Evening star., 1938-07-03

tional questions and policies. Mrs.
thinking, answering parpose and
what she calls the terrible tenacity
of women"
women In Two Worlds" is the title
under which the joint report has been
published by the American Associa-
ton of Adult Education. It IS q
small volume Of $50 pages and the fact
that 1t includes a short history of
the groups under discussion makes it
of more general interest than would
be suggested by the limitations Of the
study.
Clubwomen's preoccupation with
education, the authors assert, stems
from the circumstances surrounding
the early organizations.
"Women's first requests for recogni-
ton and for higher education were
met with accusations of 'brazen faced
effrontery' and other replies calcu-
lated to dampen enthusiasm. The be-
ginnings of the club movement can be
attributed at least in part to this
resistant attitude of the stronger SEX
Only If women in large numbers could
win their way to freedom might they
convince men that society would profit
by women's emancipation" Mrs. Ely
states. The long struggle called for
organization and so women organized
and have made q slow progress to the
position they now enjoy.
Mans and Woman's World.
Women in Two Worlds" deals not
with the struggle. but with the ways
in which women have used their
dearly bought opportunities. The
'two worlds" are the mans world
and the womans world. All of the
national club groups that come into
competition with men are placed in
the first group. These are the Or
ganizations concerned primarily with
higher education, business and the
professions and politics. In this clas-
sification are the American Associa-
ton Of University Women, the business
and professional women's clubs, the
National Woman's party, the National
League of Women Voters and the
women's city clubs. Clubs making
up the General Federation of Wom-
ems Clubs and similar independent
groups are classed as belonging to
the woman's world. The authors
point out that this is an arbitrary
classification and that there Is an
overlapping membership, but it was
satisfactory for the purposes Of their
study. The book recognizes the fact
that all women's clubs, except the
purely social ones, are adult educa-
ton organizations Clubs have been
described as the "middle-aged wom-
ans university" and all of them have
educational features, even those which
specialize on self-development In
addition to this aspect Of club work,
women's groups have done much to
promote better educational condi-
tions.
No consideration Of woman's clubs
and education could omit a careful
examination Of the program and
activities Of the American Association
Of University Women. This was one
Of the pioneers among the women's
OAf AfA1AAA0eAoAAc. A1o P4oSA oAu AdO GO41~
sio - all grades and phases Of
educauon. from kindergartens to
graduate fellowships, and the adult
education program used by member
groups IS directed by associates"
whose attainments rank with those
Of q college faculty. Three kinds
of educational endeavor are pursued
by the association-thei improvement
OF education itself, multiplying op-
portunities to obtain education and
applying intelligent direction to the
conduct Of human affairs. Summing
up the achievements, the authors
have found that though the work has
its inequalities and shortcomings, its
achievements have been sound and
its efforts can be appraised for the
most part with high degree Of ap-
proval.
League Of Women Voters.
The National League of Women
Voters occupies a unique position In
the field Of education, the authors find.
Because Of the thoroughness with
which its studies are made it is max
ing an outstanding contribution in
preparing citizens to make proper
use Of the voting privilege. Because of
the established policy Of supportig
approved legislative measures it has
been Of vital benefit to the public
school system. The Leagues ap-
proach to education is different from
that Of any other group. It does not
concern itself with questions of cur
riculums, but deals with such matters
as trained personnel, compulsory
school attendance laws, school finance,
wider use Of school plants and free
text books. It is working under uni
fed program, Mrs. Ely points out, "for
the improvement of the schools them
selves, and thus ultimately for the
good Of society"
In the discussion of the work of
the National Federation Of Business
and Professional Women's Clubs the
value Of unified program is again
emphasized. All over the United States
these clubs have been studying "Our
Towns Business" this year. THAT
$1,000 Of them are applying what they
learn in efforts to make life more
worth living in $500 communities"
seems to the author to be a factor of
considerable social significance. Mrs.
Ely comments briefly on the discus
sions by the clubs of matters of con-
Germ to business women in panel
groups and states that the sponsorship
Of local campaigns for broadening
school curriculums and finding new
sources Of school revenue have been
Of value. The federation also conducts
surveys of the status Of business
women and publishes q magazine. g
Outside of the educational pro-
grams for the benefit Of the members,
the principal contribution to the edu-
cational objectives on the part Of the
service clubs takes the form of scholar
ships designed to help women and
girls in search Of business training.
Like the mems service clubs, their ma
jor interest is philanthrophy. These
clubs are: Zonta, Altrusa, Soropto-