The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-11-17
CLUBS 18TH ANNIVERSARY
Continued from Page ID

this was done in 1896. An evening club
was formed in March, 1897. The evening
clrh disbanded in February. 1903.
The club joined the state federation in
1896 and the general federation in 1913.
The programs We're then given by club
members and the subject of one paper
given in January, 1897. was What Are
the Greatest Needs of Brattleboro? The
greatest needs were specified under three
heads More business, a greater spirit of
altruiSm, and a free kindergarten. A
kindergarten was opened Jan. IL, 1897,
in a room in the north watereure building
with u pupils. In September. 1898, the
members of the club provided the first
lunches for the kindergarten. For a short
time penny a day was charged Tor each
pupil. but as that did not work out sat
iSfa ctOrily the plan was abandoned, prln-
cipally because it did not carry out the
idea of a free kindergarten. which was its
original purpose and which has since been
maintained. The first help for the kin
dergarten from the Thompson trust fund
was received in March. 1901. but at all
times the club. through its kindergarten
committee. of which Miss Mary Fits was
the first chairman. the club has contrib
uted funds and always has had the re-
Sponsibility.
Both in 1898 and 1890, the years in
which the coaching parade was a great
feature of the Valley fair, the club was
represented by a float
In 1900 it was thought desirable to
have a club home. a committee was APP
pointed to investigate desirable rooms and
again in 1901 and at various times since.
/ While the club has not secured rooms it
Will have at the end of the year More
/ than $500 in the room fund.
/ The gavel which is being used was pre-
scented to the club by Miss Susan Clark
1 4 n
piece of San Domingo mahogany which
was once part of a bedstead owned by
Jefferson Davis and was brought by Miss
1 Clark from New Orleans.
| Steady growth has been shown by the
club since its beginning in 1896 with Il
members to the present time with a men,
; bership list of 30S, the largest number
in the history of the club
] The letters and talks by the past preSi-
dents We're given in the order in which
the women occupied the position of pres
/ idcnt and showed that the club always
! has maintained a high standard and
| worked for the accomplishment of the
i best in civic, philanthropie and educa-
. tiOnal affairs and has been liberal in fl
nancial assistance to many worthy causes.
i The piece of work mentioned most fire.
quently was that of the establishment
and carrying on of the free kindergar-
! ten The establishment of the tubercu-
I
members also was referred to, the camp
/ work being continued about two years,
Land the club raising a substantial amount
| of money toward it's maintenance. As a
result of that effort the Brattleboro Tu-
/ berculOSis association is still functioning
! and the Thompson fund is supplying
| means for home treatment of eases. 1t
Twas shown that the club has maintained
classes in various subjects at various
| times, was responsible for starting the
lpenny savings, published a cook book
| which had wide circulation. has conducted
benefits for Red Cross. European relief
Land other worthy objects. Each spoke
of the cooperation which was accorded
her by the members as whole.
The letters were from Mrs. Levi ID.
Temple of Upland. Cal. who was presi-
dent from the time the club was organized
in 1896 to 1898 and who now is an hon
Orary member of the club; Mrs. George
d. Warner of Beverly, Mass, who was
president from 1906 to 1908; and Mrs
Frederic l. Swift of Washington. d. c.
president from 1914 to 1916. Past pres.
idents who attended the gathering and
spoke together with their terms of office
lwere Miss Susan f. Clark of West Brat
tleboro, 1898 to 1901, and 1902 to 1908
Mrs. James p. Elmer of Brattleboro, 1901
to 1902 Mrs Clarke c. Fits of Brat
ltlebOro, 1908 to 1910: Mrs. Edgar Burr
Smith of Greenfield. Mass. at present an
honorary member. 191O-l9l2, ana 1918
Mrs John c. Dewitt of Brattlebrro, 1911.
to 1914: Mrs. Henry r. Brown of Brat
tleboro, 1916-191S: Mrs. Halbert l.
Waterman of Brattleboro. 1913 to 1920
Mrs, Stickney was elected president II
1920.
Special mention was made of tn
whole-hearted work for the club by Mrs
Whtefield y. Thompson now of Hart
ford, Conn, and by Mrs. Stevenson o
Orange. Cal. who was first secretary o
the club and always has taken an activ'
interest in it.
At the close of the program Mrs. Johl
G. Dewitt moved that Airs. Hobart Is
Whitaker of Northampton, Mass, VIII
was deeply interested in the club whel
resident of Brattleboro and devote'
much time and thought to its welfare, b
made an honorary member and she wa
elected to that honor by a rising vote
which was unanimous Mrs. CLARKE {
Fits then called attention to che fac
that the club had been asked TO do some
thing special for the state federation en-
dowment fund and Mrs. Henry K. Brow
suggested that it would be appropriat
for the club to make a birthday gift {
the federation, and moved that $50 b