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About The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 17, 1898)
rcSrBS - : - -mssuammnm C ??i$ Tf THE COVjL-Si. I l; I i i ti rt e l,r r IK r- t ft i IS K. r. f- r iw 9989S99999999?999999V9S9 . LHBS tM-''' ft s heaven when she finishes her reading, and no matter Wow much she may ttive enthused' over her subject, she has failed: to carry lier audience for lack of the eye to eye and face to facte talk without which t is impossible to inspire the talker or arouse sympathy "in (he listener. Club vncations are drawing to a close and as Uie opening of the new year approaches how many different ideas for the betterment of the work and for ways and means of increasing' in terest it her own individual club are suggested to the club woman. ty tmkl quantity of the work, and: no one recogizes more clearly thonl she the demand, for marts careful, thor ough work among women's clubs. The following letter to State Presi dent Stoutenborough. from President "Lowe, will be of much interest to clul women. Mrs. Stoutenborough ha made extraordinary efforts to get Mrs Lowe ami the managing board tc come to Omaha, and her success is ? tribute to her tact and perseverance. Atlanta, Ga., Sept. 4. My Dear Mrs. Stoutenborough: Uy a change which I nave been able to make in my affairs I will be able to come to Omaha for the sta'te nieec ing the second week la October, but must be in, Chicago by the 15th. The board will houd its meetings ithere on Tuesday, Wednesday and' Thursday of that! week. If that dote suite you we win be happy to come. I have made an- effort to bring the board1 meeting there feelingg that th'e work in your state would be helpful to us, and ou presence in a body would interest th" club women in the northwest. Hoping these dates will suit j-our own, I am Very sincerely, REBECCA D. LOWE. "Let him who is above reproach cast the first" stone." Head some of the speeches of the men anil women: who will tell you so comptacently that "it is a matter of great regret that wo men do such superficial work in1 their clubs." When we look back and see how great has been the advance since tJie inauguration of the dub move ment we do not fail to criticise, only to Che extent that will arouse to great er effort amd1 higher ambitions for bet ter work; although a comparison of the year books of '97 and" '98 with those of '93 and '94 show how far we have come. Still there is chance for great improvement. The one afternoon a year system tends to do away with, the best and greatest good that comes to women through club life, viz.; the ability to talk what they have to say. It fa not only the privilege but tlhte duty of every cfiub woman, to cultivate extem poraneous speaking, but if she is not expected to express an opinion on subjects that are preeenfted' she may never moke the mental effort to form one. But if the responSibSKty is placed upon her she vriEL have an opinion and be able to express ij and thus add her mite to the interest of each club meeting. power for good and surround our young people with a moral atmos phere of the highest order. The woman's club movement undoubtedly illustrates woman's true place in eo cietj. Mrs. Henrotin says: "The work of woman is above all education al construction and co-ordinating arid she is always successful in following these lines, and especially should her life be one of applied Christianity, tn . the work, in the home, in the school and in the world." The small dub of the future from the very atmosphere of clubdom, must gnow broader and more altru istic. Its position on a social ques tions should be broad and positive. It is best to emphasize the good rather than dwell upon the evil. "For freedom is more large than crime, And error is more small than time." The Nebraska Federation of 'Wom en's clubs, the Trans-Mississippi Con gress of Women and the National Household Economics association will convene at the First Congregational church in Omaha October 11, 12, 13, 14. The program will be one of unusual excellence. The speakers and their topics are as follows: Mrs. Pratt' of Denver, vice-president of the General Federation, "The Unlimited Club;" Miss Julia Lathrop of Hull House, Chi cago, and one of the commissioners of the state board of charities of Illi nois, "Philanthrophy and Charities;" Mrs. Lyndon Evans of Chicago, Clubs for Working Girls;" Mrs. A. E. Gid dings of Anoka, Minn., "Best Rooms for Farmer's Wives in MarketTowns;" Mrs. His Lord Moore of Santa Bar bara, "Club Life in California;" Mrs. Lewellyn Douglas of Oklahoma. Pio neer Club Work in Oklahoma;" Miss Rockwell of .Junction City, Kan., "Evolutino in the American Home." Other speakers expected are Mrs. Hen rotin, Jlrs. Lowe of Georgia, president of General Tederation of Women's clubs; Mrs. Sawyer of Lincoln, Mrs. Peattie of Chicago and Miss Cole. Ad mission to the meetings will be free. A reception -will be given Thursday evening, October 13, in the club rooms to which all club women are invited. Each club woman jfluould carefully criticise herself and her club. Sub mit tlhfe following1 questions anil write dbwn jour answers and see how tiney wSll look. Are We gettimg irJto ruts individually or as a e"ub? Is it desir able to emancipate ourselves from the habit of reading Jong written papers before our club? Is it best for c-nle member of the club to prepare one paper' wHieto her turn comes nlphh-betScaOfy- and' then: feel that Iter work in' that olub is finished far ihait year? Is there as much educoltive value in a cSul whose members chose their own' topics, each- one entirtSy inde pendent of the other, as thougt- their work was a continuity, each' one in terested ini some general subject and in turn- presentling some phase of St? Would i not add1 greatly to the inter est of the meeting and also ensure better preparation! if each) member was expected to talk from one -to two minutes at every meeting on the sub ject of the discussion, no member be ing permitted to speak twice unltil all had1 spoken, once. The leader showing her careful preparation by being able to discuss the subject in hand from every standpoint, rather than present ing it from one point of view in a la bored paper. The president of one