Club Minutes: Mutual Improvement Association, 1924

The Highlands January 3, 1924, 805th Meeting.

On January 3 the Association met for the first time at Mariana S. Miller's; she gave us a most cordial welcome and delicious and beautiful lunch.

The meeting was called to order at the usual time, Estelle T. Moore acting as chairman. Minutes of the last meeting were read and approved.

Mariana S. Miller had no set report to give this time on Education. There had been some inquiry as to why the reading of the Bible had been omitted in many of the Public Schools. Lack of time seemed to satisfy the teachers, but not the patrons.

Mary Tilton not being present Margaret E. S. Jones read her Social Service report, which was full and interesting.

Mrs. Downey gave us the Treasurer's report, telling us we had in hand $3.00, but all the yearly dues had not been paid.

Estelle T. Moore had no report for the County Federation to give at this time. Miss Engle had asked if we had a representative for American Citizenship, but we did not have one.

The Association was asked to meet next time at "The Maples", the home of Mrs. Nichols.

Sentiment

"The life that is sharing in the interest, the welfare and the happiness of of others is the one that is continually expanding in beauty and in power, and therefore in happiness." Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Mariana S. Miller read from the old book of minutes-Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Months, 1858-the meetings at Plainfield, Sherwood and Ashland.

Hallie Bentley was asked to overlook the article written (which was not correct) and prepare a correct report of the origin of the Association to be published.

Elizabeth T. Stabler read a leaflet sent to the Secretary since the last meeting entitled "The Jail Must Go."

Mary Magruder read a very interesting piece, "Does your garden fit your house?"

Sadie Adams told us how various colleges are making efforts to keep their graduates in touch. Some have started reading or lecture courses, most of them try to have hotel facilities near by, so that they may drop in now and then for a short visit. Vassar has gone still farther, it provides a "Campus Home" where they may return to write the book or the play that they held in mind for years.

Rebecca T. Miller read a most interesting article – “The Tale of the Christmas Truce”. It says, “Have we travelled any where on the permanent Peace road? Who can help? Everybody. Every soldier who understands what war means, every parent who lost a dear one ‘over there’, every honest woman, honest in the sight of God. every patriot of this or any other country will know he best serves the homeland, who conserves her children. Nations can help, also churches and clubs. In the re-creation of men’s souls, in the education of youth, in the international common meeting places of the world’s schoolhouses – therein lies the hope of humanity. There Earth wins her acolade of Peace.”

Margaret C. Bancroft read of Washington Irving’s description of women’s costumes on the street in cold weather one hundred and sixteen years ago, just as foolishly and dangerously clad as now.

Margaret E. S. Jones read a letter from Mrs. Thomas G. Winter, President of the General Federations of Women’s Clubs, on World’s Peace, encouraging every woman to use her influence.

Cousin Ellen Farquhar gave us some interesting sketches from the posthumous biography of Jane Austin.

Emily Massey gave us several short and helpful quotations. “Every day is the beginning of a new year, and another year is but another call of God.” “To do some deed undone and duty we forgot; To think some wider thought of man and good; To see and love with kindlier eye and warmer heart, Until, acquainted more with Him, and keener eyed, To sense the need of man we serve With larger sacrifice and readier hand our kind.”

Pattie T. Farquhar read some verses from Arthur Stringer telling of our make-up, the goodness and the badness; and a description of a husband’s dilemma left at home for the summer alone.

Mrs. Scott – a beautiful prayer of Edwin Markham’s –

"Teach me, Father, how to go softly as the grasses grow. Hush my soul to meet the shock of the wild world as a rock; But my spirit prompt with power make as simple as a flower, When its heart is filled with dew and its life begins anew. Teach me, Father, how to be kind and patient as a tree. Joyfully the crickets crooned under shady oak at noon.”

Margaret G. T. Moore – a little talk between an old negro and a little boy; the old man wants to know if he learns religion at school as well as reading and writing and sums. “Yes, I am taught that we all come from Adam, but Joe is in a higher class, he is taught we all came from monkeys.”

Mary Stabler gave an expression from John Ruskin – “Friendship is the nearest thing we know to religion, God is love and to make religion akin to friendship is simply to give it the highest expression conceivable by man.”

