The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1922-08-23

the different causes" assisted have
been more varied than at first would
have been expected and while there
has been considerable duplication and
a good deal of correlation, yet there
has been enough diversity to give each
club an individual touch and to make
each society an entity in itself.
The club activities Of the Fourth
District might roughly be divided in
to seven groups; child welfare, poor
relief, civics, immigrant aid, and Am
ORGANIZATION, legislation for specific
objects, home advancement and intel
lectual and artistic culture.
The welfare Of the children is by
far the most absorbing interest of
the Federated Clubs of the Fourth
District. The avowed object of the
Council of Mothers Clubs is to pro-
mote the highest good of the children
and the home, and efforts for the phys
ical, intellectual and moral develop
ment of our boys and girls find ex-
preston through these women in con-
certed efforts in health education, in
better schools, more libraries and
Fairgrounds, home gardens, and moral
and religious instruction.
The ministering touch of women was
never better illustrated than in the
work of the Fourth District women
among the needy and fortunate, for
fully twelve thousand members have
done something during the past year,
either through contribution or person
al service to make pain less grievous,
sorrow less oppressive and life more
easy for some one not so happily sit
uated as themselves. Work in hos
pitfalls was reported by seven clubs.
The aid given comprised musicals.
flower contributions, books, and all
sorts of hospital supplies.
Nor did the Fourth District women
forget the necessities of the people
in the War devastated lands of Eu-
rope. For six organizations gave gen
erously last year to foreign relief.
Four clubs have manifested an in
terest in better streets, one in a city
market and a more systematic gar
bage collection, one has contributed
city fountain, one has given away
fruit trees and seeds to school children
and one has put on an active campaign
of know your own city"
Four large groups of women have
shown hospitality to strangers during
Convention Week and one society
through the members of a large COM
mittee has Systematically called upon
new residents who have moved into
its community. Two societies have
created endowment funds to assist
young women through college. A num-
Der of clubs have announced them
selves as interested in Americaniza
ton and two large organizations have
done practical and constructive work
for immigrant aid and good citizen
ship.
Two associations of women have
done protective work in the Juvenile
Court, one has tried to elevate the
standard of the moving picture films,
and two are maintaing Rest Camps
for children, overburdened mothers,
and working girls.
Two federated auxiliaries have tried
to secure through a nation wide or
ganization of which they are a part,
legislation on specific subjects and one
has asked for amendments to, and
stricter enforcement of existing fooG
laws.
Four important organizations in
Guiding the Council have interested
themselves in the advancement of the
home. This has been done by illus
trated talks, and class instructions on
home management, budget making and
efficient household equipment, nor has
handicraft been neglected for one half
of the Fourth District women have de-
voted themselves at intervals during
the past year to needle work, the re-
turns of which have been given to
charities and allied causes.
But what of the old study courses
which were so distinctive a feature in
the early days of the Minnesota Fed
Grafton? A little less than one third
of the Clubs reported well thought
out programs, which entailed some
| hard intellectual work on the part of
each member in the way of papers and
we'll prepared discussions while fully
twenty had talks and lectures by out
side talent on topics ranging from the
| city charter to Dante and the Shakes
perean Sonnets.
A digest of all these multiform &C
| Invites would seem to reveal that the
woman of today is not essentially
uIIeISut 1iOlll ueI SIedC, SIedC SIdllu-
mother a century ago. She is still
first of all mother, only her mother
ing has been broadened to include
other peoples boys and girls, for she
sees in the we'll being of all children
the progress of her own lads and lass
les.
There is apparently little of any
disposition among the Fourth District
women in their club life to substitute
for the ordinary duties and pleasures
of home making the study of business
or political science. Of course politi-
cal discussions have long been forbid
den by the Federation but making due
allowance for this ban, the trend of
effort in the Fourth District is still
| Enthusiastically toward the child, the
home, and the school.
''To scatter the charities that soothe
and heal and bless" is still one of the
| happy privileges of the Fourth Dis
| trict women and it is wholesome in
spiration, in these agitated days of
! social unrest to think of the thousands
| of orooJ 1x,o,,,oyo 1x,ho o1yoy rooIyy