Club Women Who Head the General Federation
iRS. BAR AH PIiATT DECKER of
M
Denver, president; Mrs. Philip N.
Moore of St. Louis, first vie
v?J president; Mrs. May Alden Ward
Vrr is? of Boston, second vice president;
Miss Louise B. Poppenhelm of Charleston,
8. C, corresponding: secretary; Mrs. J oh a
Sherman of Chicago, recording secretary;
Mrs. Fercy Fennybnoker of Texas, treas
urer and Dr. Sarah II. Kendrick, auditor.
Is the personnel of the newly-elected ex
ecutive committee of the General Feder
ation of Women's clubs.
Standing as it does, an organization
unique and so without the guidance of
precedent, the incoming of a new executive
board carries with it more or less anxiety
among those who realize the immensity
of the tanks the federation has under
taken and the delicacy, tact, untiring en
ergy and unwavering courage its accom
plishment entails. But those who know
the doner nl Federation are sure that the
seventh biennial has chosen well those who
are to preside over its affairs during the
coming two years.
In fact, no previous board has included
no many women of national reputation.
Not one in the seven but has been pre
viously entrusted with Important commis
sions, several of them executive positions
In their respective states. Than Mrs. Sarah
Piatt Decker of Denver there is no better
known club woman in the country. Widely
popular In her own city and state for her
exceptional ability, Mrs. Decker first came
prominently before the national federation
when It held its fourth biennial at Denver
six years ago. It was she who super-'
Intended the entertainment of the conven
tion, which was the first of the really big
meetings, and that still stands unsur
passed. At that time the convention would
have honored Mrs. Decker with its presi
dency, but she declined the honor and in
cidentally established the precedent which
practically eliminates the hostess city from
the presidential contest If there chances
to be one. But as Mrs. Decker's pop
ularity had enabled her to establish prece
dents, so it permitted her to break them,
If she chose but she did not choose, and
two years later, at Milwaukee, when her
friends would have violated the unwritten
rule of electing a president to a second'
term, she, for a second time declined the
honor and Mrs. Rebecca Douglas Lowe
was re-elected. The Milwaukee conven
tion failed to settle the reorganization agi
tation, and besides that developed an even
more dangerous Issue In the color question.
Mrs, Decker was an ardent champion of
the individual club In the national body
as well as the state organization. Mrs.
Lowe was a representative of Georgia, the
state that lead the opposition to the ad
mission of colored clubs, and Mrs. Decker's
good sense told her that, independent of
courtesy, It was policy to retain as many
members of the presiding administration
as were eligible to re-election, 00 she de
clined the presidency.
And all of this only Increased Mrs,
Pecker's host of friends, and two years
later, at Los Angeles, there was such a
demonstration as has rarely been seen,
Whether she would have It or not, her
friends would give her the presidency and
as every woman In the convention seemed
to be numbered among her supporters, Mrs.
Decker had a most difficult as well as
embarrassing time declining the honor the
third time. She held that the office t..ould
rightfully go to Mrs. Demies T. S. Denl
son, of New York, who, as vice president,
had borne the brount of the burdens of the
chief executive office during the year that
Mrs. Lowe had spent abroad and the bur
dens had been heavy indeed. Mrs. Den
lson was elected and, during the last two
years, has by her ability, her graciousness
and her tact son won her fellow-workers
that many of Mrs. Decker's staunch sup
porters would doubtless have abided by the
established precedent had not Mrs. Denl
ton herself declined the office for a second
term. Mrs. Denlson's announcement was
made two months before the biennial, and
In spite of her popularity, when, a few
days before the election. It was rumored
that she had reconsidered and might accept
a nomination, it quickly became evident
that she had changed her mind too late;
the sentiment was for Mrs. Decker and
Mrs. Decker was elected.
Some one has defined an orator as "one
Who has something to say and knows how
to say it." The same can be said of Mrs. .
Decker. She la a brilliant speaker and In
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ift to Right Mrs. FM1 H. Moore of .Missouri, Vice President; Mrs. J. T. Sherman of Illinois, ClJfi spending Secretary
Mrs. May Alden Ward of Massachusetts. Recording Secretary; Mrs. Sarah Piatt Decker of Colorado President; Mrs.
Charles H. Denlson of New York, Ex-Prestdent; Miss Louise Foppenhelm of South Carolina, Corresponding Secretary.
NEWLY ELECTED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE GENERAL FEDERATION OF WOMAN'S CLUBS. Copyright, 1901, by
J. C Strauss, St. Louis, Mo. .
addition to her gift of expression has the
faculty of moving her audience to laughter
or to tears at will. Yes, Mrs. Decker Is
a suffragist, too, but the apprehensive ones
are no longer afraid that her views on this
subject will influence her action as presi
dent of the General Federation. In fact,
woman suffrage has come to have a new
meaning to even the conservative ones.
Their experience with child labor legisla
tion during the last two years has been
a wonderful education and besides It has
developed, upon investigation, that most of
the leading women of the club movement
are avowed suffragists and most of the
others are suffragists, too, only they did
not know It until experience enlightened
them. '
Mrs. Philip N. Moore of St. Louis, who
the convention honored with its first vice
presidency, needs no Introduction to the
club women of the land, particularly since
the organization of the local board at St.
