church, or at each others' homes. These bodies of congenial spirits met regularly and discussed questions in the realm of art or literature. The first programs savored strongly of the artistic and literary themes and but little of the scientific and philanthropic.

While the foregoing is true of the clubs which began to spring up all over the country, and while it is still true, in a greater or lesser degree, in many clubs today, the real meaning of the club movement as laid down by such women as Mrs. Croly, Julia Ward Howe, Charlotte Wilbour and others, and as carried out by the best and most active leaders of the present day, was something far greater and deeper in significance than the formation of study classes and literary clubs.

In 1868 we find Sorosis of New York setting forth in her articles of incorporation the fact that the society was formed for the promotion of useful relations among women, the discussion of principles which promised to exert a salutary effect on women and on society, and the establishment of an order which should render women helpful to each other and actively benevolent in the world. And in 1869 we find Mrs. Croly attempting to introduce a measure which commended to the attention of the club matters connected with public education and reformatory schools, hygienic and sanitary reforms, female labor, the department of domestic economy, dishonesty in public life, and so forth. This measure was defeated, it is true, but its introduction at that time shows conclusively that, even at the outset, the founders of the women's club movement had in mind the organization of a body of social workers who should make better conditions on every hand.

But it should not be forgotten that Mrs. Croly and her co-workers were of a most fortunate class; they were women who had already many interests outside the then limited sphere of woman's activities. They were women who had seen and felt and become a vital part of the great moral and spiritual quickening of the times, which was already

forcing men and women out of the tyranny of tradition and prejudice into the freedom of intellectual thought and action. They had seen brave women come out at least partially victorious in their campaign for the higher education for women, and they belonged to the class of women who were stirred to higher thought and nobler action by the trying times from which the country was but then struggling to emerge. They were ready to take a firm hold upon the affairs of the world. They needed but a strength of fellowship and federation to give them courage and faith. This the club gave them.

Not so, however, with the women remote from the large centers, women who had not yet felt the thrill of the pregnant possibilities of the times, women who had still to combat tradition and prejudice and bigotry in their own communities and sometimes even in the bosom of their own families. For these women the club meant first of all a fellowship, a community of interests, an opportunity for enlarged mental activity and a genial and appreciative atmosphere. It meant a school where they might teach and be taught, a mutual improvement society, which should educate them and lead them out into better hopes, nobler aspirations and larger life. An examination of the programs followed by those clubs shows also a decided leaning toward the study of history, art and literature. There are many high-sounding titles and many names of philosophers and poets. The working out of these programs brought down upon the heads cf the workers much adverse criticism. They were termed "second hand wisdom," "encyclopedic rehearsals," and many other unpleasant sounding names, the more unpleasant because there was a goodly modicum of truth in the accusations. Club members writing on Plato and Dante, on the language of the Iroquois, or the trail of the Saracens in Spain, found it difficult to improve upon the carefully written and wisely edited pages of encyclopedias and historic tomes.

But while granting that the critics had some basis for

their jibes, the fact must be constantly kept in mind that these pages of borrowed wisdom, delivered before a body of earnest women were not to be despised. They were stepping-stones to greater things. They represented a stage in the evolution of the leading social service club of the present day. They gave to women, unaccustomed to the sound of their own voices, courage to speak before an audience; they gave them an ability to express their thoughts in logical sequence, they enabled the speakers in the discussions which followed the papers to "think on their feet," an accomplishment which is of inestimable value to either man or woman; they gave an interchange of ideas whereby other thoughts, fresh and creative, had birth.

Even as the child creeps before he walks and supports his first steps by clinging to those stronger and older than himself, so the pioneer club woman developed slowly but surely her own independence of thought and action, and the resolute, useful club worker of today is the true outgrowth of the club woman of the middle-aged women's university of twenty-five years ago.

FIRST-CLUBS IN EACH STATE

There is a very great difference of opinion regarding the first woman's club. Several states have a claimant for this honor and many substantiate their claims with strong arguments. It may be of interest to quote from an article which appeared in the July, 1908, number of the New England Magazine, from the pen of Helen M. Winslow, than whom there is no woman better able to speak with accuracy.

"The following," she says, "is a table giving the earliest clubs formed in each state:"

"Arkansas, the Columbian of Little Rock, 1883; Pacaha, 1888. "Alabama, Cadmean Circle, Birmingham, 1888; Kettledrum, Tuscaloosa, 1888; Thursday, Selma, 1890.

"California, Ebell of Oakland, 1876.

"Colorado, Denver Fortnightly, 1881; Monday Literary, 1881; Boulder Fortnightly, 1884.

"Connecticut, Cosy Club, Bridgeport, the '50's; New Britain Woman's Club, 1875; English Literary Club of Bridgeport, 1879.

"Dakotas, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Ladies' History Club, 1879; Fargo, North Dakota, Woman's, 1884.

1882.

1887.

