Woman's Club Work and Programs Part 29

Discuss: Is war ever necessary?

II--WOMAN'S SUFFRAGE

1. The movement in the past. Briefly sketch the history of woman in early times, in the Middle Ages, and later, to the present. Notice that the modern movement may be said to have begun when in 1647 Mary Brent, the representative of Lord Baltimore, demanded a seat in the representative body of Maryland. In the middle of the last century such women as Margaret Fuller, Lydia Maria Child, Lucretia B. Mott, Susan B.

Anthony, Emma Willard, Mary Putman Jacobi and Elizabeth Cady Stanton became the leaders of the Woman's Rights party, and the first convention was held in New York state, in 1846. Give sketches of these and other women; tell of the demands they made, and the result of the convention.

On what did the suffrage party base its claims?

2. The movement to-day. Have a paper or talk on the conditions in Australia, New Zealand, Iceland, Sweden and Norway, Finland, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, and last, on England, called "The storm center."

What of our country? Which states have equal suffrage, and how does it work? What especial questions are of vital interest to women, and how will they be aided by the vote?

What of woman's physical and mental ability to handle political issues?

What of such work as that of soldier, sailor, worker on roads, in sewers, on the police and fire boards?

What of her relation to her home if equal suffrage is granted?

Name some of the women in England and America who are especially leaders in the movement, and tell of their position and work.

See books and magazine articles by Jane Addams, Ida Tarbell and Mrs. Ida Husted Harper. See also: The Modern Woman's Rights Movement, by Schirmacher.

III--THE PROHIBITION MOVEMENT

Prohibition is an attempt to abolish the manufacture and sale of alcoholic liquors, except for purposes of industry, science, art and medicine. It declares that the capital now in the liquor traffic would, if invested in legitimate business, give employment to hundreds of thousands of men. It would promote commerce, protect labor, preserve health, conserve the interests of home and state. It would prevent cruelty, pauperism, disease and crime.

The movement for prohibition was merely local until 1851, when the Neal Dow law was pa.s.sed, making Maine a prohibition state. The nation and state also combined at this time to prevent the sale of liquor to the Indians. At the close of the Civil War new conditions arose; German beer was imported, and huge breweries and distilleries were built at home. Numerous states then took up the matter of prohibition, and many have had laws pa.s.sed prohibiting manufacture and sale of all intoxicants, most of them repealed or declared unconst.i.tutional.

In Ohio there was a remarkable movement called the Women's Crusade which is worthy of study. Mention some of the leaders; study also the careers of John B. Gough, and Frances Willard.

South Dakota was admitted to the Union as a prohibition state; Kansas and Georgia, Oklahoma and Alaska have prohibition also, and some states have local option by counties or towns; cities in many parts of the country have it by precincts.

The history of the political Prohibition Party is a subject to be taken up by itself. Mention its prominent leaders, their methods and the results of the campaigns.

Discuss: Would enforced prohibition be beneficial to the state? Is local option a success? Is there open violation of the law in prohibition states? What of the legislative work of the Anti-Saloon League?

IV--MODERN MEDICINE AND SURGERY

The new day in medicine and surgery began, when, in 1846 ether was discovered, and chloroform a year later, and Warren, in the Ma.s.sachusetts General Hospital, popularized them. All operations, however, were still attended with danger because of infection, till Pasteur discovered the dangerous bacteria and Lister invented sterilization. Then modern methods really began.

The field of possible operations at once widened; surgeons began to have better operating rooms, more scientific preparation of patients before operations and better dressings and care afterward. Not only antiseptic but aseptic treatment became known. New anesthetics, and local ones have been found; the use of oxygen and electricity have been beneficial; the X-ray has been discovered and put to practical use.

Great sums of money have been set aside for research work, and new serums have been found of enormous benefit to the public. Scientists are looking for the germs of many diseases, and for their antidotes.

Wonderful new operations are full of interest; note especially the transfusion of blood, and the preservation of tissue and transplanting of living organs.

Have other papers on: the specialist as the supplanter of the general pract.i.tioner; the new relation between medicine and hygiene; the relation of the old family physician to his patients; the work of the Red Cross Society, and the widespread knowledge of first aid to the injured. What are the possibilities of the near future in medicine and surgery? What in research work?

