Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903 | View Entire Issue (April 15, 1899)
THE COURIER numbers would continuo about tho eamo, 11. Failuro of club members to realize aims, benefits, dutios and possibilities of club movomont, over organization, if uny dangor, rests with wotuon, centering in fiolf, ovor-dolnp, satioty, tendency to nogloot otlior dutioB, too many clubs, superficiality, diffusonosB.ovor doing tho woman question. 12. Yob as crystallizing poriod is at band, if reaction comoB at all it will come soon, questions havo boon accumu lating which must bo solvod, no moro reuson to oxpoct crisis than in past ilvo years, yoB, federation idon dovoloped ox cofisivoly. Hosides tho regular mombors of tho club and tho president of tho N. F. W. 0., Mrs. Field, presidont of tho Wom an's club of Lincoln, Mrs. Archibald Scott and Mrs. D. L. Brace, ono of tho charter mombors of Soroeis, woro pres ont. Mrs. Fiold's remarks about tho duties of all club mombors to tho worn an'fl club produced a noticeable effect. Mrp. Fiold is ono of tho fow who prac tices tho fedorution motto: Each for all and ull for ouch. MrB. N. Z. Snoll will bo tho leador of the next mooting, which will moot with Mrs. Miller. Her subject is Proposed Bunking Reforms. is in consonanco with action taken by about 1'2T of our higher institutions of loarning which huvo pledged thouiBolves to givo froo instruction to Buch young CubanB ub aro sont thorn. Ono proviso only id mudo. Tho young men when oducuted must return to their own coun try and givo to tboir nutivo land tho bonolit of thoeo advantages which they huvo enioyod among ub. Tho young CubanB who ofTor themselves as candi dates must of necessity havo had a preparatory courso, and thoy must plcdgo thomeolveB to remain until tboir col lego courso is ondod. Two porsons, not rela tives, must attest to thoir good moral character. Though their tuition and thoir lodgings aro to bo given thorn, thoso students must each possesB at loaBt $12 a month for food. Tho little touch of independence given by an abil ity to pay one's board must bo dear to thoir hearts, as independence is dear to tho hearts of oron thoso who are full to tho brim of giatitudo. Tho household economics dopartment of tho Woman's club closed its year's work with a banquot at Union college last week. This popular department has been under tho efficient management of Mrs. Milton Scott, whose happy thought it wub to merge tho "annual meeting" into one of social pleasure as well as business. Hot ween sixty and seventy members wont out on tho electric cars to this noon banquot, which was promised to bo u practical demonstration of fari naceous foods. The dining room had boon especially prepared for the guests who were seated at tables largo enough to accommodate eight persons. Bright eyed waitresses in bluo frocks and white aprons and caps deftly served tho ex pectant guests to a sumptuous banquet which included neither meat or fish. Tho menu was us follows: Fruit or Tomato Soup. Wuolo Wheat Wafers. Roast Turkey (of vegetables.) Greon Pees. Lima Boane. Mashed Potatoes. Cranberries. Cream Finger Rolls. Pumpkin Pie. Oranges. Coroal Coffee. Aftur tho banquot many ladies availed themselves of tho opportunity of boiug shown over tho building, showing espe cial interest in the health fcod and kitchoa departments. The business part of this meeting was hold immediately utter tho banquet in the gymnasium, at which Mrs. John A, Ames wbb elected leador for tho coming year. Miss Mary T. Mason, tho newly ap pointed mombor of the Philadelphia Board of Education, is a progrt&sivo woman, a mombor of the civic club, aud a graduato of Bryn Muwr col'ege. Since tho closo of her school days she has do voted hor time to questions pertaining to oJucation and is said to bo thoroughly compotent to till the part to which she has boon appointed. Tho department of parliamentary practice of tho Woman's club bold tb.9 laBt meeting of the club year laBt Tues day afternoon. The chief business was the election of officers for the coming year, which resulted in the re election of Mrs. Nellie M Richardson us leader, and Mrs. F. H. Harrison re secretary. The appointment of an executive board was deferred until tho first meeting in the fall. We hear bo much juBt now of Joseph iloJges Choato, our now minister to tho court of St. James that I feel tompted to repeat a bright little repartee ho made when a friond asked him: "If you were not JoBeph Choato whom would you rather be?