Woman's Monday Club Scrapbook

Page 4

THURSDAY, JULY 13, 1916.

Mrs. G. R. Scott Submits Biennial Report To the City Federation . . .

Wednesday Afternoon at the Nueces Hotel Addressed 200 Club Women of City on Federation Biennial Recently Held in New York City. 

            More than two hundred club women of Corpus Christi and vicinity Wednesday afternoon gathered at the Nueces Hotel to hear Mrs. G. R. Scott, president of the City Federation of Women, tell of her recent visit to New York where she as the delegate from the City Federation, attended the thirteenth Biennial of the American Federation of Women’s Clubs.

            Mrs. Scott said:

            “With a train of ten Pullmans, dining and drawing room cars, the club women of Texas made their trip to the great Biennial in New York City.  Joined by other Texans at Saint Louis, the Oklahoma and the Arkansas delegations, the “Biennial Special” so told by illuminated headlight to our observation car made its way across the continent without change, and with two important stops onlythe first for a half day’s excursion around the scenic loop of Niagara Falls, and the second, for those of the party who so desired to exchange Pullman for boat and an all day ride down the historic Hudson.  On the way, for pleasure there were tete a tetes, bridge games, a reception with Mrs. Lovejoy of McKinney hostess, and so on.  By the way of business, Mrs. Fred Fleming called a daily session, for discussion of business in which the Texas delegation was interested.  The first item was the reading of proposed changes in the constitution; the other was to arrange for some demonstration at first official appearance of Mrs. Pennybacker and for the great Texas dinner. 

            Arrived in New York City, the Texas delegation was found to number 150, some having come by other routes, some having gone in advance.  Our state was assigned headquarters at the hospitable old Astor Hotel, where the national officers and the state of Illinois were installed.  Other states were at the various hotels, but, somehow it proved the case of “all roads leading to the Astor,” since local committees for registration, hotel accommodations, etc, were all at the Astor; besides, the most brillian social functions as well as the conferences, were at this place.

            Before the Texans had even entered the hotel lobby they were greeted with cordial handclasp, from members of the Texas club in New York City, who had been assigned continuous duty at the Astor for no purpose except to give the “homey” feeling as well as all possible information to the Texans.

            The very first activity among the Texans, after shaking the dust of travel, was to arrange for the brillian Texas dinner, said to be the “greatest ever” by the banquet department of the Astor.  Your humble servant was made general chairman.  Invitations were sent to the members of the Texas club who not only responded by patronage, but sent us their electric Texas flag, Alamo and Lone Star.  These, with 500 cape Jasmines (by the way selling for 50 cents each in New York City) and some handsome rose baskets sent with compliments of Mrs. Elmer Black, a wealthy New York woman, also with the ornate interior of the roof garden banquet hall, and with the disposition of an “Old Glory” curtain behind our table of honorall this, made a wonderfully brilliant as well as patriotic scene.

            We had covers for 130, among the guests of honor such notables invited as the Countess Aberdeen from Ireland, Mrs. Sanford, wife of the Governor of Canada, Mrs. Conner, wife of the Governor of Alaska, Mrs. Washburn delegate from the Isle of Pines, Mrs. George Kirby Smith, acting president of the Texas clubs, Mrs. Kildreth, president New York Federation, Mrs. James Madison, Bass, formerly prominent Texas club woman, now active in the great Shakespeare Club of New York City, Mrs. Grover Cleveland Preston, Mrs. Thomas Edison, who opened her home to the club women, Mrs. William Jennings Bryan, Mrs. William Cummins Story, national president of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Mrs. Goodhue Leskie of England, the two candidates to succeed Mrs. Pennybacker, Mrs. Cowles (elected) from California and Mrs. Sneath from Ohio, and Mrs. Philip N. Moore of St. Louis.

            Noted as these are, the Texas women were their equals in appearence and poise.  We honored Mrs. Pennybacker and Mrs. Flemming.  During the dinner, Mrs. Pennybacker was presented a handsome diamond ring from her admiring Texas friends.

Biennial Plan.

            Perhaps it will be interesting to you to know just what one of these great Biennials is, how it is arranged, and how conducted.  First of all, the aggregation in New York City, delegates, alternates, visitors and speakers, was estimated at 20,0002500 delegates, 800 alternates.  The immense hall, too large for any human voice to penetrate was the Seventh Regiment Armory.  Here, as chairman of the decoration told us, was the largest window box ever constructed500 feet long, the largest order of bunting ever given, 10,000 yards, and all else in proportion.  Into this mammoth auditorium, we were ushered after having run the gamut of well organized hotel, credentials and other committees.  The stage was ready for 500, the officers, state presidents, special committees, special guests of honor, and so on.  Upon this stage, Mrs. Henry Fall, our retiring state president was chief aid to Mrs. Pennybacker, your humble servant, designated on platform committee to greet arrival of speakers and reserve those priviledged to stage seats, Mrs. O. L. Clark of Galveston sub courtesy committee and Mrs. Dibrell of Seguin, Mrs. Gardner of Austin, speaker on president’s evening, and our state president, Mrs. Flemming.

