Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1917-02-23
STATE FEDERATION
OF WOMEN'S CLUBS
Mrs. Scion Shedd, President

If any wall now divides the study
clubs of our state from those organ
lied for social or civic activities that
wall runs very low. Widespread and
deep-seated is the conviction that
woman's club is not worthy the
name unless in some way it makes
its own community better and gives
a helping hand to efforts for the pub
lie good. Working together is the
very natural result of studying to-
gether.
Mrs Winter, our retired chairman,
expressed this thought in her defi-
milton of club papers. They are,
she said, 1.-The device of clubs for Sc
curing unity of intention and action,
| through unity of information and
opinion We are all beginning TO
see this and to realize that the pur-
pose of the study club is not the cul-
ture of the individual member, much
less to store minds with information.
The ultimate purpose is to fit the
membership for harmonious, intelli-
gent action.
The study element in our pro-
grams serves a double purpose. Oft
en- the topic studied or the papers
read suggest a nearby need. One
circle read together THE Spirit of
Youth and City Streets Out of
the knowledge gained and the sym
pathy aroused by Jane Adams ex-
periences came plan to start public
Fairgrounds and the plan was work
| ed out to a successful achievement.
Rearding iona Gales delightful
story of the community Christmas
has been the inspiration of scores Of
community trees and celebrations,
every one of them rich in blessed re-
suits.
Another club was studying modern
drama and listened to The War
| brides and I'm the Vanguard.
Hearts were stirred with a passion
ate desire for world-peace. The de-
sire found expression at the ballot
box last November and in other ways.
Later the reading of Galsworthys
| The Pigeon gave members better
understanding Of the girl of the
street. the vagabond, the drunkard
and a practical interest in the ques-
ton of how is society to deal with
| these classes.
Every bit of keen character analy-
SIS which finds is way into a story.
a drama or poem furnishes an OPP
pCrtunity to broaden our understand
| ing of men and women. 1t widens
our acquaintance. No thoughtful
person can read Mrs Wharton, Mar
garet Deland or Mrs. Humphrey
Ward without seeing something far
better that how the story comes
out" The rea6er will see how such
courses and such tendencies do come
out, not in this particular story but
|
hear a review of any one of the really
big stories. If it is written by one
who knows human life and reviewed
| by som cone who sees into the heart
of it, the time is well spent. A good
way to handle the program, Mrs
Winter told us, is for the leader to
give a resume in her own words,
reading aloud striking passages and
inviting discussion on discussable
points" The bare story is never the
chief thing in a real book. A Who's
Who biography doesn't tell the real
things about a life.
Interest in human welfare burns
in the souls of so many of our best
writer's today that it is an easy thing
for the program committee of a lit
erary club to direct attention to any
phase of social betterment. They
need only make an intelligent choice
of topics and authors. The writer's
need not always be of recent date.
| IOeLS anu eSSaylSIS lot decades PAST
have been saying some of the very
things we call new" and pointing
out the paths we are beginning TO
walk in. Din of old bugles; trum-
pets newly stirred" call to the same
field of endeavor.
We have said that the hours Civ
en- to study of literature serve a
double purpose. Suppose that the
members of club see eye to eye and
have an earnest desire to lend a
hand in favor of a definite move
ment. 1t may be a public library or
city beautiful, a county hospital or a
community Christmas, the dscour-
agement of public dances or steps to
Americanize immigrant foreigners,
getting manual training into the
schools, securing a police matron-
or any other of the splendid tasks