THE QUESTION OF A WOMEN'S CLUB.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 309, 23 September 1908, Page 3

THE QUESTION OF A WOMEN'S CLUB.

"Dominica " has during the past fen - days been asking various women what they think about a 'women's club for, Wellington, and nearly, all thoso to whom, she has spoken have been inclined to think that there is . -room for some sort of club here, though they are not all quito sure what is wanted. '• ; Lady Ward, when, interviewed, doubted " whether Wellington .was yet large enough ; for a club, or whether the women had sufficient leisure to be able to enjoy one. With one thing and another, she said,- Wellington women usually had'their hands, pretty ' full. .However, she; could understand that there might be. a number of women to whom such a club might afford opportunities for meeting, that they would much enjoy, ; and she thought that : a women's club migut do good work in the way of entertaining dis-, tinguished Avomen 'visiting Wellington, es*. pecially if*it possessed a large musical element. " JVlrs., Hislop was in favour of anything that would bring women into helpful association with-, each...other. - Sho believed - there .were-many women in Wellington who would value the opportunities of intercourse , proa cltib,-' and she thought , it. should • have a.; very ,'ivide basis. ' A women's club would distinct lack'-in.Wellington. Sho thdujjnt;-.it would bo a: mistake to havo an beginning; It would be much better: '-'in a -small way and enlarge its bot£."Wl'ii necessary. ... All' thatv.was •, • really needed 'to start with was a ■ sittingroom' in a good position, with magazines ' ' and a, dressingroom, ana facili- ■ ties for.,making" tea'.. I Members '.-would want to' be able 'to get light refreshments,. but very liglit refreshment' would be , all they ~ could aim at providing at first. • Miss' Richmond-thought it quite possible a club-might',be a success in Wellington if it 'could be financed.' Its qualification should ,be as brojid as possible, and the entrance fee should not-'be high: . The Lyceum Club in London- admitted women who had done anything in: the way of literature, art, or even handicraft—practically any woman, who had 'achieved anything outside .the ordinary domestic round was eligible for membership, and there were clubs in America on the same basis. .' Any beginning here should be in a small way. ' ' That- was also Mrs. Newman's opinion. " Mrs. Nefman was associated with the . Southern Cross Society years ago, which performed to a certain extent the functions of a women's club./ She spoke of the pre-vious-attempts-to form a women's club here, and thought that a room, or ,two ,or throe roomsj'. nefir a. tea-room would be very- convenient.':>lt might be possible to make some such arrangement. ■■ , Mrs;- Chas. Izard was very much interested in the, suggestion, of a women's club. She had for years thought one was required in Wellington, and would be delighted if one could he. successfully established; Dr. Agnes. Bennett, had for eight years been a member of women's clubs in other towns,' .and she.'now', missed, very much the stimulus and recreation of/ club .life. A club to succeed'must be initiated by a small body of congenial and broad-minded women, who must combino.to create an, atmosphere. A number, of uncongenial units',were'bound'to fall apart or bo shipwrecked on the rocks of cliquism arid prejudico. The aims'of-a ■ club'were-broad and of a rather intangible nature, and it was not . easy to bring them within the appreciation of those who had not experienced how -educative and recreative club life might'be. ... Mrs. Salmond, who had long experience of club ,'life.-in' Adelaide, .said she hoped it would be' possible to' start a club in Wei-. - lingtoril ' In Adelaide, where there was a successful women's club/it'frad a very small • beginning, -having been initiated 'by two young girls, who opened a clubroom in conjunction with a depot for, the sale of : women's work. The membership fee was only twelve (shillings and sixpence a year, and for that the members had the use'of a room where they could meet and' have afternoon tea or lunch, and several times during the winter .months literary afternoons were held when all thp members would be present. If a club were'started'in Wellington it should have a distinctly-intellectual tendency .and a wide''basis :of .-membership. She. felt sure there were many women in Wellington who would thoroughly, enjoy the opportunities of association and intercourse sucli a club would . offer, and many would be glad to he able to • take friends' passing through Wellington there for a chatv Various other women expressed their opinion, and most of them were in favour of the establishment of a club, though the question of finance perplexed most of them, as rents are so hign'in Wellington, but nearly all wero agreed that a club to bo successful must havo something other than a purely social basis, that it must admit women from various sets, that the more tho intellectual side was emphasised the more successful it was likely, to be,-and that bridge should not be allowed. • It will be .interesting to see whether anything further" will be done in the matter.