of our promi nent clubs at the opening of the last meeting of the past year remarked, "This is the first meeting thSe year we have been able to begin an time far want of a quorum." There is no stranger" comment an the tack of in terest in a club than for its members to come straggling in, same five, soars ten", some thirty minutes late. When such a condition prevails it behooves that club to cast about for the Jonah that is slowly but surely sinking &, if that Jonah is its plan of work, cast it out. The real object of club life is the greatest good to the greatest number. Its practical results should be a broad, generous, charitable, benevolent spirit which is constantly giving illustrofctarv in deeds, not. thought -of its earc est desire to benefit others, of its anxiety to give from the futtness of its own life to moke up for the de ficiency in some other life, of tts eagerness to make broader and brighter the pathway of life for alL Mrs. Mary Moody Pugh, vice presi dent for Nebraska of th.i National Household1 Economic Association, would! like a report from every wo man's club in the state having a de partment of economics, or domestic science. The annual convention will meet October 13 and 14 in! Omaha, arid in order to compile her report indi vidual reports are necessary- Please send them at once to 2509 St. ary-s Avenue, Omaha. There ore many indications that sev eral Ciiibs in our midst are in ruts, so deep itihurt they retard mental growth. One of the most seductive nns and the handesb to get out of because St ap peals to the lover of ease, and to those who wish, to get their work for ihB. year done ail at one meeting, is the one afternoon apiece plan, where one member is responsible for the enter taining -or boring of the whole cCub. You (have all .heard the self-groituij-tory expression; "There, my -work is done for the year!" Such a pCnn is sure deatlh! to a club. Some are more Irngerwig in' their decline but the in evitable result is the same. The club question in the past has been more or less an individual one, and very naturally so. The small 'club the beginning of dub Hfe was the natural outgrowth; of its sur roundings, the coming together of a few congenial spirits tor mutcai pleasure and improvement. The very surroundings of the small club make it exclusive and its work in the past has not gone beyond mutual benefits. It has not reached the great mess of women, the vast army of patient workers, either wage earners or home workers, who need so much m. few rayts of brightness and sunshine in their every day lives. The folio wing programs were pre-pn-red1 by a committee appoimtedi by the General Federation- oft, ore sun ply offered- as suggestions for club work. ' The committee do not desire that these .plans be blindly accepted1 and followed, as it is well aware that some of the best club development comes from the careful elaboration of the year .books within the club itself, but some have asked for assistance, whiidh excuses the offering. These programs were sent the state eorre spctnklang secretary, Mrs. A. C. Rick etts, who has very kindly handed them to The Courier. Others will ie published latter. TOPICS IX AMERICAN HISTORY. The Early Indian Wars. Oliarncteristics of the Puritans. Peter Stuyvesant and the Dutch Settlements. , Quakerism, in- New England. The- History of Witeheraf fc. History of the State. William Penn. Roger WilEams and Rhode Island. v The Revolution. American Heroes. The Civil War. Constitutional History of America. Benedict Arnold A Character Study. Abraham Lincoln A Character 8tudy. The true club woman is never satis fied with, what is being done, but is always seeking to improve the quail- Another evil- result of such! a system as, that the woman- who sits meeting after meeting withbut hearing -her own voice wiH be afraid of it when she is compelled' to use it, and instead of gradually acquiring the habit of taCking thoughtfully and' with, con tinuity upon any subject' she wiH find herself compelled to read a paper, whew her turn comes to lead and- in n5ne cases out of ten will have the mortification of knowing that Inaudi ble sighs of thankfulness ascend to The womacs club is reaching out on many Hues, largely phSttenrthropic. Many of them are no longer asking "What benefits shall we receive," but have taken on their shibboleth. "In what way can we work best for the bettermerib of humanity" and thus bring back upon the individuals the great moral responsibilities which rest with each person. "Go make thy garden as fair as thou canst, . Thou wbrkest never alone; Perchance he whose plat is next to thine, Will see it and mend' his own." Co-reMion and co-operation are tlhe watchwords for the brave and there is no reason' why the small club dhould not be active and enthusiastic along aQtruistic lines as well as the womons' club and a positive stand on social questions by the culture clubs of our land would be an irresLatable OUR OWX WORLD Early SettSement of the State Char acter of its founders, and impress they made upon the commonwealth. What is the. form: of its political govern ment? Compare the earliest forms of state government in this country. Discuss the witenagemote and town meeting. Geographical and Political History of State Also of the town, borough, or city, and its relations to the counts ry. Laws of the state effecting wom en, as wives, mothers' and owners of property. Present Local Government How constituted. Appointment of oncers and functions of the same. General conduct of elections. Is vote-seellng prevoCent? What share, if any, have women in; the government? Taxation- Methods of raising reven ues, and' appropriations of the same. Local Charities How administered. Cost. Are the methods employed mod ern? How do they compare with those of neighboring towns or cities? Discuss poor-houses, poor-farms, etc. Could better plans be devised for care of paupers? How does the town deal with! the tramp? Wood yards laun dries. Increase of pauperism compar ed with increase of population. Criminal Classes What are they? How deal wSth them? Any local rea son for peculiar classes of srimen. What is the increase of crime compar ed to population? What does the jail s tPtrx-lSJI!l0 , . EL Js j. .-. - - -?'