Evening star., 1939-01-01
Official Set
lnaugurates
Social Year
Congress Opening
To Signal Many
Activities
By MARGARET HART,
Society Editor.

Society Editor.
The social scene is shifting from
the debutante and the coming week
will find the pages of the social cal
endar opening on the activities OF
the official circle in the town. For,
when the gavel is brought down and
the first session of the Seventy-sixth
Congress of the United States is
called to order Tuesday, so will this
be the signal for the wives of men,
bers of the Senate and Lower House
to turn their thoughts 10 the part
they will play in the gay round OF
festivities which will take place
among the congressional group in
the next few months.
A happy prelude to the congress
sional season will be the informal
reception tomorrow afternoon at the
Congressional Club, when the mem
bers, headed by Mrs. Daniel G.
Reed, president of the club and wife
of Representative Reed of New York,
will be on hand to welcome friends
who wish to call The club will be
gay with flowers for the reception
and an orchestra will play during
the reception hours.
Congressional Club
Center of Interest.
The Congressional Club, with the
active membership limited to wives
of members of Congress, is naturally
the center of interest for this par
ticular circle throughout the ses-
sions of the body of lawmakers.
Here the women from all sections
of the country become acquainted,
do much of their entertaining and,
while the club is supposedly non
partisan, politics are intelligently
discussed over the teacups.
One of the outstanding events OF
the club is the reception for the wives
and daughters of new members OF
the Sennate and House and with
the Senate and House and with
and the House more than $50 new
faces, this annual function which is
scheduled for Friday afternoon will
be marked with unusual interest.
The officers of the club will receive
with the new hostesses of the con-
gressional set, many of whom will
become members of the organization.
Party for Younger
Members Last Night.
Younger members in the house
holds of the lawmakers were enter
tanned at a gay dance and supper
party last night at the clubs head
quarters, which are located at 2001
New Hampshire avenue. The Marine
Band Orchestra played for the young
people and delicious hot supper
was served at midnight. Generally
assisting at this party were Mrs.
Reed, Mrs. Thomas Herbert, Miss
Vivian Vestal, Mrs. Ralph E. Church,
wife of Representative Church of
Illinois; Mrs. Edward R. Burke, wife
of Senator Burke of Nebraska, and
Mrs. John E. Rankin, wife of the
Representative from Mississippi.
The congressional group will be
well represented in the large num-
bers of Washington society making
the cabinet calls Wednesday after
noon. Only three of the cabinet
hostesses will observe their first day
at home Wednesday. Mrs. Harold
l.. Ickes, wife of the Secretary of
the Interior, will receive at Head
waters farm, near Olney, Md, from
4:40 until o'clock; Mrs. Harry H.
Woodring, wife of the Secretary of
War, will be at home at her resi-
dence, 2300 S street, and Mrs. James
A. Farley, wife of the Postmaster
General, is coming down from New
York to hold her at home at her
apartment at the Mayf1ower Hotel.
Red Letter Day
This Wednesday.
To go back to the opening of
Congress. While the galleries in
both wings of the Capitol will be
well filled Tuesday at noon with
families of the many new members
OF both the Upper and Lower House
on hand to see their distinguished
kin take the oath of Office, Wednes-
day will be the red letter day on
the Hill. All circles of society will
be clamoring for a seat in the
gallery at the joint session of the
two bodies, in the House of Repre-
sentatives, to hear President Frank
lin Delano Roosevelt give his annual
message to the legislators.
The Presidents wife will be pres
ent to hear her illustrious husband
and the cabinet hostesses will un-
doubtedly turn out for the occasion,
as well as high-ranking diplomats
and officials.
Young America will be conspicu-
Gus in the galleries on both Tuesday
and Wednesday for the new men,
bers of both houses are anxious
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