USA > Ohio > The Western Reserve of Ohio and some of its pioneers, places and women's clubs, Vol. II > Part 32
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Called to Order Mrs. W. G. Rose, President Cleveland Health Protective Association.
Greeting Mrs. S. M. Perkins, C. H. P. A. Adelbert College, President Charles F. Thwing. . A College Town Art and History Mrs. Elroy M. Avery, President, Evidence of the Divine in Man.
Oberlin Sorosis. Mrs. W. C. Bunce, President, What Oberlin Has Done for Woman.
Canton Sorosis Mrs. Nancy H. Morrow, President, Great Men From Small Towns.
Cleveland Sorosis. .Mrs. C. E. Selover, President, The Advantages of a Large Society.
. Unity
The Unity Club, Rev. Florence Buck.
. Professor Emma Perkins,
The College Club.
The Liberal Spirit of the College Graduate.
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The Western Reserve of Ohio and Some of
The Press, Mr. W. R. Rose, of Plain Dealer The Larger Audience
The Conversational, Mrs. Mira K. Fenton. . Conversation Novelist Club Miss E. Clifford,
Moral Influence of the Novel.
The Literary Guild Mrs. J. M. Chandler, Good Homes Better Than Schools.
The Century Club, Mrs. E. Moulten, Pres. . History in Centuries The D. A. R., Mrs. X. X. Crum. . Our Native Country The Star Course, Mrs. N. Coe Stewart. . The World's University Response Mrs. E. S. Osgood, President of National Health Protective League, and Mrs. Pond Amies, the General Secretary. Refreshments.
Unity Church
Tuesday, 10 A. M.
Rainy Day Club, New York City
Miss E. Marguerite Lindley Newark, N. J., Municipal Improvement Association. .
. Mrs. Augusta Pell Indianapolis, Ind., Household Economics Association Mrs. Fannie C. Bates
Cleveland Health Protective Association .... Mrs. E. W. Dolan Luncheon served by Ladies of Unity Church, 12:30 to 1:30.
Tuesday, 1:30 P. M.
Town Improvements Fannie C. Bates
Clean Streets and Clean Cars Rev. Marian Murdoch Pastor Unity Church.
Contagious Diseases Mrs. Jane Elliot Snow Cleveland Health Protective Association.
Cleveland's Women's Christian Association. . Mrs. Anna Hull Superintendent Y. W. C. A.
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Its Pioneers, Places and Women's Clubs
Coffee Houses Miss Anna E. Edwards Hiram House. Social Settlements. . Supt. Geo. Bellamy
Tuesday Evening, 7:30 P. M.
Play Grounds Mrs. Augusta Pell
Public Baths.
Mrs. Mary A. Moody
Waste Paper Receptacles . C. W. Toland, Esq.
Cookery in our Public Schools . Adelaide L. Van Duzer
Wednesday, 7:30 P. M.
Public Buildings Rabbi Moses J. Gries, The Temple
Importance of Museums. J. P. Maclean,
Curator Historical Society.
Woman's Council Mrs. M. B. Schwab
Vivisection. Miss Stella T. Hatch
Music-The Holy City (Saul) Mr. O. E. Treiber
Thursday, 9:30 A. M.
9:30 a. m., carriages will be in waiting at Historical Rooms, Euclid cor. Fairmount St., to view Colleges, Boulevards and Parks. Lunch at the Stillman-12:30 p. m.
"Spirit of the Flag" By the Juniors
Pure Air
. Conrad Mizer
Junior Auxiliary . Mrs. W. R. Pearson
Music. Mrs. W. A. Knowlton Stereopticon Views and Address. . Mr. E. L. Shuey, Dayton, O. Thursday Evening, 7:30
Good Roads of Southwestern Ohio. Mrs. W. B. Neff
State National Roads, Indian Trails Stereopticon Views
Good Roads Hon. Martin Dodge Member of Ohio Legislature.
Ohio Centennial . Mrs. Kate Brownlee Sherwood Ohio Centennial Commission.
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The Western Reserve of Ohio and Some of
Report of the National Secretary
Back of history, from the earliest traditions, home-making has been pre-eminintly the province of women. I say home- making in contradistinction to housekeeping, for though home- making may include the other, yet it means vastly so much more, we could never accept the latter term as in any way ex- pressing our thought.
