A WOMAN’S CLUB.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 18 September 1926, Page 17

A WOMAN’S CLUB.

AM Jiiiii (Jaln IN SiII'DTION u'caUKimilu 1 ;

“Service” is a very much oyenverke-u .wont"an America; .-indeed “proraJieu uy every onariaxan,” bur hi most case* it embodies a- useful and meritorious principle, anil it does so to an eminent degree in the Women’-s, Uiwb, San Francisco. ‘the members and the officials wre thoroughly imbued with the ideal of rendering assistance to each other, writes T. J. Henry in the Sydney Morning Herald. The president is Mrs. S. G. Uhia.pman, who received mo courteously, and was delighted when 1 told her I hoped to convey to the women of New South Wales some conception of the San Francisco Club. She and. Miss I. L. Macrae, director of the vocational information bureau, kindly gave me all information. The vocational bureau is not an employment agency in itself, but files industrial information, and is ready to supply members with every kind’ of diarta as to. woman’s vocational opportunities, Wiring last year over 121.0 women consulted it. Among other activities eafetaria, which seats 200 diners without crowding. This eafetaria is run on the well-known American method, in which the guest helps herself to tray, knives, forks, spoons, .serviettes, plates, cups, and so .forth, amtl then selects and places on her tray whatever articles she desires from a wide assortment already prepared; and displayed, and finally takes a vacant place at one of the tables, and arranges her dishes thereon. But the chief thing about tidy eafetaria is that tlie ihelpei-s who arrange land, display the viands are lady members'. The whole membership in one way or another gives some portion of time to various services, and eafetaria helpers, about two dozen in number, each day in two shifts, are arranged on a regular roster, so that none is worked too much, and all give their services voluntarily. There is also a- large dining-room on the ordinary restaurant principle, and an this, the diners .are served by paid waitresses; Small rooms, in which members may entertain their own guests for a. reasonable rental, are also.at- hand. It*is not to be imagined that women alone are admitted' to the eafetaria, and- diningroom ; gentlemen relatives,, or friends of members ,alsa ; make use of it. Nor are they, -restricted to members —any ladies who .are out shopping, or are engaged in business, may take advantage of these departments, and they do :so to a .large extent. There are 98 furnished bedrooms in the upper stories, which are let exclusively to members. It is a principle that about 25 of these are reserved for transient women members, in order to prevent tho whole accommodation being preempted by perroiainent boarders. All kinds of activities dear to. women arc also catered for. There are bridge parties, held ' regularly, while recreation classes in French, elocution, cooking, and so forth, are almost continuous. The club also, is ever ready 'voluntarily to (assist in any outside patriotic ,civic ,or community charitable “drive.” which may be going on in the city. There is, too, an “economy shop”; to which members or their friends may send used, but still useful, articles of attire for sale, and I was tokl by lady friends that many' a bargain in the way of dresses which are virtually new can there be picked -up by the cognoscenti. By mean.? of these subsidiary activities a good deal of money comes in, Tho club still

- owes- about 800,000 djc-llars to the bank, but so systematically has everything on the financial side been, thought out, that the leaders feel confident of paying off every cent within at most 18 years, and; then being sole owners of an unencumbered property, which by that time will have increased considerably in ground value—for San Francisco is an ever expanding city. As intimated above the membership is 60(X), land the list closed. About 200 vacancies occur per year, and for these there is a waiting list of nearly 000, so that many will have to wait a long time.

It is said that the club is ran on entirely democratic lines, ia.nd that caste influences, or social prejudices, do not enter into the selection of the membership—that the lady who works for her living is esteemed as on an equality with the wife of the millionaire. Candidates are posted, and ballotted for in the usual way,but in the nominating preference is given, to daughters of those who are already members. But the most astonishing thing about this, great institution is that the subscription is- only six dollars a, year. That, with an entrance fee of 35 dollars, forms the sole direct monetary obligation. . Yet so well has everything been, managed by mere- women, that there seems to be no immediate likelihood of the subscription having to be raised. Women everywhere are coming into their own, and it its excusable to repeat tflnarb the San Francisco Woman’s Club • furnishes a brilliant example of whatalert, intelligent, capable women of high ideals! can achieve.