            Below this stage was a section for the press, seats for 100 and these seemed filled all the time.  This shows the importance of club women’s work, when papers from all over America send representatives to “catch the dripping from the sanctuary” to tell those at home.  From this platform, looking out over vast space, banners proclaimed the sections for states, for delegates, for alternates, for visitors. 

            Pages and ushers were in constant passage, holding cards  lettered “Silence.”  Great as was the assembly, it was wonderful order, and Mrs. Pennybacker’s power sufficient to hold this order.  However, may I say by way of passing, that the Biennial has outgrown itself.  Much of the pleasure and manifest decrease in attendance after the first few days was noticed because of the inability to hear, and thus follow the proceedings.  “Billy Sunday’s” sounding board was inadequate, another was provided over night, and it was insufficient; next, a canopy was constructedstill only partial relief.  I believe this will lead to some sort of reorganization for the next Biennial.  Already, in our business session, it was decided to elect no more alternates.

            In this mammoth hall, the morning sessions were held and the general business transacted, such as acting on the president’s recommendations, changes in the constitution, etc.  These were alternated with some noted speaker along broad lines of public good.

            In the afternoon, Mrs. Pennybacker was supposed to get her rest, while chairman of the standing committees, each presided over a conference. Into this, not only was her subject, Health Conservation, Home Economics, etc., introducer, but the program so arranged that each section of her subject was resented by an expert.  It was these conferences which really gave us the “meat” of the Biennial.  The Biennial now has eleven departments.

            In the evening, the Armory is again open for elaborate programs, the opening addresses, the state presidents addresses, the General Federation President’s own program, and so on.

            This in the rough is the Biennial plan of procedure.

Keynotes and Business.

            Within these eleven departments, each chairman is on the alert for new current questions which have arisen during the two intervening yearsfor the Health, the Twilight Sleep, for the Home Economics, the standardization of dress for womenfor example.  While the old line of work is reviewed and strengthened by addresses, these new ideas are approached and left open for attention and thought, perhaps to crystalize in a formal Biennial resolution two years hence.  It is in the conferences that most of the resolutions are introduced, endorsed and taken for ratification at the Biennial session on the following morning.

            The resolution of most interest this year came from the Conservation departmentthe adoption of our national flower, the mountain laurel.  I will pause to tell you why this was selectedfirst of all, the shrub grows nowhere except in America, its cluster on single stem typifies the Federation motto “Unity in Diversity.”  It is in best bloom on our great national holiday, the Fourth of July, it will grow wherever planted, but is native to the thirteen original stateseven more reasons than these.

            Within the eleven conferences, it was most noticeable that interest in Conservation has had most vital growth.  Home Economics and Health being very close secondsHowever, we have had the two latter for a long time, and Conservation is the something new.  The idea began with the club women on effort to conserve natural resources, Niagara Falls water, water of the Hetcy Ketchy Valley, our pine forests, etc.  Now, the conservation idea has broadened until it is the keynote “conserve the life happiness and recreation of our peoplenational parks for their health and pleasure rivers and forests for a more health giving climate”and so on.  After all, it comes to our original club ideathe health and the happiness of the American home.  In the Health Conference, I was impressed with the fact that no matter how shrinking the Southern club woman may be she must rally to the discussion and the knowledge of the dread diseases.

            We have slept too long on this pubic menace to healthof the innocent woman and child.  We fight tuberculosis with heart and soul, and shut our eyes to a disease, more loathsome, more dangerous, and more wide spread.  It is noticeable that these Conferences interlapfor example, the housing and shelter topics in the Home Economics beats directly upon the conservation of health and life in general.  The legislative conference touches laws which assure the work of home economics, and conservation; the Press department gives public to the measures promoted by the several conferencesand thus it goes.  Each woman consults her program religiously, and seeks that which is of most personal interest to her; thus, she can not give report from all.  At one time, perhaps four of these conferences are in session.

            This is one of the disappointing features of the Biennial, but it can not be helped, for women can not remain at the Biennial always, and woman’s work has broadened so that she covers the entire earth literally.

            I must report the something “new” for the Home Economicsthat of introducing a standard of dress for women.  The idea is, for morning and business, leaving women free to exercise their own purses and taste for evening gowns.  Lady Duff Gordon introduced several “manikins” to exemplify dress which was serviceable, dress which was freakish and dress which was individual.  No action was taken, this being one of the open subjects for the coming two years.  Mrs. Robert Burdette who excited so much gossip because she wore all white in mourning for Mr. Burdette, was one of the speakers for reform in dress; Mrs. Thomas Edison was another.

            The Music Conference gave program from American present day composer.  The Art section was under direction of our former Texas woman, Miss Anna Maxwell Jones.

            The Literature Conference was made particularly interesting owing to the address of the former Mary Magdalene of the Passion Play.

            Much more might be said, but remember, it took ten days for the Biennial, and I am trying to tell you all that transpired in one hour.