Home-making means not only the providing of the house, and the furnishing of the table, and the clothing of the body, but it equally provides and cares for the mind, the heart, and the soul.
A perfect home can not be found where culture along all these lines is not in progress, and so closely are they interre- lated that we hesitate to say which is the most important. It is a wise sentiment of today, beginning to be recognized, that the making of a home is not necessarily the work of one woman, the mother; she guides, controls and sees the end from the be- ginning, but many hands instead of two should do the work.
A perfect home means rest, peace, comfort, confidence, hap- piness. This could not be without the free and perfect use of the whole man, body and soul, or in one word.
HEALTH.
"A strong mind in a strong body," all else may follow. There is no greater thing demanding attention in this dawn of a new country than the study of ourselves-"know thyself" being heeded as never before. Health culture is demanding recognition from every intelligent individual. Natural treat- ment with natural remedies for the ills of the body is assuming its proper place of importance in the minds of thinking men and women. The importance of pure air, pure water, health- ful food, comfortable dress, the proper circulation of the blood,
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Its Pioneers, Places and Women's Clubs
are asserting their importance, and everywhere the world is waking up to the idea of the grand thought that brings us here today.
Surely all sickness is the result of broken law, and health is the normal condition. To be sick is some evidence that we have sinned against our own nature, and we should feel ashamed and as conscience stricken as though we had violated any other of God's laws. It is one of the encouraging signs of the times that the people are coming to recognize that there is no virtue in being sick. The time has been when life was con- sidered unholy, but we believe today that vitality is just as precious in God's sight as intellect. Soundness of brain de- pends upon soundness of body.
Dr. Emerson says, "There is no such thing as a sound mind in an unsound body, the unsoundness of mind may not be very apparent, but it is actual." We are responsible to God for our bodies, as surely as for our souls, and the preservation of our bodily health is a duty.
And so with these thoughts for the foundation of our creed "upon the health of a nation depends its morality and prosperity" (see constitution) we see the impelling force which has been the foundation of Health Protective Associations; Sanitary Leagues; Civic Clubs; Housohold Economic Associa- tions; Town Improvement Societies, and almost numberless other organizations working for the health and betterment, the well being of people and places all over the land, everywhere, wherever a mother's child needs help.
They have followed the children into the school rooms and "driven out the foul air and let in the pure; they have turned down the gas light and let in the sun of heaven; they have dis- covered the hygienic evil which hinders and prevents the ad- vancement due for the work and money expended."
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The Western Reserve of Ohio and Some of
They have looked after public buildings where the many congregate, seeking to put away the dangers and make them safe and clean. They have opened healthful and cheering play grounds for the deprived children and weary mothers. They have looked after the city's greater housekeeping, and deter- mining that nothing should be filthy or disease-breeding, have sought to prevent the foul disease-bearing spittum on the pave. ment. They have planned for the collection of garbage and everything that can soil or deface the streets or any spot or place. They have considered the conditions and best means of procuring pure and healthy water for the city at large. They have planned for the hospital, for the care of the needy-de- termining it shall no longer be true that 50 per cent. of the children born into the world die before the age of 5 years, mainly of preventable diseases. Oh, when the mothers are ed- ucated, as they will be in the good time to come, so surely and speedily coming, it will no longer be, "Has your child had the measles yet!" but rather an expression of surprise if the child ever is sick.
INTERNATIONAL WOMAN'S HEALTH PROTECTIVE LEAGUE.
So far as I can learn the first organization of this kind was the "Ladies' Health Protective Association of New York City." It was local in its work and influence, though incor- porated under the title of "National." It had been doing good work for several years at the time the Philadelphia Woman's Health Protective Association was organized in 1893 as a com- mittee of the New Century Club. Other societies for similar work were starting up in different parts of the country, each independent, and while doing good work, feeling the need of the experience and advice of others similarly engaged.
