Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1915-11-26
WORK OF THE woMENs CLUBS

WORK OF THE WOMENS CLUBS.
Through the courtesy of the Viz
ginia press the Virginia State Fedora
ton of Women's Clubs will give IN
formation from time to tine concern
ing it's organization and work.
The needs of n locality are voiced
in its clubs. When these needs be-
come not merely local but statewide,
the advantage of federation as a
means of expression becomes evident.
So many have asked, "What are
the Advantages of Federation?', that
we now publish a letter written by
Miss Cummings, the President of the
Virginia State Federation.
The following is the list of officers
for the year beginning June, 1915:
Miss Helen Norris Cummings, Al
exandria; Mrs. John L. Hagan, 1st
Vice-President, Danville; Miss Letta
Serpell, Second Vice-P President, Nor
folk; Mrs. Walter Ruan, Third Vice
President, Radford; Mrs. F. C. Davis,
recording secretary, Lexington; Mrs.
Mark Reid, Treasurer, Radford;; Mrs.
Frank T. Israel. Fairfax; Mrs. NJ. M.
Caldwell, general field secretary, Roa-
noke; Mrs. Richard Spindle, gener-
al field correspondent, Christiansburg !;
Mrs. Eleanor Washington Howard,
Parliamentarian, Alexandria.
KATRINA HINES ECHOLS,
Chairman of Press and Publicity Com
mittee.
Letter to Miss Cummings, President
of the Virginia Federation.
"Why should the Clubs federate ?"
Almost the firts thought that comes
is, what should we get out of it?
What is the advantage SO great that
not one club, large or small, can af-
ford to see a great world movement
| go on without it,"
1t is always well to view the pres
| ent in the light of history, that great
interpreter of the past and if we will
turns our thoughts back to that crit
ical period in American history, the
| 177O's we can easily recall that the
| efforts of our great men would have
come to naught, either before or
after the revolution, if all the ordi-
nary, every day men of the time had
] not been willing to pull together for
| the common cause, to unite in a CEN
trail movement. 1t was Capitalization,
federation, that welded our interests
together. Fac hstate in itself was
fine, producing wonderful individuals
and contributing much to the build
ing of its own life, but it wss not un-
til the individual state ceased to exist
for itself and merged its interests
into the greater interests of the whole
that the real strength and power SO
manifest throughout the country,
found expression and strength in the
greater power of the nation. A Unit
ed States was then developed and the
truth of the motto is borne in upon
us more and more as the years roll
by that United we stand"
In an astonishing degree in the
past forty years, the individual clubs
have grown throughout the country,
and their existence has been enduring
not ephemeral. The value of concert
ed action has been recognized and wo-
men with large horizons have formed
individual clubs into State and Cen
eral Federations. The individuality
of neither club nor state is in any
way injured but AN immeasurable
amount of good is given both.
Under twenty five departments the
work is systematized and many of
these departments have subdivisions
so that every variety of club life is
in touch. Standing at the head of
these departments are experts, women
who have devoted their strength and
money in perfecting themselves in
the subject they represent. Each
club is expected to call upon any
chairman of any department and many
helpful suggestions are always Civ
en-. There is also bureau of intro
nation that dithout cost save postage
Will furnish programs, necessary lit
erature, books, magazines, articles,
subject. Here are few at random
Art, Literature, Civics, Music. Con-
servation, Drama, Rural Schools, Vo-
cational Training, Public Health,
Home Economics, etc. In short every
interest is there for the choosing. Why
is this done? What motive power be-
hind the General Federation solely
and entirely the beside to lend hand
in the worlds work, to pass on the
good things of life; it is the thought
that lay behind Virginia Federation
in choosing her motto "Service, the
debt of education"
We who have been educated in
Federation work stand ready to serve.
We want to help the clubs who have
not yet joined our ranks and need
their help as well. BY the inter-
change of thought and experience in
educational matters, civic interest,
public health, keeping pure the minds
of our girls and boys by means of
choice literature, good moving pic
lures, ETC., we can enrich this grand
old state in her greatest asset, the
strenen the minds, souls and bodies
of her girls andd boys. Engage in
woman's work in a womanly way
can serve Virginia much more eff
ficiently if we all unite in "Unselish
service with the keen joy of high and
eager effort in great concerns" The
larger mlastinn has forced itself unnn