Guests were Bessie Stabler, Mary Magruder, Mary Stabler, Florence Bond, Lillie Stabler, Emma Bond, Helen Shoemaker, Mary R. Nichols, and Rebecca Stabler.

Julia A. Hallowell, Secretary.

February 7, 1924 806th Meeting.

The Maples

The regular meeting of “The Association” was held on February seventh, at “The Maples”, the home of Dr. and Mrs. Nichols. A warm welcome from our hostess and her daughter and a delicious luncheon were the prelude to an interesting meeting.

The presence of many guests, always a pleasure, added to the interest of the meeting. Mariana Miller presided, and in the absence of our Secretary, Julia Hallowell, due to illness, Margaret Bancroft was asked to act. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and adopted. Mrs. Christie very kindly asked for the next meeting. To everyone’s regret “The Green Gables” family has decided to leave the neighborhood in the near future.

Mrs. Winter, through Mrs. Jones, asked for a brief history of “The Association” to be incorporated in a book soon to be published. It was decided to send her Mrs. Thomas’ history of same with a brief notice of Mrs. Pierce, a charter member, and still living being now in her hundredth year.

Mrs. Downey asked for help for the Dill family whose home was recently burned and all household effects lost.

The Treasurer reported that most of “the dues” are still due. The report of the work of the Social Service League was read by Mrs. Coulter. This will be the last report send in by the League’s values Social Director, Miss Spamer, who is forced by ill health to resign her position. Estelle Moore gave an interesting report of the last meeting of the Executive Board of the Federation in which an appropriation of $3.00 was asked for the Scholarship Fund. The Treasurer was ordered to pay this sum out of the funds in hand. Mrs. Jones reported that out of forty schools in the county twenty are standard. The Education Committee further deplored the cut in the School Budget and urged every one to write Senators and Delegates expressing such disapproval. A request for books for the Library of the State Federation quarters in Washington was read. It was suggested the complete set of “The Annals of Sandy Spring”, or “The Autobiography of Benjamin Hallowell” would be appropriate from Maryland.

The sentiment of the Hostess was as follows: - “There is quite as much education and true learning in the analysis of an ear of corn, as in the analysis of a complex sentence. Ability to analyze clover and alfalfa roots savors of quite as much culture as does the study of Latin and Greek roots.”

Mis. Mary Gilpin read of an unusual lawsuit in Germany in which one woman sued

another for the theft of her darning needle valued at 5,000,000,000 marks. She also called our attention to the blessing windows are to humanity, giving us light air and sunshine. A blessing despite the friction sometimes caused between those who want them up and those who want them down.

Miss Rebecca Miller, Mrs. Hallie Bentley and Mrs. Pattie Farquhar read “Aeneas Africanus” that delightful and ever welcome tale of the old South.

Helen Hallowell asked whether the Association members of the Book Club would prefer to pay a larger tax and have better books or hold by the old method. This was put to an individual vote, and the large majority were in favor of the better books.

Mrs. Jones reported that our old friend, Tom Harris and his wife, are now in charge of the County Home, and noted a marked improvement of conditions under their management.

Mary Reading, with her usual graciousness, recited a little poem on “Mothers”, and how much more they know than spinster aunts and bachelor uncles.

Cousin Ellen read from Dorothy Canfield’s “Raw Material” a short story called “Inheritance”, a lesson in fate and economics.

Mrs. Charles F. Brooke, with her gift for finding lovely and appropriate poems, read us one full of suggestion – as we pass along life’s way we must leave it clearer for those who follow us.

Edith Thomas gave us the interesting information that three volumes of “The Annals” had recently sold for $8.00 – Mildred Wilson being the fortunate purchaser.

Elza Thomas read a poem advocating home courtesy rather than street courtesy, though both may be practised.

Mary Coulter read a most excellent article on “A Good Forgettery”, the moral being do not try to remember all that comes your way, leave it to a competent and efficient note-book to remind you of things which should be remembered, but should not burden the memory.

After the reading of the old minutes by Mariana Miller the meeting adjourned.

Margaret C. Bancroft, Secretary pro tem.