Elkhart County, Indiana - Chapter with an unread heading (no. 19 of those read), 1905

The woman's clnlj came almost simnltaneoiisly with the woman's college. In the days when might made right, there was very little outside " the four walls " which women could d<j ; hut as times changed and the race hegan to understand that there was a more just and satisfactory way of settling differences than hy fighting, when people really began to believe in the fatherhood of (iod and the brotherhood of luan ; when the conference began to be thought of as a substitute for the quarrel, and the idea of arbitration took root, there was work for women to do, and all unconsciously the woman's college and the woman's club came to give them the necessary training to take their part in the world: thus fitting women to stand side by side with men and together work for the .social, civic, nmral and intellectual uplift nf humanity. Tn help solve world problem'^ re(faircs dee]i thinking and broad training, hence the growth of the woman's club, that this training might be obtained.

Xaturallv. the historv of the club mo\-ement throughout the United States co\-ers the history in our own state and county, and a brief statement (;f what has been and is being accomplishe<l at large may tend 1 letter to show what women are doing in Elkhart county.

It is generallv supposed that the " Sorosis " of Xew Yurk was the first woman's club ever organized in this C'-Umtry, Init upon careful investigation this honor is mnv claimed by our own Indiana, and that the first woman's club in the United States was organized by Mrs. Constance FauntLeRoy Runcie in 1S59. at New Harmony, Indiana, and known as the " Minerva Cluli," thus antedating the " Sorosis " by nine years. Mrs. Runcie is at present a resident of St. Joseph, Missouri, and sa) s she al'^o fciunded her second club in 1867 at ^ladison, Indiana, thus .gi\'ing Indiana the distinction of having two woman's clubs before the Boston or X^ew York clubs.

Second. - She has gained fully recognized admission to all occu- IKitions. and instead of seven occupations being open to woman, as in 1840, she may now ha\-e choice of upwards of three hundred distinct trades and professions : business, factory and professional.

Third. - She .has accomplished the removal of the education of women from the field of the "namby-pamby" and the ornamental to that of the useful, beginning with household economics and extending into the highest branches of science and literature, and co-educational advantages being also secured.

Foiirfli. - She has inctilcated the acceptance of motherhood as a profession, reiiuiring thorotigh recognition of the fact that it brings W(-.man's highest reward.

f if til. - She has lirought about the contrilnition of an immense amount of careful thinking, placed in book fr>rm, regarding household duties, household management, the care of the body and methods of correct living.

.Si.vlli. - She lias secured the indention of a great number of household con\'eniences, calculated to save the labor of the housewife and to make work, as it shotild be, interesting, inviting and agreeable.

The foremost work of the club movement has always been education. Of its educational work, ])erba])s the establishment of pulilic and traveling libraries has been and is one of its most effecti\e acti\ities. Through the fostering care and influence exerted by club women, the libraries are multiplying in ntimber, and in number of books, readers and consequent g'ood to present and future generations.

The Federation club women are pledged to work for a common cause, the cause of womanhood throughout the land. The}" belie\-e that the impro\-ement of our schools will ne\-er lie satisfactory until the (juestion of politics is completely di\-<irced from education and school management. They believe if our boys and girls can he taught that to li\-e for one's country in the best and truest sense is as glorious as to die for it. and [jrotecting its rights and maintaining its laws and institutions is as much a jiart of patriotism as defending it from invasion : we niav rest assured that the future of our nation is safe.

Club life teaches women the necessity of putting aside all personality, of judging all persons and questions on their merits, and of sinking the individual preferences in that wdiich will be for the highest good of all. Thus it is that club women are being trained to broader and liigher thinking, to Ije more perfectly educated; to have not only the knowledge gained from books, but the ability to utilize all knowledge which can be gained from any source.