Louis for the entertainment of the seventh
biennial. With an enviable record as presi
dent of the Missouri federation for two
terms, the club women of St. Louis were
confident that under her chairmanship they
could entertain a biennial, even during the
Season of the World's fair, and so the
Invitation wis extended, and when the
local board was organized Mrs. Moore was
made president. How well they succeeded
and In the face of. what difficulties, only
those who did the work and those who were
privileged to enjoy their hospitality will
ever appreciate. If never before, Mrs.
Moore proved on this. occasion her ability
to manage large affairs. But this was not
her first Introduction to the General Feder
ation. She had previously served as corre
sponding secretary and later as treasurer
of the General Federation. Two years ago
at Los Aangeles she came before the con
vention with the much discussed proposi
tion for the erection In St. Louis, as a
memorial to the Louisiana purchase, a hall
of philanthropy, that should also serve as
a place for keeping the records and other
property of the General Federation.
The election of Mrs. May Alden Ward to
the secosd vice presidency gives fresh
honor to Massachusetts, that home of bril
liant, cultured, thinking women, and to the
General Federation one of the most able
of these women as Its third executive offi
cer. As president ct the MiissochusettS
Federation Mrs. Ward has made a splen
did record. To recount what has been ac
complished by the Massachusetts clubs
would be to review almost every ste;i that
has been gained by the concerted action
and influence of women. Mrs. Ward was
as strongly in favor of reorganising the
General Federation at Milwaukee as Mrs.
Decker was opposed to it. Mrs. Ward, as
state president, was also pructlcally at the
head of the Massachusetts contention for
the admission of colored clubs, but thnt is
all past now; the Los Angeles convention
determined what should be and, true to the
motto of the national organization, "Unity
In Diversity," the Massachusetts delega
tion returned from 1js Angeles to extend
their strong support, financially as well as
morally, to the club women of Georgia In
an effort to establish better and more prac
tical educational advantages to the negroes
of that state. Mrs. Ward Is an admirable
presiding officer, her gracious, courteous
manner relieving the exaction of parlia
mentary rule of much of its shorpne ;s.
Mrs. Ward is also an ardent advocate of
the enfranchisement of women.
Miss Louise B. Poppenhelm of Charleston,
S C, is tho one member of the old execu
tive committee to be retained on the new.
During the last two years she has served
as corresponding secretary and her re
election lucked little of being unanimous.
A conspicuous worker among the clubs of
her own state Miss Poppenhelm has glen
vuluable council In the executive board of
tho General Federation. A journalist her
self, being editor and publisher of the Key
stone, a monthly publication. Miss Poppen
helm has, while maintaining the interest of
the General Federation, so arranged her
reports as to greatly facilitate their circu
lation through the press of the country.
The Incoming recording secretory, Mrs.
John Sherman of Chicago, is not less widely
known for her work in the Chicago
Woman's club. A parliamentarian of rec
ognized ability she Is looked upon as a most
valuable acquisition to the executive com
mittee, especially as Mrs. Fox, the federa
tion's parliamentarian, Is retired from the
board this year.
Mrs. Pennypacker of Texas, the new
treasurer, who has been admiringly re
ferred to as the "Little Whirlwind," has
come rapidly to the front since two years
aijo, when she so frequently expedited!
. the buslneMS of the Ixs Angeles conven
tion by moving the previous question. Her
frequently offered motion became a Joke,
but the little woman herself became a
favorite for her quick and reliable judg
ment. As president of the Texas Federa
tion she deserves much of the credit for
the splendid accomplishments of that or
ganization, this being conceded not only
by her fellow workers among the club
women, but by the business men and legis
lators who count her among their valued
advisers In matters of public welfare la
which the clulis have interested themselves.
Dr. Sarah H. Kendrick of Oregon, th
newly elected auditor, is perhaps the least
known of any of the new board, but sh
has been tried and found competent In her
own state, and that is recommendation
enough.
Last, but not leaBt, is one other that ap
pears In the group Mrs. Demies T. B. Den
lson of New York, the retiring president.
While courtesy forbids that anyone should
called the , "best loved president," cer
tainly the General Federation has never
had a presiding officer who was "Just on
of the women," as Mrs. Denlson has been.
With her In the chair the timid woman
was not afraid to take the floor, for her
skill as a parliamentarian Includes that
faculty of ussisting the Inexperienced Into
the "prescribed way" without embarass
ment to the speaker, the house or herself.
That Mrs. Denlson so successfully led tha
General Federation through the trouble
some times of three years ago proves her
ability and this, with her unfailing cour
tesy to all, will retain her, In spite of her
retirement, a loader of the national organization.
The eight directors are scarcely less
known than the new officers, and in award
ing one of these offices to Nebraska the
General Federutlon only conferred an honor
thnt is due. Mrs. Belle M. Stoutenborough
of Plattsmouth Is too well known in Ne
braska to need any Introduction or re
cital of what Flie has done. An ex-president
of the state federation, she has been
most prominently Identified with the library
extension, and not alone her own state,
but .others have profited by her effort
along this line.