Information
from the TIMES DELTA Newspaper of Visalia
[Old written
notes]
Oct. 28, 1902
A convention of the Women’s Clubs of this
district embracing counties of Tulare, Kern, Kings, and Fresno was held in this
city today. Nearly all of the towns of
the District having clubs being represented.
In the morning were reports of district officers, chapters and committees. Afternoon work of the session taken up, Mrs.
E. O. Larkins nominated for vice-president, Mrs. W. R. Spalding was a member of the
nominating committee. Several amendments
were proposed - one provides for election of district officers by delegates at
District convention instead of present system.
Attending were:
|
Kern County Mrs. M. E.
Hutchins Mrs. C. D.
Pierson Miss Marjorie
Haynes Fowler Mrs. B. C.
Hutchinson Mrs. W. E. Marden Lemoore Mrs. J. H.
Fox Lindsay Mrs. Cowan Hanford Mrs. N.
Abrams |
Fresno Mrs. Abers Mrs. Willis Mrs. Babcock Mrs. Colts Sanger Mrs. C. E. Southworth Reedley Mrs. W.
Whittington Mrs. C. W.
Mathews Mrs. W. W.
Green Bakerfield Mrs. H. G.
Stuart Visalia Mrs. M. L.
Pettit Miss Margaret
Hanson |
April 21, 1904
On Friday April 22 a “meeting of the
Executive Committee of the Valley Federation of Women’s Clubs was held at the
home of Mrs. W. B. Wallace. Mrs. L.
Lawrence, of Visalia, president of the Federation was present. Mrs. Florence Cross of Visalia and Mrs. Dodge
of Hanford past presidents were also present.”
November 1,
1904
Notice of coming
convention to be held Nov. 3, 4, & 5. Mrs. Buss was vice-president and Mrs. G. L.
Smith of San Francisco was president of the State Federation of Women’s Clubs.
Late in the afternoon of the 3rd, a proposal to
incorporate the Valley Federation in the State Federation was to have been
brought up for a hearing and discussion.
Mrs. G. L. Smith, president of the State Federation, was present to
speak for that body. As this will be the
third year that the matter has been discussed it is likely that some definite
action will be taken at this time. A
number of members of the Valley Federation oppose the proposal to come under
the jurisdiction of the state body, thereby, forfeiting the right to choose
their own topics for discussion and being subservient in several other matters
of local import. The sentiment against
the union is strong at this session as in the past years and it is likely that
the proposal will be strongly opposed.
November 4,
1904
Proposal voted down “until such time as the
state body shall amend its constitution in a manner insuring to the Valley
Federation such privileges as is declared are due it.
Resolution
Passed
Whereas,
The San Joaquin Valley Federation has
requested the California State Federation of Women’ s Club to amend it
constitution permitting and granting the various districts to elect their own
presidents, considering that as each district is self supporting-should be self
supporting-and
Whereas,
Said request has been refused and said
amendment rejected by said body, be it
Resolved, by this San Joaquin Valley
Federation that no further action be taken by this
body until such time as such State Federation shall so amend its constitution:
and be it
Resolved, that said state
constitution be further amended to the effect that the President of said State
Federation shall be chosen successively from the districts composing said
Federation and that no president shall be entitled to be president a second
time until one shall have been selected from each of the other districts;
provided however that if any district shall upon its turn fail to provide a
candidate for state president then the next district in order of succession
shall be entitled to same and so on until a state president shall have been
selected.
Respectfully
submitted by committee:
Mrs. E. O. Larkins
Mrs. J. E.
Hughes
Mrs. L. C. Dunham
Mrs. Emma Fox
Mrs. V. I.
Willis
Mrs. Florence
Cross
November 5,
1904
This matter was brought up again next
day. Mrs. W. W. Cross explained the
merger would be “declared as soon as the State Federation had taken the action
desired.”
Officers elected
November 4, 1904
President: Mrs.
J. E. Hughes, Fresno
Vice-President:
Mrs. J. W. Rhodes, Hanford
Recording
Secretary: Mrs. W. R. Spalding, Visalia
Correspondence
Secretary: Mrs. G. W. Warlow, Fresno
Treasurer: Mrs.
Helen Elam, Dinuba
Subjects discussed
at the November 1904 Convention at Visalia
“Shall we rescue the English language from
the inroads of ‘done’ and ‘seen’.” “Are we in danger of becoming like France, a
nation without homes?”
Debate-
Resolved “That men are
more satisfactory than women for instruction of boys.”
Note-
This convention was just a few days before
the national election of Theodore Roosevelt and Chas Fairbanks and yet no
mention of this at the convention.
TIMES – DELTA
April 24, 1905
Ex-presidents
of San Joaquin Valley Federation of Women’s Clubs
1898 Miss
Nellie Boyd, Fresno
1899 Mrs.
Emma Fox, Lemoore
1900 Mrs.
R. H. Stevens, Bakersfield
1901 Mrs.
Florence Cross, Visalia
1902 Miss
Nellie Boyd, Fresno
1903 Mrs.
George A. Dodge, Hanford
1904 Mrs.
L. Lawrence, Visalia
April 27th , 28th & 29th 1905
Officers at the
Convention at Fresno
President: Mrs.
