El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-01-17
HISTORY OF FIRST WOMANS CLUB IN AMERICA
IS RELATED TO Ell PASO WOMANS CLUB BY
NATIVE OF THE TOWN WHERE IT WAS FORMED
:. By ESTHER KENDALL MOAT.,

p
Q Der of current events and Mrs Hal
Christie presided
The really big feature of the after-
noon was the story by Mrs. C l. Pei
I ham concerning the first Woman s
Z club in America, a subject of great
interest to all club women Mrs. Pei
1 ham is thoroughly conversant with
the story apd with the place where
the first club was formed. as she is a
descendant OF a New Harmony. Ind
I family, and lived there much of her
/ life Mr.. Pelhams mother was one OF
the original 26 members of the club
and his sister, Miss Caroline Pelham,
I who came recently to FL Paso in the
I interests Of 7. W G. A work, pos
! sesses one Of the original badges OF
4 the club. a Latin cross Of laurel wood
and gold.
1T was in the picturesque and
] beautiful little town Of New Harmony,
ind, that the first known Woman
} literary club of America was organ
ized; according TO- the modern idea
I Of Woman's clubs" said Mrs Pelham.
IN the fall of 1859, Miss Constance
/ Fauntleroy, a granddaughter OF Rob
! ert Owens, called together nine of the
young women of New Harmony, Ind,
and proposed to establish a Womans
Literary club, to meet once a week,
/ for mutual improvement Of its men,
bers. A committee was appointed to
frame a constitution and bylaws. II
was proposed that they invite four
married women to join them, these 10
constituting the original charter mem
bers.
"On the following Monday evening,
October 20, 1853. the members met,
adopted and signed the constitution
and bylaws; Miss Constance Faunt,e-
roy was elected president, Miss Mary
Sampson, vice president, and Miss
Eliza TWigg, secretary.
'sThe name chosen for the organiZa-
ton was The Minerva society,", the
motto being 'Sapientia Gloria Corona
EST TRANSLATED: Wisdom is the
crown Of glory.D
The meetings were held every Non
day evening at the home Of some
member decided on Half of the men,
bers were chosen to write original
compositions to be read and criticized
and If worthy. to be published in The
Advertiser q newspaper of that day.
1T was then proposed and carried
that some recite selections Of their
own choosing. and later debate was
proposed for e-ery fourth week. One
half the members were chosen on the
affirma tive and the other half on the
negative. The arguments were writ
ten and read and at the close criti-
cisms we're given and a vote taken to
decide the debate
The first subject for debate was,
Are We Made Happier by an Educa-
tionT decided in the affirmative Other
subjects were: Which is the Most
Difficult to Control, the Tempe or the
AffectionsT Which Is the Greater
Evil, War or Slavery Is Woman
Mentally Mans EGual2' DO Facts or
Fiction Contribute Most to Mental En-
joyment?
AT the meeting held on February
10, 1860. II was proposed that there be
a treasurer and reporter added TO the
officers, but as there were no dues. no
fines, no money coming IN, and moth
ing to report, these officers were
voted unnecessary. It was then pro-
posed that seven members constitute
a quorum
No personalities we're TO be per-
mitted and each member should be
addressed by her right name.
September z 1861, a member pro-
posed that q Novelette, be written,