V--MODERN MOVEMENTS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH

Boards of Health in the state and community exist for the purpose of controlling and repressing agencies which would undermine the health of the people. Their work is far-reaching, but it may be grouped under the following heads:

1. The care of the water supply is among its most important functions; it must protect it from its source to the homes of the consumers, overseeing all sewers, cesspools and drainage. It must also see that the supply of ice is pure. It undertakes to care for all roads and sidewalks, and their proper lighting. It is responsible for the construction of buildings, as to safety, ventilation, plumbing and draining.

2. It also insists on its notification of all disease and attends to quarantining and disinfecting; it vaccinates; it fights tuberculosis; it removes the sick to the proper place; it sees that the dead are properly handled; it keeps a record of vital statistics.

3. It has an oversight of food supplies; it insists that the milk is pure and carefully handled; it prevents the adulteration of foodstuffs and drugs; it stops the sale of stale or unwholesome foods; it demands clean slaughter houses; it sees that all dangerous animals are shut up or killed, and dead ones removed from the streets; it prohibits unpleasant odors, and smoke; it tries to do away with all public nuisances; it seeks to exterminate the mosquitoes.

These topics may be taken up as far as time allows. Discuss in closing such questions as: What does our local Board of Health do for us? Where does it fail? What can women's clubs do to make it more effective?

VI--MODERN IMPROVEMENTS IN CHILDREN'S EDUCATION

One of the most important of recent events is the establishing by the government of a Federal Children's Bureau, for the expert study of the conditions of childhood, and suggestions for its betterment. This included among other things, the outlook over their education.

The new school-houses built both in city and country are finer than have existed before, and the ideas of education are widening daily. Clubs should take up some of the following subjects:

The health of school children; what is being done to improve it? Study the new sanitation and ventilation of school-houses; the disappearance of the common drinking cup; the doctor's care of eyes, teeth, throats, spines and ears; the supply of breakfasts to the under fed; the out-of-door schools for tubercular pupils; the training in cleanliness.

The vocational schools in thirty states, with manual training, domestic arts, industrial work and agriculture. Also vocational guidance in choosing a business; finding situations, etc. The schools for exceptional children, the foreigner, the backward, the crippled, the blind, the epileptic, the morally defective.

The Montessori system; is it successful? Compare with the kindergarten.

The training in patriotism; saluting the flag; birthdays of great men, etc.

The graded country school of to-day; compare with "the little red school-house." School play grounds in city and country. Gymnasiums.

Athletic fields. Close with a discussion: What is the standing of your local school? Do teacher and parent work together? Is the school board doing its best?

VII--MODERN MUNIc.i.p.aL ART

Munic.i.p.al art, is art applied to cities. Its aim is to build up an entire city with a view to symmetry, beauty and utility.

An Art Commission is appointed when a city decides to become beautiful, and this draws up a far-reaching plan. Then all buildings put up must conform to this, and nothing can be done at haphazard. Slums must disappear, and model tenements take their place; streets must be cut through congested districts to relieve them; business blocks must not be over-high; inartistic public buildings and monuments must give way to others; parks must be opened, trees planted along the streets, and boulevards laid out. See what Chicago and Minneapolis have accomplished in making themselves over.

Discuss foreign cities which are symmetrical, notably Paris and Berlin; speak of our own capital, Washington, D. C.; show pictures of well-lighted streets, of a good skyline; of superior paving. Show pictures also of objectionable street advertising; electric signs; alternate high and low buildings, ornate court-houses; ugly statues.

From the different magazines get ill.u.s.trations of the "Garden Cities of England," and other beautiful towns. Notice what can be done with different building materials, and with vines and flower boxes on a city residence street.

Discuss the sky sc.r.a.per; is it necessary? What of apartment houses? of elevated railroads? of disfiguring gas works, chimneys, manufactories?

What can women's clubs do toward making the home city beautiful?

See C. M. Robinson's The Improvement of Towns and Cities.

VIII--MODERN BENEVOLENCE