The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1917-01-25
.ho Clubwomen of Washington:


when this press letter reaches you,
III, vou not make it personal mes
..oe to YOU, who read, and to your
.,,bq It is a good plan to have your
s.;ssors handy when you read the pa
sar Often there are articles you want
- remember and that you do not want
- forget. So please, dear reader, If
..,u ore q clubwoman, cut this out take
:. "a vour club and read it to them as
message from your general fedora
ton director.
The most important subject that can
.ome I'D for consideration, touching
Tho general federation, is whether or
no+ YOUR club is one of those which
should belong to the general fedora
+ion bv direct membership. Some OF
onr leading clubwomen have said to
mo eve do not believe in clubs join
ing the general federation. We think
there should be reorganization to
Give all clubs membership thruout the
state." This, of course, is little dis
couraging for the director, or it would
he if she were easily discouraged. Let
us consider the proposition a little.
ORGANIZATIONS are not like machines;
thew are not made to order from a
oiven pattern; they are more like Top
sv. thew just grow. It is a little re-
markable that this vast organization
with it's two million and half women
members, should have, in it's uncons-
cious growth, taken on the federal ma
ture of our own national government;
acting in some fields upon states and
in others upon individuals. 1t is not
commended that this is the best organ
ization for our club movement, but
only that it has been natural growth
and as the form in which it exists at
present must be dealt with as it is,
and not as we personally think it
should be.
The general federation consisted in
the beginning of individual clubs. His
torically the state declarations are of
later growth and are the interlopers.
They were organized for convenience
in local government but it was not in
tended that they should form barriers
between the individual club and the
great parent organization, where as
in no other society in the world the
solidarity and power of united woman
hood is felt and valued. Whether or
not the time has come for change is
beside the question. You are asked
to consider the following phases of
the situation as it now is.
Here is a great work being carried
on by the women of America in the in
terests of humanity. More and more
our departments are allying them
selves with the altruistic enterprises
of our land.
Is your club a strong, we'll founded
organization with a few dollars to
spare in local needs? Then does it
not seem to you worth while to in
vest 10 cents per number in helping
to support and to have a direct share
in this great general organization ?
It is to the individual club rather than
to the states that the general fedora
ton must look for funds for it's many
lines of work; it receives now nearly
eight times as much revenue from in
dividual clubs as from the states. And
while this condition remains, does not
Washington wish to do her share in
maintaining this splendid organiza-
ton?
There is another way to look at
utilization with the general federation,
than that outlined in the last weekly
letter. 1t is this: a more selfish way,
perhaps. How is Washington to have
due influence in the counsels of the