By Carol Roberts, Kiwanis Club of Tri-Cities Industry,
Richland, Washington, Bulletin Editor
You may not know that in the beginning
of mankind women were treated like goddesses because they
gave birth.
Women stayed together and
discussed how to do things for the betterment of the tribes.
Then an ornery little bird told men
where babies came from and from that day forward men grabbed
his woman of choice by the hair and dragged her to his cave
and unlike Peter Pumpkin Eater he did not keep her very well
and he kept her from other women and men too.
We cannot
give the history of how The General Federation of Women’s
Clubs came into being without a background of the struggle
for women to organize clubs, and
women of
the 20th century felt a need to belong.
This had never happened before?
Well, yes, it did.
The first clubs for women were
noted historically as the “Blue Stocking Clubs.”
In the
mid-eighteenth century a group of ladies in England
held “conversations” to which they invited men of letters
and members of the aristocracy with literary interests.
The Blue Stocking Clubs, a
nickname that came about when a certain man declined an
invitation to a gathering because he lacked appropriate
dress.
The hostess told him to come in
his blue stockings—the every day dress for men at the time,
hence the name for the society.
In 1678 a woman named Ann Hutchinson
came from England
to the Massachutus colony with her clergyman husband.
She
organized a Monday afternoon gathering of women and led
discussions centering on religious sermons and scriptures.
Actually we may say that she started the first woman’s club
in the USA.
Governor John Winthrop told her to desist and withhold from
these meetings.
Women could not be leaders and
they could not give invocations.
Ann had asked a clergyman to act
in this capacity for the women, but Ann would not give up
the Monday meeting.
She was
arrested 3 times and would not recant or give up the Monday
meetings—at the last trial Ann was pregnant with her 16th
child and was not well enough to fight with Governor
Winthrop –she was sentenced to be exiled in 30days to a
place that is known as Rhode Island
today.
Ann’s husband Will stood by Ann
all the way. .
When the verdict came in. Ann’s
husband went to this wilderness and built a house for his
family. Anne was expecting her sixteenth child.
It was a sixteen- day arduous
journey and the child was born dead.
Ann started the Monday Morning
meetings in this isolated place—the Indians were friendly
but something set them off and Ann and her family except for
one daughter and her husband were killed in an Indian
uprising.
Some believed Governor Winthrop
caused the Indians to become upset abut something.
Oliver Wendell Holmes and
Franklin Roosevelt claimed to be direct descendants of Ann.
Women never seem
to be deterred from a mission they think necessary and one
of their objectives has been to be recognized as equals—they
wanted to be educated and they wanted their daughters
educated.
A myth about educating women
prevailed that women would not be able to bear children if
they were educated.
In 1869 women were gaining some ground
organizing women’s clubs, but men still scoffed saying women
should be home taking care of their husbands and their
children.
Things came to a
head when Jennie June Crowley, a member of the National
Press Club, attempted to attend a dinner given by the club
to honor Charles Dickens at the end of a reading tour.
“NO!” was the answer—“You are a
woman and we will not have Mr. Dickens embarrassed this
way.”
Horace Greeley, editor Of the
NEW YORK TRIBUNE, did his best to see that Jennie June and
the other women were welcomed.
He even refused to attend
himself.
It was finally agreed that a
group of women might attend if, to avoid embarrassment to
Dickens, they would sit behind a curtain out of sight.
Well our spunky Jennie June
declined the conditional invitation replying “The ladies had
not been treated as gentlemen.”
This instance led to the
formation of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs in
1890with the help of Sorosis.
GFWC was a
force to be reckoned with—the organization is credited with
the formation of 75% of the libraries in the
USA
including our own library in
Richland;
but that is another story.
This organization was
responsible for getting legislation passed to benefit women
and children such as eliminating sweat shops and not hiring
children.
In 1905 President Cleveland
wrote an article in the May issue of the LADIES HOME JOURNAL
saying, “I am persuaded that there are Women’s Clubs whose
objects and intents are not only harmful, but harmful in a
way that directly menaces the integrity of our homes.
