Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-05-15
THiRTEEkrH BIENNIAL
SESSION AT. NEW YORK
Wide Range Of Activities to BE Con-
. sjdered at Meeting - Social Program
10 of Unusual intsrest-T~o canci-
dates 10 Seek Presidency Of Fedora
tion-Mrs. Pennybaeker TO Retire.


convention in the history OF the feder-
alton In New York this month. The
dates are May % to June 8. During
those seventeen days 1t is expected that
fully 10000 women, representing clubs
in every state in. the union. as we'll as
some from Alaska. Japan. England, Ha-
wall and South America, will attend
many of the innumerable meetings and
social functions that have been ar
ranged. " r..- < ~
New York this year is said to have
more than 500 different conventions on
it's calendar but from all ~indications
none will equal in attendance the gath
ering Of women. Special sentiment Is
attached to the women's convention by
the fact that altho the federation was
founded here twenty-six years ago. 1t
is the first time since then that the
women have met in New York. 1t was
Jennie June" Croly, one of the found
ers of the Sorosis. the pioneer women's
clum in this country. who Initiated the
clubs in 1889. and the outcome Of this
was the holding of the FIRST convention
of the general federation in New York
in the following year when sixty three
clubs were represented by 126 delegates
and the Sorosis was hostess. 49,.
e thirteenth Biennial Meeting.
Chicago, Philadelphia, Louisville,
Denver. Milwaukee. Los Angeles, St
Louis. st. Paul, Boston. Cincinnati, San
Francisco and Chicago again, have been
the convention cities In the order
named. The forthcoming convention,
the thirteenth. will have Sorosis again
as its hostess, in conjunction with the
New York state and city federation
which are working their hardest to
make the gathering a notable one in
every direction s ~
The main drill hall Of the armory of
the Seventh regiment OF the New York
National Guard. which win accommo-
date upwards of 5000 women. will be
the principal meeting place The colo
ners room and other officers quarters
win be turned over to the women for
headquarters, The armory 10 located
at Sixty-sixth street, occupying an en-
fire block between Lexington and Park
avenues. ~ ~ 80
Two Candidates for Presidency. s~ 4
The chief executive Is Mrs. Percy v.
Pennybacker, the president OF the fed
Grafton, whose home is In austin. Tex,
but who for the past two ye.ss has been
travelling turnout the country keeping
in personal contact with the activities
of women's clubs. She will not be a
candidate for reelection this year.
however. and the question Of her sue
cessor will be one of the most impor-
tant items of business during the con-
Office are Mrs. Samuel B. Sheath. Of
Tiffin. Ohio. and Mrs. Josiah Evans
Cowles. of Los Angeles. The Ohio cam
didatAis mt present first vice president
of the federation, and Is club woman
of wide experience. Mrs. Cowles. whose
name has been put forward by the CAL
ifornia women. has also been promi-
nent1y identified with the federation
several years as director, treasurer and
chairman OF various committees
In the words of Miss Lutte z. Sfearns,
one Of the directors of the federation,
..tl,e business Of being club woman ID
a big business and is getting to be
bigger business every day" This Is
apparent from the elaborate program
that has been arranged for the conven-
ton. The topics indicate an increas-
ingiy wide range of affairs in which the
club women are taking not only an ip-
terest but an active part. There waS a
time, for instance, when the New York
CITY Federation Of Women's Clubs
could report on all Of its activities at
each convention, but now, says Mrs.
Eugene j. Grant, the president OF the
city federation, it takes the six conven-
lions Of an administration to get thru
the reports of the thirty eight commit
tees which have developed.
Wide Range of Activities.
4 The general federation has as its
broad object the furtherance Of every
m the interest sof women,
children and mankind in general. and
the program calls for reports and dis
cussion by committees on art, child
welfare, civics, civil service reforms,
home economics, conservation, indus
trial and social questions. legislation.
education, literature, music. public
health-and under these headings come
subjects ranging all the way from NOV
Ing pictures to international relation
ships. One important announcement
that will be made at the convention Is
the fact that the federation has raised
an endowment Of 100000. The plan to
raise such sum was voted at the Gin,
cinnati convention in 1910, and now
that the sum has been realized II will
be invested by trustees. the interest be-
ing used to help carry on the work OF
the general federation.
Many women prominent In New York
Club life will take their turns as hos
tesses TO various sections OF the great
gathering. Mrs. Thomas A. Edison, for
instance. will be one of the first to en-
terrain the, women. at her home at
ELiewellyn Park, nj J. Mrs. John Hays
Hammond will be hostess at a luncheon
to- all OF the state presidents. Mrs.
William Tod Heimuth will be hostess at
fa pionser club women's dinner, and in
addition there will be luncheons and
dinners and other entertainments at
various women's clubs. "a Shakespeare
masque, reception at the Metropolis
tan Museum Of Art. and a number Of
tother outside features will be included
1t has been demonstrated that q we'll
constructed brick house VIII out
Hast one 81 granite.