The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1916-05-17
CLUB WOMEN
PLAN GREAT
CONVENTION
GREATEST CONVENTION IN THE
HISTORY OF WOMEN'S CLUBS
TO BE HELD IN NEW YORK
NEXT MONTH.

en- of the country, two and a half
million of whom are represented in
the General Federation of Women's
Clubs, have perfected a plan for the
greatest convention in the history Of
the federation in New York this
month. The dates are May % to
June s. During those seventeen days
it is expected that fully 10000 wom-
en- representing clubs in every state
in the union. as well as some from
Alaska, Japan, England, Hawaii and
South America will attend many of
the innumerable meetings and social
functions that have been arranged.
New York City this year is said
to have more than 500 different con-
ventions on its calendar, but from all
indications none will equal in at
tendance the gathering of women
Special sentiment is attached to the
women's convention in the fact that
although the federation was founded
here twenty-siX years ago, it is the
first time since that the women have
met in New York. 1t was Jennie
June" Croly, one of the founders Of
the Soross, the pioneer woman's
club in this country, who initiated
the idea of a general convention of
women's clubs in 1889, and the out,
come of this was the holding of the
first convention of the General Fed
Grafton in New York in the following
year, when 63 clubs were represented
by 1875 delegates and the Sorosis was
hostess.
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 con-
yention, the thirteenth, will have So
rosis again as its hostess, in con-
junction with the New York state
and city federations which are work
ing their hardest to make the gather
ing a notable one in every direction,
The main drill hall of the ArmOry
of the seventh regiment of the New
York National Guard, which will ac-
commodate upwards of 5000 women,
will be turned over to the women
for headquarters. The Armory is
located at 6Gth street occupying an
entire block, between Lexington and
Park avenues.
The chief executive is Mrs. Percy
V. Pennybacker, the president of
the Federation, whose home Is in
Austin, Texas, but who for the past
two years has been travelling through
out the country keeping in personal
contact with the activities of WON
ems clubs. She will not be a candi-
date for reelection this year, how
ever, and the question of her success
or will be one of the most important
items of business during the conven-
ton. The two candidates for the Of
fee are Mrs. Samuel 3. Eneatn, of
Tiffin. O., and Mrs. Josiah Evans
Cowles of Los Angeles. The Ohio
candidate is at present first vice
president of the federation, and IS a
club woman of wide experience. Mrs.
Cowles, whose name has been put
forward by the California women, has
also been prominently identified with
the federation for several years as
director. treasurer, and chairman Of
various committees.
In the words of Miss Lutte f..
Stearns, one of the directors of the
Federation, the business of being a
club woman is 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 convention. The
topics indicate an increasingly wide
range of affairs in which the club
women are taking not only an inter
est 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 activi-
ties at one convention, but now, says
Mrs. Eugene ]. Grant, the president
of the city federation, it takes the
six conventions of an administration
to get through the reports of the
thirty eight committees which have
developed.
The General Federation has as its
broad object the furtherance of every
movement in the interest of women,
children and mankind in general, and
the program calls for reports and
discussion by committees on art,
child welfare, civics, civil service re-
forms. home economies, conservation,
industrial and social questions, legis-
lation, education, literature, music,
public health,-and under these head