The Washington times., 1916-01-13
Miss Bina N. West, Noted
Organizer, Says They Are Fit
For Business Activities.
TELLS OF HER LIFE WORK
Will Speak Tomorrow Night At
Entertainment For National
Council of Women.

"Thls era of woman has so fully dem
onstrated her ability to follow business
pursuits and bring success to financial
ventures that we wonder why woman's
capacity for the stern realities OF busi-
ness life was ever a question" said
Miss Bina NJ. West supreme comman-
der Of the woman's Benefit Assoc!a-
ton OF the Maccabees, and one Of the
foremost organizers OF women In thls
country, last night.
Miss West Is in Washington to at
tend the entertainment to be given to-
morrow night by members OF her organ
ization for the delegates to the National
Council OF Women. at the Raleigh. Con-
tinuing. and speaking OF her own or
ganization, of which she was the
founder, Miss West said:
Her Organization An Example.
In 1892 this association started with
out a member and without a dollar.
Today It stands in the front ranks as
the largest fraternal benefit association
composed OF and managed exclusively
by women. 1t Is established in fifty
FIVE States and provinces. 1t has nearly
1000 local reviews with $4,000 mem
bers" Speaking OF the ability of wom-
en- to organize. Miss West pointed to
her own organization as an example.
'Tor the half believing and half hon.
ing, for the doubtcrs and Skeptics, we
have but to exhibit one of the most
gigantic enterprises. In its way int
has even been launched. managed. and
undertaken by women. IRIS movement
is today believed 10 lie the largest COM
mercial business In the world entirely
composed of and managed by women
The institution IS safe aud SECURE. hold
ing place in the financial world beside
similar ventures carried on by men
with a reserve fund per capita ahead
Of any movement Of It's kind. Thts rec
crd must forever silence any charge
against womens ability to cope with
the stern realities OF life.
OF, For and By Women.
when war was raging 2.hn0 year,
ago. women learned tho need of pro
vision FOR widows and children, and d
great fratcrnal beneficiary society in
these modern times has based its oper'
atoms on this ancient idea. From Tie
first movement OF man to protect thC
home II is not a far ster to the feeling
home against her loss, 70" what Is more
dcsolate than the homu without tx
mother. or the woman? To branch Out
in such an Organization vas q marc
procedure for women at first. To bI
an organization 81 women. for women
and by women has Leon tie aim and
success OF the Woman's Benefit .Asso
citation OF the Maccabees, formally
known as tho Ladies Of the Maccabec!
| of the World"
Taking up the organization of the as
ISOLATION in the District which now !!
! composed OF ten reviews" Miss Wes
Said
THE organization was organized II
| the District twenty years ago, and Mrs
| Lulu s. Hammond. who, was Elected the
| first record keeper. continues to lool
| fter the correspondence and finances o.
this branch. Nine reviews have beer
added TO the District since that time
| until now there is a large working, en-
thusIastic body OF women. numbering
about 1.5c0.
To Speak At Entertainment.
Mrs Mattel T. La Rue, formerly o.
| Minneapolis, assumed the leadership Of
the District some two wears ago. Mrs
La Rue has been for seventeen years
connected actively with the association
She began as private secretary to heI
mother. who was the State commando
| of Minnesota. AS soon as Mrs. La Ru,
had finished her college, work, she wal
placed in charge Of the organization
| i'm Manitoba. Canada, and has sine
been State commander OF Minnesota
! North Dakota. and Iowa"
Miss West. who is we'll known Il
washingtons club women, will be on,
| of the principal speakers at the enter
tainment at the Raleigh tomorrow
| night