vocations open 10 wome
Alother than teaching.
Mrs DeWitt's historical paper is prin
I ed herewith in its entirety:
I Second in the State.
Il The Brattleboro Woman's club. viii,
I was the second to be formed in the stat
! was organized March Is, 1896, with
chgnter membership of Il The membe
ship. which is now limited to $50 acti
I resident members, is full and IA long wa
ing list established 1t also has II hone
AIRY and associate and II non-reside
4 members. making the total membclsh
4 number 2773.
At the time of its organization Nelmo
had no federation, Of course, but t
II women of the state We're becoming slim
1 lated into activity and clubs were bel
1 formed. so that early in that year t
state federation was formed and III Oct
I her the BrattIeboro club joined with ii
az other clubs. In May, 1911, the q,
- ioincd the General Federation of Woman
zs. clubs.
Tie year following its organization
\ evening session was formed with Is me-
3 bers. composed Of teachers and women
4 employed that they could not atte
AFTERNOON meetings, and the program
the day session was repeated at tn,
meetings This branch was continued fl
wears and their principal work was t
publishing of booklets of patriotic SON
which were distributed in 80 ru
schools in the county
The program of the club has vari
from year to year, dealing mainly Wi
scientific. social, educational and eli
subjects, interspersed with topics
modern fiction and travel, and memb,
are proud to review the long list
prominent speakers who have lectured
them. Music frequently appears on t
program and each year one meeting
given wholly to it and many dist
guished artists have appeared under /
I auspices of the club Public organ re,
ais have also been given from time