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HISTORY Of The FLORIDA FEDERATION OF WOMEN'S CLUBS 1895-1960 By Mabel Meadows Staats

The motto, "In great things, Unity; in small things, Liberty; in all things, Charity" which was chosen at the organization of the Florida Federation of Women's Clubs in 1895 has been the guiding principle of the organization in the 79 years of its' progress.

In an era when vast stretches of palmetto scrub and pine woods separated communities, which often were reached only by sandy, twisting roads, it was remarkable that women's groups should look so many years ahead of their time and surroundings and begin to plan for measures in education, weldate, conservation and the arts which 79 years later would place the women of the state in the forefront in progress in community service.

Stirrings of community interest among Florida women were evident in the number of groups formed prior to and during 1900. Eighteen women's organizations were active with the Village Improvement Association of Green Cove Springs, Clay county, leading the way February 21, 1883. Eight years later the Village Improvement Association of Ormond Beach and the Housekeepers Club of Coconut Grove were formed in 1891. The latter, which joined the General Federation of Women's Clubs that same year, was the first Florida Women's Club to do so.

Shortly afterward, a number of women's clubs came into existence; among them Tarpon Springs Woman's Club, 1892; Orlando Sorosis Club, Melrose Woman's Club, 1893; Palmetto Woman's Club of Daytona Beach, Village Improvement Association of Orange City, 1894; Fairfield Township Improvement Association, Crescent City Womans' Club, 1895; Philaco Woman's Club of Apalachicola, Woman's Club of Cocoa, 1896; Woman's Club of Jacksonville, Woman's Club of Palatka, 1897; High Springs New Century Club, 1899. In 1900 Titusville Woman's Club, Tampa Woman's Club and Miami Woman's Club were organized.

The woman who implemented the formation of the Florida Federation of Women's Clubs was Mrs. E. G. G. Munsell, who came from New York to Green Cove Springs in 1887 with an invalid husband. Left a widow soon afterward, she entered into civic affairs. By her enthusiasm and practicality she aroused interest in town improvements and revived the dormant Village Civic Association.

Miss Penelope Borden, later Mrs. P. A. Borden Hamilton, was persuaded to head the reactivated association and to invite members of other organizations to attend a meeting February 21, 1895. Nineteen members from five clubs; Fairfield, Crescent City, Tarpon Springs, Orange City and Green Cove Springs, met with the committee, composed of Mrs. Munsell, Mrs. Burrows, Mrs. Leon and Mrs. Grove, which organized the Florida Federation. Miss Penelope Borden was elected the first President, Mrs. Tibbetts, First Vice President, Mrs. N. C. Walmboldt, Second Vice President. Mrs. Munsell refused the presidency many times, always preferring to serve in lesser ways. It was while she was State Chairman of Education several years later that the Federation Kindergarten School was established. Her constant efforts to build an organization which would enable the women to serve their communities and the state of Florida earned her the name of "Mother of the Federation".

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Mrs. Thomas M. Shacklefor of Tallahassee, speaking at the fifteenth anniversary of the Florida Federation, said, "The efforts of these few club spirits have made possible the work of the years that have followed".

The work of the Federation was based, from the first meeting, on concepts which have been the backbone of member women's clubs through the decades since its' organization. Social purity, Education and Bird Protection were the main activities at first. *

While Mrs. Walmboldt, F.I.A. of Jacksonville, was President, 1897-1899, the Federation was admitted to membership in the General Federation of Women's Clubs on January 25, 1898. Immediately, it began to widen its' scope to include activities and projects on a state and national level.

Mrs. William Ruger, Palmetto Club of Daytona Beach, who was elected in 1899, was forced to resign due to illness and Mrs. J. C. Beeckman, W.T.I. and Cycadia Association of Tarpon Springs, succeeded her. Club membership was stressed along with organization of new clubs. Projects and civic duties were emphasized by Mrs. W. W. Cummer, Woman's Club of Jacksonville, who served from 1901-1903. She drew the state and national organizations into closer cooperation by introducing programs from GFWC.

Forest conservation, which has been one of the special FFWC projects, can be traced back to the tenth convention held in Miami during the administration of Mrs. Lawrence Haynes, Woman's Club of Jacksonville. A proposal to make a Forest Reservation of Paradise Key was endorsed. This later became the heart of the Royal Palm State Park.

In a period when women were in the background in political affairs, club members worked for the Compulsory Education Bill in the Legislature of 1905, and although it failed, the ground work was laid for later successful legislation. Mrs. Richard F. Adams, Woman's Fortnightly Club of Palatka, was President from 1905-1906 when "the good seed was sown", as she wrote in her report. A new Federation constitution was adopted and a Florida Federation pin designed and accepted.

