THE COURIER.
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CLBBS
We are now ready for the summer season
with our new line of
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Annih L. Millkk, Editor.
Officers of the State Federation of Woman's Clubs.
President, Mrs. B. M. Stoutenborough, Plattsmouth.
Vice-president, Mrs. E. M. Cobb, York.
Secretary, Mrs. Henrietta Smith, Omaha.
Treasurer, Mrs. M. V. Nichols, Beatrice.
Auditor, Mrs. Ella S. Larsh, Nebraska City.
Librarian, Mrs. G. M. Lambertson, Lincoln.
As wo approach the fourth Bienrial
, ot tho X. F. W. C. there is ono question
which should interest all club members
of Nebraska what representation can
be secured in tho National Federation
and how should it bo apportioned
throughout the slat;? There are three
things that Nebraska is entitled to ask
for outside ct the general others: first,
representation on nominating commit
tee; second, a member on the board of
directors; third, a stato chairman of
correponilence. At present tho.two of
licers, viz.: director at.d state chairman
of correspondence, are held by membjrs
of th O.uaha Women's club. Those
honors shoull be divided among tho
state. Lincoln in point of number ot
club-- and number of members, is the
club centre of tho state. Vet so skill
fully were things manipulated at the
last Stato FeJeration that not ono dele
gate to tho Biennial was elected from
Lincoln. Omaha today has three feder
ated clubs (counting the Dundee club, a
suburb) with a total membership of G33.
Lincoln has (counting University Place,
also a suburb) eleven feJerated clubs
with a membership ot S71. Lincoln
pays in support of th3 Stato FeJeration
seventj-two dollars per annum, Omaha
only six. Four of the Lincoln cluts are
afliliated with tho National Federation,
while Oaiaha has one. I am advised
sho could have only three.
Now, upon whatex-er basis jou put it.
whether upon number ot clubs, whe'her
upon number of mombers, whether upon
representation iu Stato Federat;on or
representation in National Federation,
it would seem that Lincoln is entitled to
same representation. Past lesullsshow
that there has not been good manage
ment, but club women are apt learners,
and while we deplore that sectionalism
should enter into state work, yet, when
one section will take to itself everything
in sight, it is time for other parts of the
stato to waken up. At least, Omaha is
not so much to be criticised for looking
out for Omaha, as other par'.s of tho
stato are for not looking out for them
selves. In a little leallet issued by tho Denver
ladies, they request that all delegates to
tho Biennial arriie by neon or tho day
preceding the tirst meeting and report
during tho afternoon to the credential
committee which the will tind located
at tho Brown Palace Hotel, Broadway,
between Seventeenth and Eighteenth
streets. This committee will be in ses
sion Monday afternoon, Juno 20th, from
2 too o'clock; Monday evening, Juno
20th, from 8 to 10 o'clock; Tuesday
morning, June Hist, from 9 to 12 o'clock;
Tuesday afternoon, June 21st,3from 2 to
5 o'clock; Tuesday evening, June 21st
from S to 10 o'clock; Wednesday morn
ing, June 22nd, from SiM to 10:,10
o'ciOck.
Tho board will meet on Monday even
ing. The council will meet on Tuesday
morning, and there will be a joint meet
ing of these Tuesday afternoon and a
and a social meeting Tuesday eveniog.
Tho fourth Biennial (which will bo the
first meeting of delegates) will convene
at tho Broadway theatre between Seven
teenth and Eeighteentb streets on
Broadway, Wednesday morning, Juno
22nd, at 10 o'clock.
Tho visiting card of each delegato
must be attached to ber credential
blank.
Club receipts for Biennial dues for
1803 must bo presented with credentials.
All club women are requested to wear
upon arrival a ktot of light blue ribbon
upon tho shoulder, by which the recep
tion committee will identify them.
Members of the reception committee
will wear the colors vellow and white.
If possible, it is desirable for dele
gates to be in Denver by Tuesday
noon. Still, delegates arriving Wednes
day morning will be in t:mo for tho
opening of the convention.
Many important questions ire to come
before this Biennial; some of which wil
take the form of amendment to the con
stitution, and if delegates know of theso
proposed changes they can be consider
ing them at homo and come prepared to
vote intelligently and give their reasons.
One important question will be "How
are we to meet the expenses or the Gen
eral Federation. So far the income ac
cruing from club dues has only partially
met the expenses. They have been
supplimcnted by private donations. No
officer receives a salary or any compen
sation for her services, and the income
has not even bun sufficient to meet tho
necessary traveling expenses of tho
president. This question will give rise
to one of the most important amend
ments to the constitution which pro
poses to tax tho clubs annually ten per
cent per capita except the clubs having
a membership of less than fifty, such
clubs to pay tivo dollars annual dues.