These clubs have an undermining
effect on women—it is a thousand pities that all women
cannot sufficiently open their minds to see their complete
duty.”
After more scathing remarks
President Cleveland said, “It should be boldly declared that
the best and safest clubs for a woman to patronize is her
home.”
Well the rest is history.
Although this reporter does not know too
much history of the GFWC Woman’s Club of Spokane we do know
that it was organized in
When
the first Kiwanis Club in
Detroit,
Michigan
was chartered on January 21, 1915, there was no question
about the gender of membership.
Organizations of this type were typically male, but five
years later after the adoption of the current Kiwanis
Constitution and Bylaws in
Denver
it spelled out more specifically the requirements for
membership in a local club.
Women had received the right to
vote and that was challenging.
The provisions for male
membership only was inserted into the Constitution and
Bylaws, and the standard form for club Bylaws also contained
the restriction.
Although
from time to time individual Kiwanians raised the issue as
to why women could not be members it was not until 1954 that
more attention was given to the pros and cons of this issue.
It was becoming increasingly
evident many clubs were seeking growth.
Women were accepting new roles
in business and professional worlds.
The question was asked, “Why
should such leaders continue to be excluded from membership
in local Kiwanis clubs?”
This became a burning issue.
Some Kiwanians threatened to
resign from their local clubs as a protest against the
continuing status of Kiwanis as a male only organization.
Some members believed strongly
enough to attempt to put pressure on their local districts
in hope of getting the policy changed.
Clubs stated their desires to
the International Resolutions Board, but you have all heard
John Yegge’s joke:
“How many Kiwanians does it take
to change a light bulb?” The answer is a loud squawking,
“CHANGE?”
By 1973 frustration became
increasingly evident and the question of Women’s membership
moved to another phase.
For the
first time the Kiwanis Club of Olympus,
Salt Lake City,
submitted a proposed amendment to be voted on at the
International Convention.
The club stated that with women
serving society as judges, doctors, lawyers, barbers,
proprietors of their own businesses it was not illogical
that they may also work to serve their communities through
present proven organizations. “ Must they organize their own
groups to compete with ours when the real goal is community
service?
(Apparently this group had never
heard of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, and women
were already competing in community service.)
Several attempts
were made to change the amendment—one amendment gave the
districts the right to amend their bylaws to admit women,
but the most compelling argument against the whole idea of
local option was presented by a member of the Kiwanis Club
of West Central, Chicago, Illinois “I don’t see how it can
turn out to be a local option when if a
woman—or any person for that
matter—becomes a member that person automatically becomes
eligible for any office within the Kiwanis organization
which certainly would include the International organization
as well.”
The amendment failed.
In
1974,the Kiwanis of Teaneck, New Jersey, presented another
amendment which emphasized, “The reason we sponsor this
amendment which is being ratified by states across the
country and is called the Equal Rights Amendment.”
One
delegate who had attended Kiwanis conventions for years and
loved the spotlight was at his best in 1974 when he had the
attention of the convention goers.
I could not find a picture of
him but I picture him as a fat bald headed man with a
handlebar mustache.
He wore a three- piece suit and
had a large old chain attached to his pocket watch in his
vest pocket, and when he rose to talk he stuck his thumb in
his armpit and in a self-serving voice said, ”The most
wonderful women in the world are the dedicated women and
wives of delegates –now this type of woman would be an asset
but unfortunately there is a phenomenon looming upon the
scene:
The Liberated Woman!
Now these women are determined,
they are aggressive; they are militant, defiant, educated,
and independent.
They are also qualified.
On the other hand they are
politically inclined.
Now these women would be a
definite liability to Kiwanis, and, Gentlemen, with this in
mind, the International Kiwanis would become a battleground
of sex.”
In
1976 at the
San Diego
convention an attempt was made to “get a foot in the door,”
by proposing honorary membership for women. Wives and
mothers of Kiwanians were associated with local clubs and
were called Kiwaniannes.
A difficult trend
began developing; clubs knowingly admitted women appeared on
the horizon.
Kiwanis International had no
other recourse than to take action.