-' "Mrs. Choate's second hus band," was the quick response. The tribute thus paid Mrs. Choato is in wide contrast with the following from Francis Bacon written some three hun dred years ago: "He that bath wife and children hath given hostages of fortune, for they are impediments to great enter prises, eithor or virtue or mischiof." Did Sir Francis livo in this generation ho would tlnd that the world mov b in moro sonBo than ono, for most of the noted men of today gladly testify that they aro indebted for their success in a large degree to the sympathy and in telligent co-operation of thoir wives. visit schools. In this report Bomo things were commended. Many, many things wore criticised and not always fairly. Among tho objections, I recall tho fol lowing: Rooms dusty, much too warm, punils restless, teacher norvoue. Why should she not be if sho appreciated tho mission of hor visiters? All interference of this character will only add to tho burdon of an already overtaxed teacher. Not one error will probably bo corrected whoro much good was meant. Now thut the timo of year is so near when pro grams and year books are arranged is it not well to plan for this work in a sys tematic manner. Tho aim nf tho club through its comtnittoo iB to be helpful, Being exceedingly interested in school work bb well bb in tho club I will sug gest ono or two things that may bo help ful in arranging work for tho coming year. If tho high school were asked to fur nish one number per week, or per month, upon the literary program of the club, there would be something to add to tho interest of this line of work in tbo high school. This may be a recitation, an essay or a book teview or a ehort dobato upon a curront subject. I once found this of gieat valuo, ub the entiro class competing put forth its best effort, each ono hoping to bo selected. Tho selec tion was made by a vote of tho class. Tho school board is composed of men absorbed in their own business. It iB accustomed to have each new teacher ask for changes. Let the women's clubs look after these mutters and a change will Boon bo produced. Closets will be properly located and cared for; grounds will be improved; shade trees planted; disfigured dirty walls purified and then there will come a chanco for art decora tion. If the clubB in the smaller towns could carry out ono or both of these BUggestionB I am sure they will feel that the result is satisfactory. Ellen M. Austin, Principal Pender Public Schools. Tho Century club was entertained l.nst Tuesday afternoon at the homo of Mrs M. H. Garten. Roll call was responded to by curront events from clubdom. There was n general discussion upon club lifo and its influences, led by Mrs. I . X. Baker, which wub very animated und interesting. Some of the questions under consideration wore: Is the club movomont on the increase? What is its offoct on church lifo on homo lifo? and on tho individual? ThiB discussion wub followed by un interesting pupor of Co lumbiu college, read by MrB. Powell, and Mrs. Polk reud u carefully prepared paper on W. D. HowoIIb. The Woman's club of Chicago inaug urated a pleasing innovation last Sat urday afternoon in form of a recoption in honor of its ex-proBidonts. There were fiftoon ladies--and these did not include some who havo moved from tho city who stool in lino with tho present president, Mrs. Ponoyor L. Sherman. Thoto womon stand for the progressive work of women in Chicago for tho past quarter of a century. Progression was tho koynoto of all tho discuBsiona at tho recont convention of tbo National Department of Superin tendents held at Columbus, Ohio. One recommondation wbb tbo introduction of Spanish in tho high schools, thut thoso of our youth who try their luck in our new WoBt I n diu possessions may not bo handicapped with an ignoranco of tho languago of that country. This move THK WOMEN'S CI.UIJS AND THE SCHOOLS. I beliovo thut it is in tho true spirit of helpfulness that the clubB attempt to do something each your for tho betterment oftheschcols. Tbo fact that eo far in most cases tho effort baB beon barron of results is no reaBon why the attempt should bo abandoned. It is a reason why a plan should be adopted and some definite idou of what is to bo accom plished understood beforo enguging in it in a haphazard way. Tho writer re cently listened to a report given by the chairman of a committee appointod by the woman'e club of a certain town to "will not deter thorn from ma ) ) p vigorous effort in favor of this reform.1' The Stato Federation of Alabama is working to securo a stato reformatory for boys; Mississippi womon are work ing for tho samo thing, und in Arkansas tho fedoration has undertaken to so euro school suffrage, tho appointment of a woman physician for tho women patients in tho insano asylum, and a reform school. An obsorving woman onco paid there was always something about which the neatest housekeopor wbb slaik, and sonio