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Its Pioneers, Places and Women's Clubs
Perhaps none felt this more keenly than the Philadelphia Woman's Health Protective Association, which had grown largely in numbers, had come out from the New Century Club as a committee, and become an independent society, and was doing work respected by the city officials and appreciated by its citizens. Philadelphia called for a union meeting, and on invitation of New York the meeting was held in that city May 14 and 15, 1896. Thirty-six visiting delegates from twenty- five societies were present. The meetings were most interest- ing and profitable. At this meeting were first conceived the thought of a real union of the organizations working in the in- terest of the public health. One of the delegates from Phila- delphia, who for many years had been active in the work og the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, and remembering Frances Willard's apt illustration of the power of the doubled up fist (organization) as compared with a blow from the open hand (each working alone), suggested a National Woman's Health Protective Association. A committee was appointed to consider the matter, prepare form of constitution and report at a meeting to be held in Philadelphia the following year. These suggestions were faithfully carried out and at the meeting in Philadelphia, May, 1897, the "International Woman's Health Protective League" was founded, constitution adopted, and the following officers elected:
Honorary President-Lady Isabel, Countess of Aberdeen, Canada.
President-Mrs. Etta H. Osgood, Portland, Maine.
Secretary-Mrs. Olive Pond-Aimes, Philadelphia, Pa.
Treasurer-Mrs. W. G. Rose, Cleveland, Ohio.
Vice-President-Mrs. L. D. Gallison, Orange, New Jersey.
In the following month a circular letter, suggesting plans of work and inviting societies to join the League, was sent to
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The Western Reserve of Ohio and Some of
about 300 clubs of women that were wholly devoted to town improvement or bad sanitary or municipal committees. It was just at the beginning of the summer months and many of these societies had closed for the annual vacations. Seven societies at this time joined the League and paid dues, several others promising to consider the matter at their opening meetings in the fall. In September, 29th and 30th, the first executive meet- ing of the League convened in Philadelphia. All members were present except the Treasurer, who was detained by sick- ness in her family. The Countess of Aberdeen sent us a tele- gram of greeting of nearly two hundred words and an encour- aging letter was received a day later. At the meetings plans were proposed of work, chairmen of committees appointed, and suggestions made for changes in the constitution. A Phila- delphia lawyer, D. Stuart Robinson, was engaged, and plans for obtaining a charter for the organization completed. Badges were designed, the colors of the League, red and gray, adopted, and the two days were spent in planning work for the good of the order.
In May, at the close of the first year of the organization, while our hands had not slackened in the work or our zeal in any way diminished, the country was turbulent with the strife and bitterness of the conflict of war and our annual meeting was postponed. We again sent copies of constitution and letter stating the progress of our work to all those societies that we hoped would be interested.
It was thought at first we might have at least a gathering of the National Board with the executive committee during the month of October, 1898, but the war was still filling our hearts and our hands with sterner duties, and so a year has passed. In spite of war and difficulties we have grown in num-
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bers and interest and the promises for the future of our League are more encouraging.
"Grand leadership invariably develops a royal following."
We have been happy under the graceful guiding, the sweet commanding of Etta H. Osgood. We have gladly given her a royal following, and though we have done little we rejoice that "we belonged" and strengthened our hands and hearts by plan- ning for work that should be for good of the homes of the na- tion; we rejoice and take courage, seeing the promise of a glad future in your gathering here today, and believing that God has put this work into our hands, know He will not let it come to naught.
Respectfully submitted, OLIVE POND-AMIES,
1748 North 13th St., Philadelphia, Pa.
Secretary.
Treasurer's Report, 1897-1899
Deposited in Savings and Trust Co., 43 Euclid Avenue :
May 26. Philadelphia Health Protective League ....... $30.00
Jan. 19, 1897. Cleveland Health Protective Association. . 6.00
July 1, 1897. Newark, N. J., Town Improvement Asso-
ciation
3.00
Oct. 9, 1897. Orange Improvement Society of the
Oranges
8.50
Total for 1897. $47.50
Interest Jan. 1, 1898 $ .54
Interest July 1, 1898. .18
Interest Jan. 1, 1898. .08
March 20, 1899. Cleveland Health Protective Association 6.00
March 24, 1899. Newark, N. J., Town Improvement As- sociation 2.50
March 20. Orange, N. J., through Mrs. L. D. Gallison .. 10.00
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The Western Reserve of Ohio and Some of
Physical Economics BY MISS E. MARGUERITE LINDSEY, Rainy Day Club, New York City.