"Delaware, New Century Club of Wilmington, 1889.
"District of Columbia, National Woman's Press Association,

"Florida, Green Cove Springs Village Improvement Society,

"Georgia, Nineteenth Century History Club, 1885.
"Idaho, Treble Clef of Coeur de Alene, 1894.

"Illinois, Ladies' Education Association of Jacksonville, 1833; Friends in Council, Quincy, 1866; Jacksonville Sorosis, 1868.

"Indiana, Minerva of New Harmony, 1858; Bronté of Madison, 1864; Indianapolis Woman's Club, 1875; Muncie Woman's Club, 1876.

"Iowa, Fenelon Street Circle of Dubuque, 1857; Conversational Club of Dubuque, 1868; Ladies' Literary Association of Dubuque, 1876.

"Kansas, Friends in Council of Lawrence, 1877; Zodiac, 1878; Social Science Club (state), 1880.

"Kentucky, Covington Art Club, 1887.

"Louisiana, the Geographic Club of New Orleans, 1880. "Maine, Monday Club of Portland, 1877; First State Federation, 1892.

"Maryland, Lend a Hand Club of Mt. Washington, 1872.

"Massachusetts, Ladies' Physiological Institute, 1848; Randolph Ladies' Library Association, 1855; New England Woman's Club, 1868; Wednesday Morning of Boston, 1870; Nantucket Sorosis, 1872; Lady Teachers Association, Boston, 1874; Home Club, East Boston, 1875.

"Michigan, Ladies' Library Association of Kalamazoo, 1852; Ladies' Library Association of Battle Creek, 1864, Ladies' Literary Club of Grand Rapids, 1869; Lansing Woman's Club, 1874; Detroit Woman's, Jackson Woman's, and Ladies' Library of Schoolcraft, 1879.

"Minnesota, St. Cloud Reading Circle, 1880; Minneapolis Tuesday Club, 1872.

"Missouri, Springfield Ladies' Saturday Club, 1879.
"Montana, Homer Club of Butte, 1891.

"Nebraska, Zotetic of Weeping Water, 1884.

"New Hampshire, Manchester Shakespeare Club, early '70's; Concord Shakespeare Club, 1877.

"New Jersey, Woman's Club of Orange, 1872; Shrewsbury Reading Circle, 1877; Friday Club of Bridgeton, 1880.

"New Mexico, Fifteen Club of Santa Fe, 1891.

"New York, Sorosis, 1868; Brooklyn Woman's Club, 1869; Social Art Club of Syracuse, 1875; Graduates' Association of Buffalo, 1876.

"Ohio, Ladies' Centennial Book Club of Ottawa, and the New Century of Toledo, 1876; Conversational Club of Cleveland, 1878. "Öregon, Thursday Afternoon Club of Pendleton, 1884.

"Pennsylvania, Schuylkill Shakespearian Society, 1875; the New Century Club of Philadelphia, 1877.

"Rhode Island, Olla Podrida of Woonsocket, 1875; Rhode Island Woman's Club (Providence), 1877.

"South Carolina, Spartansburg Ladies' Association, 1884.

1886.

"Tennessee, Ossoli Circle of Knoxville, 1884.

"Texas, Quid Nunc of Tyler, and Dallas Shakespeare Club,

"Utah, the Ladies' Literary Club of Salt Lake City, 1877.
"Vermont, Friends in Council, Rutland, 1878.

"Washington, Olympia Woman's Club, 1883.

"Wisconsin, Clio of Sparta, 1871; Friends in Council of Berlin, 1873; Milwaukee Art and Science Association, 1874; Woman's Club of Wisconsin, 1876.

"Wyoming, Queen Anne of Cheyenne, sometime in the '80's."

In this table will be noted several clubs whose date of organization precedes that of the two clubs most commonly regarded as the pioneer women's clubs, Sorosis of New York and the New England Woman's Club of Massachusetts. Illinois shows two clubs which antedate and one which is co-existent with Sorosis. Indiana and Michigan each have two and Iowa one which were organized prior to 1868. Of these the Ladies' Education Association of Illinois has the distinction of being the earliest federated club in existence.

The exact date of organization of a club has no intrinsic value to anyone, other than its own individual members. It would be possible to find groups of women meeting for intellectual improvement at various times of the world's history; there was Aspasia's band four hundred years before the Christian era; and the early Catholic orders; and, in our own country, the classes of Anne Hutchinson, Anne Bradstreet, Margaret Fuller and others. But none of these marked the beginning of a new era for women nor did they look forward to a time when each village, hamlet, city and town should have its organization of women, banded together for service, a civic power which should make itself felt in the affairs of the community. After all latitude has been granted to other clubs regarding the actual priority of organization, there still remains the fact that to two clubs alone belongs the title of "the pioneer clubs," two clubs whose platforms were broad enough and strong enough to uphold and sustain the work of succeeding generations, two clubs whose founders had a prophetic vision and builded with a thought for the future.