J. E. Hughes, Fresno
Vice-President:
Mrs. J. N. Rhoads, Hanford
Recording
Secretary: Mrs. W. R. Spalding, Visalia
Corresponding
Secretary: Mrs. G. L. Warlow, Fresno
Treasurer: Mrs.
Helen Elam, Dinuba
Greetings -
Mrs. J. E. Cowles President of California Federation of Women’s Clubs
TIMES – DELTA
April 29, 1905
VALLEY
FEDERATION IS DEAD
In its place is the District Federation a
part of the state organization. The
vital question has at last been decided and hereafter there will be no more San
Joaquin Valley Federation but in its place a San Joaquin Valley District and as
such will be a part – and a large part too – of the state Federation.
It was not without some feeling of regret
that this change has been made and yet every club woman deep down in her heart
feels that the change was a wise one and that the time had arrived to make
it. Since the meeting of the State
Federation last February at which time the rights demanded by the Valley
organization were conceded there has been no doubt in the minds of the club
leaders that this change would be made and with broad mindedness and wisdom
behind it. So it has come about that
there is no longer a Valley Federation.
The officers, however, of this organization will still continue to hold
office as officers of the district until November when a special meeting will
be held in Reedley for the purpose of electing new officers of the
district. All other business and rights
of all kinds will remain unchanged.
Under head of unfinished business there was
nothing of importance. At the
announcement of new business Mrs. W. W. Cross of Visalia made a motion that the
San Joaquin Valley Federation merge into the San Joaquin Valley District
Federation seconded by Mrs. Emma Fox of Lemoore who added that in order to be
in good working order it was deemed advisable to make the change now. The officers would be the officers elect of
the district “we are really one and the same,” said Mrs. Fox, “The district
will complete the work in the fall.” The
president then called upon Mrs. Cowles State President for expression. She said, “that she
appreciated fully the loyalty of the club women to their early organization but
said Mrs. Cowles, “You will not know that you are anything different from what
you have been.” She extended a hearty
welcome into the state body and was altogether cheering and inspiring in brief
well chosen remarks which closed thus- “Hope is a propelling power and let us
propel ourselves by that very hope.
“Finally a vote was taken by roll call the motion to merge into San
Joaquin Valley District being unanimously carried.
Committee on
reorganization:
Mrs. Florence
Cross, Visalia
Mrs. W. B.
Nichols, Dinuba
M. L. Parkhurst, Fowler
Mrs. G. L.
Hoxie, Fresno
November 18,
1905
District Federation of Women Clubs met in
Reedley today. Among those who took part
were Mrs. Robert Johnston of this city who read a paper on Forestry and Mrs.
Florence Cross who read the report of the committee on reorganization. The following were in attendance: Miss Julia Levy President of Women’s Club
(Reedley), Miss Margaret Hansen, Mrs. M. L. Pettit, Mrs. W. R. Spalding, Mrs.,
Florence Cross, Mrs. Robert Johnston, Mrs. N. N. Cross, Mrs. E. O. Larkins, Mrs. Emma Fox, Mrs. Spaulding is Recording
Secretary of the Federation.
Mrs. Weaver of
Visalia had a paper at the April 29, 1905 Convention. On English humorous
articles on women’s clubs, Mrs. Weaver deprecated and stated that she was
certain that the only reason that there has been no humorous article on the San
Joaquin Valley Federation is because Grover Cleveland has not heard of it.
Next meeting at
Hanford in May 1906 was mentioned in May 1905.
TIMES – DELTA , Visalia
April 7, 1908
Convention
meeting at Selma, April 10th & 11th 1908
“This is the first
meeting of the Federation since it convened in Fresno 3 years ago and changed
from Valley into District Federation.
The following year (1906) there was no session on account of unsettled
conditions following the San Francisco disaster and last year there was simply
an Executive Board meeting.
This year therefore is to be a general rally
of club forces throughout the valley and every club woman who can possibly do
so in planning to be present in person.”
There were 25 clubs listed:
District President:
Mrs. D. S. Snodgrass of Selma
Vice-President:
Mrs. A. R. Nicholson, Fresno
Recording
Secretary: Mrs. G. W. Railsback, Hanford
Corresponding
Secretary: Miss Mary Cutler, Selma
Treasurer: Mrs.
E. N. Tiffeny, Coalinga
Auditor: Mrs.
R. L. Hargrove, Madera
District
chairmen were: Program, Education, Art, Reciprocity, Civics, History &
Landmarks, Household Economics, Forestry, Literature, Philanthropy
& Club Extension. Program included
Address by District President Mrs. D. S. Snodgrass. Response by Past President,
Mrs. Dixon L. Phillips; State President, Mrs. Buss.
February 6th,
7th & 8th 1907 State Convention at Bakersfield
Nominations
made on February 8th
President: Mrs. Buss
Vice-President:
Mrs. Bryant, Los Angeles
Vice-President
(at large): Mrs. Charles S. Woodbury, Oakland
Recording
Secretary: Mrs. Benson Wrenn, Bakersfield
Corresponding
Secretary: Mrs. Edna Koar, Kern
Treasurer: Mrs.
N. Blee, Santa Cruz
Auditors: Mrs. Dixon
Phillips, Hanford & Mrs. C. L. Donahoo, Willows
General
Federation Secretary: Mrs. Robert Potter Hill, Eldridge
Transcribed by
Nina Daniells Woodward found in her boxes of old
Clubs papers. [1890-1983]