In this great aggressive and progressive club movement now manifesting such patent influence in our land, Elkhart county has had and is now taking a prominent part. It is known that during the period of the Civil war, when men were enlisting to defend our country's lionor and the principle of personal liberty, a society was formed in Goshen, the county seat, for reading and debate, dealing largely with the cjuestions of the times, which were on the hearts of all. This debating society flourished for }xars, and may be said to have been the beginning of similar work, and club work in the county. Many such societies, later on, were organized in the rural districts of the county, until almost every schoolhouse was the center of this kind of intellectual training and drill, w^hich should be revived and encouraged and maintained as one of the best means of drill for the young, to enable them to better grapple with the problems that are sure to confront them as time goes on.

For quality of work and real interest exhibited, those societies rivaled the up-to-date club of to-day. Here the school " ma'am " and the school master received the inspiration for future careers in pedagogy. Here many a campaign orator was developed, getting his inspiration and early training from the old, now obsolete, country schoolhouse de- I'ating societies.

With the problems of the twentieth century we need something more of these debates, where intellect is pitted against intellect in splendid effort. But as time went on the debating and literary society was superseded by the Reading Circle and Oub.

In the inception of the modern woman's club idea we must not forget the influence nf tlie Chautaii(|ua niovement, to which much (if our present club work can be traced. As early as 1878 in the cit}- of (ioshen. Miss Mable Hawks, still a resident, began reading the Chautauqua course and continued her reading for two years alone, when twf) others joined in the reading. From the fall of 1881 to and including 1883, there were fi\e in the circle. These met once and sometimes twice a week to compare notes and ascertain what information was found outside the -subject matter of their reading. There was no organization, hence no officers. In the fall of 1884 a large C. L. S. C. (Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Course) was organized, with Mr. James Mayfield, of Goshen, now deceased, as its first president. With some change in membership the circle continued its work until 1890, some few continuing a year or more afterward. There are nearly a score or more of C. L. S. C. graduates in Goshen, many having completed several courses of study and thereby added one or more seals to tiieir diplomas.

Following this first club movement, we now have nine regularly organized women's clubs in Goshen, namely : The Philomathean, a direct outgrowth of the Chautauqua, studying literature and art chiefly. The Bay View Circle, a Chautauqua course, as the name implies. Library Club, devoted chiefly to the study of travel and history. Winona, a Chautauqua circle, and the Chautaucpia Club, as the name indicates, another Chautauqua circle. The History Club, making a specialty of the study of American history. The Progress Club, an art class, and the " Beacon Lights,'' students of history and literature and the most pi'ogressive club in the city, as it is the only club afliliated with the State and General Federations, one of whose members is now president of the State Federation of Women's Clubs and another a member of the educational committee of the General Federation.

Through the combined efforts of some of the above named cluljs popular lecture courses. uni\-ersity extension lectures and series of lectures on special themes which were the subjects of study in the clubs, have been promoted and maintained.

Goshen also deserves to be proud of its Woman's Musical Club, which is entering upon its seventh year with a membership of nearly three hundred. This club, with its strong and commendable features in " Artists " recitals, has brought superior musical attractions of a high order to the city, thus raising the standard of music. It has also supported choruses under efficient directors, rendering oratorios and cantatas. This club has much good musical talent in voice, on organ, piano and stringed iristruments, having several memljers whose training has been completed under the Ijest masters abroad.

But woman's club work must nut be understood as being confined to literature, history, travel, art, music and the like, for the work of women's clubs is far from that reported by a delegate from Pennsvlvania, reporting a club devoted to study of literature, to the General Federation, uttered the following: "Our club does purely literary work, ^\'e study our lessons and recite them, but we never do anything for anybody, and may God have mercy on our poor selfish souls." On the contrarj', many clubs, especially those affiliated with the General

Federation, have committees for tlie following work: Education. Art, Ck'ics. Cm! Service Reform. Household Economics and Pure Food. Forestry. Industrial. Child Labor, Legislative, Reciprocity, and man_\- otlier lines of work, that the changing conditions of the times may seem to require.