During the administration of Mrs. Charles Raynor, Palmetto Club, Daytona Beach, the clubwomen were more successful. In 1906-1907 the Child Labor Bill was passed; Tuberculosis work was introduced through a new Health Department of Civics; Dr. Enos A. Mills, national known forester, sponsored talks around the interest of clubwomen in conservation; and, traveling libraries were established. All of these had been projects backed by FFWC.

By the time Mrs. Thomas M. Shackleford of Tallahassee Women's Club became President in 1908-1910, there were 37 clubs and 1,614 members. Most of the clubs raised money for aiding schools. Maps, books and school supplied were purchased. They helped support kindergartens - both white and colored. Typical of the clubs' efforts, one group persuaded the local school board to engage a music teacher; another, to build a playground on the site of a former livery stable, and a third "has been looking after the street cleaning, having trees pruned and street lamps kept in good condition". Still others paid for a windmill and put down water pipes; provided galvanized wire baskets for trash and waste paper; persuaded a local Board of Education to plan another room on the local school. A "long-talked of Spitting Ordinance" was passed by the City Council in another town due to the pressure

*The Palmetto Club of Daytona Beach joined GFWC before the Florida Federation joined. The Palmetto Club lead the way for Florida to become a member of GFWC.

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exerted by the local club.

Other projects on which the women worked included new school buildings and legislation stressing requirements for state certification of teachers, proper fire protection for schools and principals for elementary schools. The fire protection bill was passed.

Nine traveling libraries came into existence and a pamphlet listing all Florida trees, written by Dr. John Gifford of Miami, at the request of FFWC, was used by foresters all over the country. A petition making it possible for women to serve on school boards created a ripple which later would lead to favorable action. The FFWC campaigned for Domestic Science in the schools. The concerted effort of club women over the state to improve welfare, education and conservation in the state was taking effect. Urged by the Federation the Legislature appropriated an additional $5,000 each year making $15,000 for the State Reform School.

Mrs. Shackleford, fondly called the "Dean of Past Presidents", was known all over Florida for her constant effort to assist the Seminole Indians.

The momentum gained in the first years carried through the administration of Mrs. A. E. Frederick of the Miami Woman's Club, and by 1914 loan scholarships were being awarded and corrective legislature was being pushed. A book, Laws for Women, was compiled and distributed.

While Mrs. William Hocker, Woman's Club of Ocala, was President, 1912-1914, the Federation succeeded in having several bills passed. The legislation changed the name of the State Reform School to the Industrial School For Boys, made wife and child desertion a felony, provided a 14-year minimum age limit in most occupations. A campaign for teacher tenure was begun. Art, music and literature departments were formed in many clubs. By the twentieth annual convention there were 70 clubs in FFWC.

Through the Federation, three sites of 100 acres were donated to the State Industrial School For Girls at Ocala. The Endowment Fund was launched to aid the work of the Federation. The grant for the Royal Palm State Fund was divided among five district Vice-Presidents, each representing a section of the state.

Mrs. W. B. Young of Jacksonville was Treasurer of GFWC. Mrs. Jennings was elected First Vice-President of FWC at the Des Moines, Iowa convention in 1919.

The women dedicated themselves to war work during the adminstration of Mrs. Edgar A. Lewis, Woman's Club of Fort Pierce, 1917-1919. A compulsory School

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Attendance Law incorporating many features advocated by the FFWC, was passed. Mrs. Lewis was the first woman appointed to the Board of Directors of the Farm colony for Retarded Children at Gainesville in 1919. The Junior clubwomen of the state have made this their main project for a number of years. During this period the Chairman of Bird Protection reported that bird sanctuaries were established in many areas and that the wearing of bird plumes, especially those of the egret, had been greatly diminished. Encouraged by the Federation Indian Chairman, many Seminoles had contributed work and materials to the war effort.

Mrs. J.W. McCollum, Twentieth Century Club of Gainesville, later Mrs. J.N. Palmer, served as the Reconstruction Period President. Sectional conferences were held and the club membership jumped with the admission of 17 clubs with a membership and 825 making 189 clubs with 10,343 members.

Conservation measures were widespread. A club in the central part of the state was entrusted with leadership in the tremendously fascinating and eminently responsible task of planting, with ornamentals, the highways of Orange County. The first Florida Bulletin, official organ of FFWC, was published ten months of each year and sent to all members of five cents per capita.