other something about which tho slackest housewife was particular. Whether it is truo of housekeeping or not, it is certainly so of conservatism. The radical woman has her conserva tive streak, and the most tradition bound has some one lino along which sho is iu advance of the van. Roger Williams and Cotton Mather might bo taken aB typeB of the radicals and con servatives of their timo; yet tho broad minded Williams set tho whole town of Salem by the ears because he insieted that women ought to be compelled to wear veils in church, and tho narrow Cotton Mather calmly proposed to havo his oldest duughter study medicine, and probably tho first primitivo brand ever thrown on this continent was hurlod through his bedroom window when he sought to introduce vaccination into plague-stricken Boston. Perhaps the word "conservative'' is not really the proper ono, for tho con servative would preserve "in its present stato." Wo should do bother to employ "conservator,'' which means one who holds, keeps and guards, preserves and defonds. It seems to us these con servative pouthorn women deserve to be known rather as conservators. Tho executive committee of the Con gress of Mothers has decided that noxt year's convention shall bo held at Dos Moines, la., on invitation of tho Wom an's club of that city. This is tho first time tho congress has met outside of Washington and it is expected that much interest will bo evinced in this movement in tbo western states. We havo beon told for years that tho abiding placo of conservatism was the south and that no amount of clubbing would ever render tho southern woman anything but conservative. But there are conservatives and conservators sayB tho Westorn Club Woman, and tho radical woman never errs more sadly than when she imagines, as she ap parently does now and then, that it is because sho does all the thinking that she haa arrived at certain conclusions. Tho conservative siBtor thinks just bb much, but arrives at opposite conclu sions. Thoy should bo patient with each other, for it is a common end thoy desire, and the radical is roady to scut tle back, the conservative to rush for ward, tho moment either is convincod that tho backward or forward move is for tho bost. It is tho womon who don't think at all who are content with mid die ground. Tho stato federations in tho south aro doing a noblo work, and thoy aro doing it in thoir own v ay. Tho con servativo will say proudly You see consorvativo women aro doing just as much, aro just us anxiouB to do somo thing for humanity as any of tho radi cal womon. And tho rudicul cun uf. ford to say nothing, for so long as tho end is achieved for which sho hopeB and prays that is enough. Tho womon of Tennessee havo begun a campaign to pluco womon on tho school bourds, and "having no vote in the mutter," says thoMomphisScimitor, Mrs. H. H. Wilson, Dean of Women at tho university, gave an instructive parlor talk on social conventionalities and usages to a largo number of young ladies, at tho Y. W. C. A. rooms last Saturday evening. A great number of social conventionalities wore talked about and tho young ladies invited to ask any questions on social usages which woro not clear to them. Mrs. Wilson was followed by Miss Parker who spoke on "The American Girl in Purie." Miss Parker's romarks wero fiom personal experience as sho has spent somo timo in tho art sihoolB of Paris, and sho utterly refuted tho idea that an Amorican girl was not safe on tho streets without n chaperon. She claims that tho girl student is as eare on tho streets of Paris as on tho streets of Lincoln. Following these talks light refreshments woro served and a pleas ant social timo enjoyed. Tho Consumers League of America which heretofore has boon limited to a fow of tho largo citios took a very im portant Btep recently when they united and organized a national fedoration. Tho Leagues of Now York havo also organized a Stato federation, auxiliary to tho national. Tho national orgnniza tion at present only represents four Bta es-Now York, Pennsylvania, Mas BachusottB and Illinois, with Colorado Zj"Klaia proparing t0 oranlzo Tho object of this movement is to create a demand all over our country or goods mado under good conditions and appeals so directly to tho sympa- lues and that underlying sonso of a lovo for Just.ce that it muBt spread very raidly all over our fair land. No moro effective way to reach tho swoat-Bhop Bystom and kindred ovils than by or gun.zation. No moro effective way for tho club womon of tho United States to carry out tho policy adopted at tho ofGT wn "I t0 briS B" th0 ' of C b . Wo. to improve the indua. rml condition of womon and children, than to join hands with the Consumers