Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-15

Mrs Alice Ames Winter, past presl-
dent of the General Federation OF
Women's Clubs, and Mrs. Harriette n:
Sparks. editor of the Federation OF
clubs department of the indianapolis
star and well-known figure in Md
western club life have spoken on the
subject of club programs. Every c!up-
woman would do well to heed tnen
words.
undertake less; accomplish more,
is the cryptic watchword suggested py
Mrs. Winter. And she follows this sug-
gestion with the pertinent advice:
"There are many years to come IN
which we may feast at the table OF
wisdom. But let us know what we do
know as we'll as we can, not merely
skim the surface"
"The club program is the basis of all
club activities" declared Mrs. Sparks
recently, discussing the program as a
vitalizing force in the community.
And wise is the program committee
that acts upon the suggestion OF MIS-
Winter and takes as Its slogan, 'Un-
dertake less; accomplish more.
1.-THE program committee is the most
important of club committees" Mrs.
Sparks continued. "For the character
of a club depends upon its working pro-
gram, and its program depends upon
the character of those who buho IL,
how sincere of purpose they are; now
well they understand the needs OF tnelr
club and the community it serves and
how able they are to meet those needs.
statistics gathered by Mrs. Jonn y;
Sherman. past president OF the General
Federation of Clubs, credit the earhesC
woran's club to the year 1S33-aimost
century ago. During that century. OF
club life the club spirit has been los
tered by groups of women until IL mas
become the universal spirit OF Woman-
hood Every group has one or more
groups of women who are working to-
ward common objective-better
homes, better communities, better state
and National government.
0THE pioneer club served only its
members The modern club is
irving to serve not only its members but
its community and its State and Ma
tional ORGANIZATIONS The problem OF
the program committee of the club OF
today is to meet all of these demands In
a program of work that is dennlte IN
purpose, that has an educational value
for its members covers civic needs ana
eonfronts with the policies of the State
and National bodies with which 1t Is
affiliated.
This is a large order and an impos-
Sible one to fill under existing conditions
in many clubs, with the personnel OF
program committees changing annually
as they do in the majority of clubs. A
survey would show that in number
of the clubs organized from 25 to 40
years ago, the membership and charac-
ter of the club have changed entirely
but that the club is working under
many of the policies established by its
charter members, whose detectives have
no place in modern clubdom. In some
OIprIn &11n fVNkn fnA dc
handicap since it indicates work along
specific line, which has long since
ceased to be an objective.
"A realization of these facts was
brought to the writer through many
years of experience in the editing of
club news in the newspapers of two
widely differing States Out of this
building contests which she has con-
Quoted for the past three years through
her club news department in the In
dianapolis Star. with the cooperation
of the Extension Division of Indiana
University.
when the modern business man
finds that his business methods are
lacking in efficiency because they have
become obsolete and because he is try
ing to meet modern conditions with
shop-worn business policies, he makes
survey of his business and reorganizes it
to meet the demands of the day.
When federated club finds it is
slowing up in its efficiency, it should do
as the business man does-take stock
and flnd where the difficulty is and
seek remedy. Every federated club
should be. functioning factor in the
big business of which it is an integral
part-The General Federation of Wom-
ems Clubs-and should have an intel |
ligent knowledge of the detectives and
policies of that business.
The program contests referred to |
were initiated to encourage federated |
clubs to make a survey of their club |
business and to assist them in organiz- |
ing that business to meet the progress |
sive demands of their State and Ma |
ttonal heads. The result has been more |
than gratifying; each year has marked |
an increased interest in program con- |
struction and in the obligation of the |
individual club to include in its pro- |
gram OF work State and National de- |
partmental activities. And each year |
the hundreds of yearbooks submitted |
indicate that the clubs are sensing more |
and more the vita1izing force of a pro- |
gram built to meet community needs.
The contests which were inaugurated |
to meet the needs of the clubs Of one |
State, have brought out the fact that |
a more definite working program is a |
universal club need. This has been in |
dlcated by the universal demand for |
the folders containing the winning pro- |
grams in each of the contests that have
been compiled by the writer.
Since the first folder was issued In |
1926 thousands of requests have come |
Tor them or for information regarding |
the contests. These requests have come |
from all of the States as well as from
Canada and Nova Scotia The con-
tests were based upon the fact that the
program Is the reason for the clubs
existence; that it is the lure to men,
bership and is the source of the ferment
that keeps the club alive. To be live
wire in community club must have
program that is definite In purpose,
that touches live issues, that invites in
telligent discussion and which is shared
with the public through properly direct
ed publicity. BY means of its various
contacts such club becomes vitaliz-
ing influence in any community.
"EOR every club represents cross
section of community life. Through
its membership 1t contacts one or more
of the groups that direct the activities
of that cross section-the home group:
the church group, the social group and
the political group. To each of these
groups club women are contributing
largely from the experiences that have
come to them through their club afali- |
ationS.
The women who. are training future |
citizens In their homes, who are holding |
executive positions in church, school, |
social and political organizations, the
women who are successfully carrying on |
community campaigns Of various sorts |
are indirectly and unconsciously receiv-
ing their training In their clubs.
"As club officials they are learning to |