Another proposition is to have tho dues
paid annually instead of biennially.
Either of these changes would only
double tho dues of tho smalier clubs,
but it would make a great increase
in tho receipts from the largo
clubs of several hundred members,
who are now only paying ten dol
lars biennially. Take a club of six hun
dred members and their annual dues
would be sixty dollars instead of tivo
dollars as at present. At first thought
this seems too large a tax, but when
figured out it is less in proportion than
the small club pas. For instance,
tho club of sixteen would (under tho
proposed amendment) bo taxed more
than three times as much per capita as
tho large club.
There is another proposition that each
S'ate Federation shall be taxed twentj
fivo cents per club and thus assist tho
General Federation. At first thought
this would not seem unreasonable. Still,
most of our State Federations are cot
meeting the expenses of their local offi
cers and Divine writ commands that we
care for those of our own household tirst.
Another question which will undoubt
edly ba rawed is whether individual
clubs shall still continue to be represent
ed in the General Federation or whether
the representation shall be confined to
fillES, III
1118,
Pill, SPIDERS.
IMPS
and Novelties. Also a fine line of Harness,
Whips and Robes in the city. Largest and
best line of Bicycles.
Billmeyer & Sadler.
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y
y
y
y
y
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tho Stato Federations. Thero aro some
very strong arguments for and against
this proposed change and its settlement
will depend largely upon how tho ques
tion of finance is settled. In fact, it is
part of the finance question.
Still, we must remember that tho
General Federation is the natural evolu
tion of the stato organization and seems
to demand that it be placed on a self
supporting basis. Ten per cent per
capita does not seem too much. Vet
when is would tako fifty to ono hundred
dollars from a club per annum it is a
debatable question where the expendi
ture of taat much money can do the
most good for that club. In looking
over this much vexed question-we must
not ignure the benefit that camo from
union and organization. Still, if only
State Federations aro to Le lepresented
in the General Federation it is doubtful
if the individual clubs will receive the
same benefits from tho Biennial that
they now do. It is a many sided ques
tion and each phase is more or less de
pendent upon tho decisions preceding
it. For instance, if the dues are paid
biennially, as now, the proposed tax
would be lessened by half, or if they are
paid annually they would doublo tho
present income without the per capita
tax. etc.
Tnere will bo plenty of chanco for dis
cussion. The by-laws provide that "no officer
shall be eligible to tho same general of
fice for more than two terms consecutive
ly.'' Hence, tho election o! a new pres
ident becomes a necessity Mrs. Sarah
S. Piatt, of Denver, has been prominent
ly mentioned for this place, and there
is no question as to her ability as a
leader. She will mako a strong, forceful
executive. Here is to Mrs. Piatt as our
next .president!
The president of the Nebraska Feder
ation or Women's clubs, Mrs. B. M.
Stoutenborough, has very courte
ously sent the Cockik': tho year book.
It is arranged in exceptionally neat
and concise form. One feature to be
especially commended is tho detinitness
of the information of each club in tho
Federation. In four or five lines you
tind the location of tho club, ita name,
the names of its officers, number of
members, the subjects studied during
tho ears of 1897-93 and a summary on
the last page tells that Nebraska haa
sevent-threo clubs, with a total mem
bership of thirty-fivo hundred, there are
forty-seven towns and cities represented.
The concise form of this little book mer
"its moro than passing notico. Club
women can proudly assumo to them
selves that it is indicative of tho ability
of club women in that line. Every page
is full of desirable information, and rs a
whole it is an encyclopedia of Nebraska
club work. The report from the Libra
rian is very complete and Nebraska has
reason to bo proud of her traveling li
brary, not yet three years old; with a
catalogue of thirty three historical
works, tweaty-three books of biography,
twenty eight of essays and critical
studies, eleven of poetry and ten of fie
tion. The report from the educational
committee is encouraging and full 0f
promise. This can be made a very wide
and helpful field. In connection with
the traveling library the Art department
of the Omaha Woman's club has ten
dered on reasonable terms a eeries of
fifteen art portfolios, with twenty photo
graphs of tho old masters in rach
These will be greatly appreciated by
those studying art. Tho work recom
mended to local clubs is now in practi
cal operation hero and there throughout
the state. But the desire of the presi
dent, Mrs. Belle M. Stoutenborough is
that work on these lines shall become
more general if. indeed, not universal.
These are the lines suggested: rt in
the Public Schools," '-City Improve
ment" and reciprocity work between
town and country clubs. There is a
very practical and efficient committee
in charge of tho first two in Lincoln
Neb. Information in regard to either
can be obtained by writing to Mrs. I. JT
Raymond, chairman of "Art in the Pub
lic Schools", or Mrs W. G. L Taylor
chairman of Civics department of
Women s clubs. The Woman's club of