Health protective associations have heretofore concerned themselves exclusively with sanitation of the neighborhood, re- gardless of the human house-the dear old "human house not made with hands." Until good Mrs. Pond-Amies, organizer of the League, recognized the crying need in every home of better knowledge of this human house, and of economy of vital forces through such knowledge, physical economics had no place in the health protective associations, although it had knocked at their doors. With the formation of this League it was estab- lished as a prominent department and I was complimented by being made chairman. The term physical economics seems most appropriate to compass the topics that are comprised in this branch of education. The word economics is an evolution of the Greek word economy, which Johnson's universal encyclo- pedia explains as meaning "management of the household, thrift; the regulation and government of a household or fam- ily; a frugal and prudent use of money or commodities; pru- dent management of affairs; sometimes the regular operations of nature in reproduction, nutrition and preservation of animals and plants."
The audience here, for example; probably not one home is made desolate from alcoholism, while many are from the home-maker's indigestion. (I wonder if women think when attending "at homes" and clubs, drinking tea everywhere, that they would denounce such as debauchery were the men to im- bibe as frequently of wine.
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Its Pioneers, Places and Women's Clubs
Clean Streets and Clean Cars
It is asked why women, as well as men, all over the coun- try are now interesting themselves in municipal affairs, it may be answered that a new consciousness has come to them in re- cent years, a consciousness that the questions of city affairs are moral questions, social questions, even domestic questions ; that everything that concerns the health and protection of the people, and the homes is of vital interest to all citizens, men and women alike; that, in fact, good citizenship is coming to be one of the tests of good manhood and womanhood. The problems that confront us today with regard to cities are perplexing and startling indeed. These cities, with the people's life and health in charge, are often deplorably lacking in the power or the conscience or the capacity to manage such important trusts.
We have had to bear the humiliation of having the old world, whose cities were once even worse than our own, point to us as a warning of what democracy has led us to at last. Almost every city seems to have had a skeleton in its municipal closet. Engrossed in their own perplexing and often weighty interests, business and professional men have allowed them- selves to be either ignorant of the conditions or indifferent with regard to them until they have been obliged to face the facts-that the people's money was disappearing without any returns and that their city governments were deep in the wran- gles of party politics, when, as John Fiske well says, "To elect a city official because he is a Democrat or a Republican, rather than because he is an honest business man, is about as sensible as to elect him because he believes in homeopathy or has a taste for chrysanthemums."
But to know conditions is the first step toward reforming them. Throughout our country we now have these organiza- tions inquiring into the causes and cure of the evils, studying
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The Western Reserve of Ohio and Some of
the problems, and setting themselves to the thoughtful and thorough solution of them. Much good will result from this united effort, from the government study clubs, the Municipal Leagues, and from this recent organization, well called the Health Protective Association.
City affairs have become a reproach, not because bad people are so numerous, but because reliable people, honest and capable people, are so often preoccupied or indifferent or blind to their own responsibilities in the matter. Once awaken this sense of citizenship and the American people may be trusted to solve the vexed problems of corporate life. There must first come conviction that a citizen means not alone a dweller in a city, but a partaker of the city's cares, a guardian of the city's welfare, health and comfort.
Eating, drinking, waking, sleeping, in the school, in the home-safety, happiness, life itself, depend upon sanitary con- ditions, depend upon the interest which all good citizens take in securing these sanitary conditions. It must be remembered that uncleanliness in any part of the city is a menace to every other part. This work must be in large measure a struggle for the life of others, but in all work for others the benefit is also for one's self.
Clean streets in the district called the slums, help to pre- vent contagion in other districts, for no part of the city can be exempt from the evil effects of uncleanliness.
It is becoming very evident that the city housekeeping must be in some measure directed by the city housekeepers, that the keepers of the homes must lend a hand, that endurance in this respect has ceased to be a virtue, and that the danger to children's lives will be the great sput to lead increasing num- bers of women to consider sanitary conditions.
Three things are of prime importance: First, knowledge
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Its Pioneers, Places and Women's Clubs
of the evils that exist; second, sense of responsibility to correct them; third, a realization that these problems are not political problems, but rather industrial and business problems, and, above all, moral problems.
