South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-09-23
Gaining Experience AS Club Maker

When 1 FIRST started the Brown.
leigh club. / had had no experience
IN running a club OF any hnd," said
Miss Margaret H. Brown. the
founder and now one Of the direct
ors OF the Brownleigh club Of Chi
cago. Il took the lease OF these
rooms for a long period and start-
cd in % make them homelke and
comfortable. knew that there
was no such CLUB In the city as that
which i contemplated. / wanted %
make ID q place where women
could come, when ir town, &c gee
good luncheon ana, If they we're TO
stay in for the evening where they
could have a private room, res.
read. and feel at nome With this
in view, ] started out 20 get menu
bers 10 Join the club. so that
could at least pay expenses.
Clubs had expanded alonE lIteI-
ary lines. political lines ana civic,
but. Of clubs where women could
enjoy ,he same kind Of accommo-
datiOns as men had IN their clubs,
there were none. Many a time, ia
those frst few years. things were
uncertain. but 1 always had my
ideal. homelike place for women
20 lunch dire. rest, and meet their
friends. and, with faith that there
IL a place for all good ideas, i per
severed i'm the face Of seemingly in
sGrmouutable difficulties
After a few months. I realized
that. in justice 20 myself and tho
Few faisighted women whom 1 had
secured a. members, We must have
a definite form of organization. SO
We Incorporated il under the nare
CT the BroWnleigh clIb Of Chicago.
getting the members 20 take ou-
shares of $40 each, 20 the amount
OF $4,000 Iu 1916 we increased
that stock to $4,000 Thus. in two
years, my ideal had taken per
manent footing IN our midst with
some of Chicaso's practical pro-
fcssiOnal and business women as its
stockholders.
Il got a few 90 go out At first and
solicit members. and these. finding
the club so comfortable and honey
brought I'm their friends. We keep
open until after the theater, ana
try in every way 20 make the mem
bers feel they are one large family
/ suppose my duties are like those
G. a hostess. meet every new
woman who comes in as a guest.
and always try 90 Vake her feel at
home. 1 have so TAR planned the
menus. bought the food tor our
dining room, arranged the rooms;
in fact. done what any GOOD house
wife would have 90 40. try TO run
her home on a plan that would
bring out harmony and economy,
with the desree OF comfort COM
patible with her income
"Often we have had % so ahead
with certain measures uo- wholly
sure of now We were coming out,
but around one always flock splen-
did women who catch ones ideal
and cooperation 10 develop It, Such
has been the good fortune of the
Brownlcigh club There have been
many times when have come
down here lin the morning. not sure
whore the money would come from.
to stock our larder for the day: but
always some one has come forwar /
with q new member, or IN some
other way we have been tided over.
W. WISH .N Nttt ttAN htN' VII INV
scale Of safe. self-supporting
club. with much larger quarters, in
which we can give greater priv
ileges TO women than we can al
present our members are never
chosen for their patronage. We
choose them for the service which
such a club car Dee 20 them. Al
ready it's mem bership is made Up
of the more prosperous class of
business and professional women.
IL has always seemed 20 me that
much is done for eirls and women
with very small salaries but that
the class which has had least done
for IL Is tho middle class profes
sional ard business women. For
these. it is my ideal 20 make sucn
club home For this end, the
trustees and officers are workins.
we would in no way limit the
membership of this club 10 ans
class We have homemakers. BUS
fncss women. and all classes in IT,
The yearly due is small enough 90
admit all self-respecting women
WIN wish 10 avail themselves of is