Clubwomen were being recognized more and more as community leaders. One significant compliment to the membership of a Dade County club was the appointment by the city manager of an adversary board composed entirely of clubwomen. Back of the consistently reported of busy state officers and chairmen lies and unwritten record of travel and hardship which is difficult to conceive today. Many roads were not surfaced and transportation was slow. The Federation Good Roads Chairman reported action by many clubs urging that their counties be bonded for good roads. Roadside planting by clubs was also widespread.

By 1922 there was an upsurge of club activities and a drawing together for statewide improvement along many lines. There were 29 County Federations. A state speaker's bureau was formed to aid clubs. In the words of the Education Chairman, "There never was a time in the history of our state when our schools were passing through such a crucial experience as they are today". (which was adopted) and fostering of PTA associations were stressed. Illiteracy statistics, presented by the GFWC Chairman of Illiteracy, showed the total number of illiterates 10 years old and over to be 71,811 composed of native whites, 13,169; foreign born whites, 2,657; males of voting age, 29,677; females of voting age, 38,820 and illiterate negroes, 55,639; making a percentage of illiteracy in the state of 9.5%.

A large southern East Coast club had 15,000 books on its' library shelves, and it built and equipped a children's library through the gift of a club member. Another Central Florida club paid the salary of a music teacher in the schools and purchased needed equipment for a science laboratory and a school library. A Central West Coast club cooperated with the Board of Trade and the City Council in uniform tree planting and was instrumental in having city lots and streets cleaned, rest seats repaired, repainted and replaced. Two others planted shrubs and flowers in city parks, placing 1,958 Australian pines, coconut palms, cabbage palms, oleanders, ect.

In writing of the period from 1921-1923 Mrs. Elizabeth Skinner Jackson, Woman's Club of Dunedin, said - "We are more determined than ever that the education of our children shall come first in the minds of the people and

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the state officials". The Federation was organized under seven departments: American Citizenship, Education, Conservation, Fine Arts, Public Welfare, Press and Publicity and Legislation; with 29 divisions. There were now 27 County Federations with 34 counties organized, and one and two-day sectional meetings were well attended by enthusiastic members. A total of 209 clubs were active and the Districts were expanded from five to twelve. There were 30 new clubs with a membership of 1,180.

Club work begun in Florida led many women to continue it during the Summer at Chautqua, New York, where in 1923 Florida held sixth place in membership and took first place for presenting the best program. Mrs. Skinner reported that Mrs. Edith Tadd Little, Florida Chairman for Art from Orlando, was largely responsible because of the 24 posters designed by her and exhibited.

The Florida Federation pushed the bill to create a Children's Commission to passage, but their efforts to create a State Board of Public Welfare were lost, though reported favorably by the Senate Committee. A chairman of the "Vigilance Committee" wrote, it probably would have passed had it not been among those many bills left unconsidered while the Senate talked its' time out on the Tick Eradication question.

Preservation of bird life, which was one of the original projects of FFWC, was not neglected. It was reported that 35 cities had passed ordinances declaring the territory a bird sanctuary. The Federation aided the Audubon Society in prevailing on the Legislature to pass a law requiring bird study in the schools.

The struggle to maintain school standards and to increase instructional offerings was widespread. One of the North Central clubs had headed a local campaign which raised $10,000 to keep the schools open eight months instead of shortening the term to six. Home Economics, dropped by a number of schools for economic reasons, was reinstated in 12 schools due to a concerted effort by clubs.

Care of the Seminoles was steadily going forward. With a budget of $7,000 for 1923-1924, the FFWC paid all doctors, hospitals, drug and dental bills and furnished subsistence supplies to several old Indian doctors. Wrote the chairman, "We are treating practically every sick Florida Indian, while a few years ago only a small percentage would accept treatment from doctors".

But, more aid was coming to the hard working Senior clubwomen. On November, 1922, Junior work was adopted. Fourteen Junior clubs representing Dunedin, Sanford, Live Oak, Redlands, St. Petersburg, Melbourne, St. Lauderdale, Sarasota, Stuart, Lake Wales, Vero Beach, Milton and Bonifay were the first to report, with Lawtey and Titusville having a club similar to Juniors.

When Mrs. William F. Blackman, Orlando Sorosis Club, became President from 1923-1924, the annual meeting, previously held in the Fall, was changed to Spring. Child welfare, beautification and education were still paramount. Two West Coast clubs campaigned for playgrounds and supervised play which resulted in the establishment of a number of playgrounds in each city and in plans for a municipal recreation department. A Central Florida club supplied hot lunches at school, planted High School grounds and cared for them all Summer.