Thought for others should really be the rallying motive for such work as this. If, indeed, desire for others' comfort and health were always the rule it does not need a close observer to see that many disagreeable and unclean conditions would be at once remedied, especially those which make public vehicles unclean for anybody. I wish the regard for others were always sufficiently greater than any appetite or taste, to relieve the public from all discomfort in this direction. I wish everybody might be taught in the school and in the home that if in man- hood he has the right to use whatever weed he wishes he has no right to make it offensive to other people. A new order of chivalry might be instituted through which any discomfort of this kind should be considered a lasting disgrace. If chivalry might extend to the forbidding of all uncleanliness upon street railways and other railways a great service would be rendered to the entire traveling public.
Only when all conscientious and sincere men and women call attention to the real selfishness and moral degradation in- volved in uncleanliness in public places, and when city authori- ties realize that these questions are hygienic and ethical ques- tions of vital importance, only then will the evils disappear. I am glad indeed to welcome an association which has this im- portant work in charge. I trust that from what has been said you will not feel that the hospitality offered you is of that sort referred to by the man just returned from India: "I hope they were hospitable to you over there," said his friend. "Oh, yes," said he, "I was in the hospital most of the time."
This city is not to be greatly feared by you. It has excep-
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The Western Reserve of Ohio and Some of
tional attractions for the visitor in its parks and lawns and open spaces, and it gives promise of great improvement in the near future through the increasing desire of its citizens to make the city beautiful by its architecture, its boulevards, and its clean public highways.
MARION MURDOCH.
Town Improvements
In a newspaper article a short time since one of those cal- low writers who delight to bring ridicule on all philanthropic work, which they are incapable of understanding, gave, in his report of a woman's club meeting, the following as their in- troductory speech: "Come, ladies, let us get together and see if we cannot improve something." Would that every meeting of either men or women might have as worthy an object. Since my first attempt four years ago to interest the public in town improvement work I have been exceedingly gratified to see the number of such associations springing up all over the country. Like our early Christian reformers, we have met with much opposition, but a letter of encouragement from the late Col. Waring told us to rejoice and be glad, for all good work im- proved on opposition. Our own work in Cranford, N. J., is progressing finely. Our garbage system, over which we toiled and worried, runs now without any difficulty, and for seventy- five cents per month each housekeeper can have a daily service for the removal of waste material, so troublesome if allowed to accumulate in our cellars. The two new schoolhouses which we coaxed for, plotted for, and fought for, are finished and occu- pied. We still are working for cleanliness, discipline and the higher education of beautiful surroundings for our schools, and we bid fair to be successful. We established a sprinkling-cart service last year, run at cost alone to patrons, and we hope to
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Its Pioneers, Places and Women's Clubs
carry on the same this summer. We have wakened up our townspeople to the idea that the street is no place to throw fruit skins and waste paper and in the postoffice, where we have placed wall baskets, the papers no longer litter the floor. Our committee on public grounds are just getting to work now, . setting out foliage plants and bright-colored geraniums. These, we were told, would be plucked and destroyed by the children, but we have not found this to be the case.
Our Beneficent Committee usually has one or more families to help themselves, and the work has been most satisfactory. During the past year we have had a "Household Economic Committee," and we have studied the "House Beautiful" in all departments, building it, furnishing it, cleaning it and provid- ing its inmates with nourishing food for the body and delights for the soul, through the eye and other senses. We have also studied the most economical ways of housekeeping, taking the Kitchen Magazine and passing it from member to member. This has been a most interesting committee. Our Improvement Association has also watched carefully over poor dumb animals, some of us being members of the S. P. C. A.
During the past two years this chairman has had many letters of inquiry from all parts of the United States asking for help in this work. They write that they are anxious to have such an association, but do not know how to make a beginning. Many towns in New Jersey and some in Maryland, Georgia and even out in Idaho, have since formed successful organiza- tions from the information received. To all wishing to band themselves in this work I would say, attack your most crying evil first. Interest both husbands and wives in the remedy for this evil, and by no means neglect to call in to your first meet- ing the town officers, who can aid you and will do so if not left out, as they are apt to be sensitive and think the meeting
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The Western Reserve of Ohio and Some of
is called to find fault with the way in which they are running things in the town, and realizing that women who are house- keepers see needs of reform that would not occur to men were they ever so willing. Yet some Town Improvement Associations have been entirely controlled by men and have been very suc- cessful, as there has in these cases generally been more money spent in improvements. Where men and women combine their work we find the strongest organization and the best results.
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