Elkhart, the largest city in the county, has ten acti\'e women's cluhs, six of which helong to the State F'ederatinn of Women's Clubs. The.se are: Current: iMfteen Circle Association: Thursday Cluh: Twentieth Centurv: Woman's Clul). and Women's Art Cluh. The first organized cluh w;is the '" F'ifteen Circle Association." in i8S(), incorporated in 1894, its aim lieing literar^-. ])hilanthroi)ic and social iniproxement. The last A-erir's course of stud_\- was " The Drama," one of great interest. In i8(J4 Mrs. A. E. Baljh endowed the 1^'ifteen Circle Association with a library of several hundred volumes. This collection, with other hooks that from time to time had l)een purchased hy the club, numbering one thousand volumes, was in the year 1903 i^resented to the new Carnegie librar_\- of tlie cit_\' of I^lkhart.

The Woman's Art Club was organized about twelve years ago, and, as its name imjilies, studies art in all its branches ; last year's study being (le\dted to ])oetic art in operas, and Browning, being considered the banner vear as to interest and qualitv of work. The plan is to study Browning and Tennvs(jn the coming year.

The Twentieth Centur\- ^^'oman's Clul) is liter.ary and social, having advanced ideas and aims. This club, together with the Fifteen Circle ;ind .\rt Club ha\e combined and engaged a prominent lecturer from Boston to deli\er a course of four lectures on subjects relating to the studies pursued.

The ^^^)man's Club, organized in 1902, is the only department clul) in the county, and is doing most excellent work. Thursday Club is devoted niostl}- to the study of the history of countries and current topics. Current Cluh is what the name signifies, a club for the study of current history. Of the ten clubs, there are foiu' unfederated, viz.: Progress Clul), a literary club: the Loyal Club, composed of ladies of the " \\'()man's Relief Corjis," who have read " Stoddard's Lectures " and recently ])ursued the course as presented in the Ba)- \'iew Magazine: Riverside Reading Cluh, a literary club: and Ba\- \"ie\v, students of " The Bay \"iew Ch.autauqua Course." Elkhart is the onl\- city in the northern part of the state having a City Federation of Women's Clubs, which has iieen organized .and doing effective work for some time. The object of the City Federation lieint;- to study civic conditions and assist in bringing about many much needed reforms in the civic hfe of the city, and otherwise plan for l)eautifying it.

Through tlie efforts of some of the chibs the city council was indticed to pass an ordinance providing that sidewalks lie kept clean and the comfort of the citizens is thus grcath' enhanced. Through the influence of these same club women, Elkhart citizens ha\e had the prixalege of hearing many of the best university extension lecturers and others of national reputation. 'Idie present season, 1905, the first Chautauqua Assemijlv was held, giving a ten days' session, and so successfttl as to encourage the management to arrange for a permanent Chautauqua assembly.

Xappanee, the third largest town, and a most thriving manufacturing place, has maintained a club at sliort intervals for years. A Chautauqua Circle being the first, studied and read for two years and then abandoned the work. A Ladies' Literary Cluli, organized and met for one vear. and was superseded liy a Bay View Circle for another vear: but there is no club at this time. Nappanee has some enthusiastic clul) women, needing only a leader to organize the work,

Wakarusa has the Search Light Club, devoted to literary and other woik. ^liddleliurv has had the distinguished literary societies in the early days, but no club at present. In 1895 there was a reading circle' composed of men and women who did much reading and afterward engaged in the discussion of leading questicms in deflate. About 1900 a Shakespeare Club was held for the winter season only. Two years later the voung ladies formed a circle for the reading and study of English authors.

Millersburg has- no literary club, but does much musically, su])- porting a chorus with a paid director some portion of the year. The other towns in the county make no effort to support and encourage club work among women so far as has been learned.

The trul}- modern clul> is not a club for self-improvement only', but is prompted with altruistic and philanthropic motives; is an organized body of women filled with a desire to serve others, doing most excellent vv'ork in its community in providing better school facilities, better teachers, creating purer politics, more wholesome civic conditions ; is largely instrumental in improving the conditions in jails, prisons, asvlums and retreats for the unfortunate, in fact to impro\e, ujilift and benefit humanity and conditions in a multiplicit}' of ways.