The Constitution and Bylaws gave
no choice so each club was notified to comply within 60 days
or lose their charter.
On
June 24, 1975, clubs presented their arguments for women
members.
Carol Cashew, the attorney for
one of the clubs, presented the club’s appeal.
She had attempted to gain
admittance to the House of Delegates, but her request was
denied for obvious reasons, she was a woman.
Shades of Jennie June Croley,
history repeats itself.
Her most persuasive argument for
women to be Kiwanis members was when she quoted the US
Supreme Court decision,
“that private clubs meeting in
places of public accommodation could not discriminate, the
philosophy and the language of the court is clear.
You have an opportunity to lead.
Your very
organization exists to provide leadership in the community.
I call on you not to let Kiwanis be dragged kicking and
screaming by the courts into the 21st century.
Show the way to other service
organizations.
Allow clubs to admit women if
they so desire.
Strengthen your own organization
by drawing on the committed energy of successful
businesswomen so you can continue to serve the community of
mankind.”
Well, When the House of
Delegates voted on this amendment it was soundly defeated
3,860-489 and 3,800-482.
Since
US Civil War Days there have been public accommodation laws
initially designed to allow people into restaurants and
hotels and to handle personal affairs in their communities.
These laws were designed to
prohibit discrimination against people of color.
Later these same laws began to
contain reference to ethnic origin, nationality, and finally
in a number of states, such regulations were amended to
prohibit discrimination in places of public accommodations
based on gender.
In reality, however, nobody had
in mind that these laws had any application to service clubs
whatsoever.
It was the
State of
Minnesota
that these laws were first applied to clubs in the case of
the USA Jaycees.
The argument had a right to be
discriminatory because it was a private club and because the
US Constitution allowed it to be discriminatory.
The US
ruled that the Jaycees could not be discriminatory and had
to allow women.
When
the Ridgewood,
New Jersey
Kiwanis Club heard this they openly admitted it had elected
a woman to membership.
KI sought legal advice and were
told they had to carry out KI Constitution and Bylaws.
Ridgewood
was notified it could not use anything Kiwanis –their club
would be terminated in sixty days.
Ridgewood
complied by dropping its women members.
In
1985 the US Supreme Court ruled that Jaycees and Rotary
organizations must allow women members.
July 7, 1987 Kiwanis
International President J. Dinoto declared, “The chair rules
that amendment #2, as amended, has passed by 2/3rds.” At
that very moment
the very nature of Kiwanis Clubs
was forever changed.
It was then within the
provisions of the International Constitution, worldwide,
clubs could elect women to membership should they so desire.
This amendment was passed
without an order from the US Supreme Court. ”Kiwanis goes
Coed!” screamed newspaper headlines across the country.
Of
course women were supposed to be employed or had been
employed.
I think it was in 1998 0r 1999
that the KI By-laws were being reviewed and revised and TCI
Jim Hagan who was part of the committee proposed the
amendment that prospective members, male or female did not
have to have an employment record.
It was passed.
The rest of the story is in
equality for all persons, Male and female, performing
service for a better community, nation and world.
Most
Kiwanians were enthusiastic to admit women and I understand
that
Richland
was the first club in the area to admit a woman.
They also
lost a male member who objected to women being admitted into
the club he said he had joined Kiwanis to get away from
women—oh hum to each his own. TCI was second—only because
Richland
met on Wednesday and TCI did not meet until Friday.
There
is a Kiwanis club in Wentachee that has all female members
they were Kiwaniannes and when they could be real Kiwanis
members they were chartered.
Why are there no males in the
club well maybe John Yegge has hit the nail on the head, he
said
“Women are not
afraid or intimidated to be the only female in a group of
men, but a man is very intimidated to be the only man to
walk into a room full of Women.
I am sure if the men would bring
a friend or two the club would be very happy to have men in
their club.
TCI was the second club in the area to
admit women to Kiwanis membership, the reason
Richland
was first was because the club met on Wednesday and TCI did
not meet until Friday.
Kitty Bridges with Harrington
trophies was the first TCI female member and Nancy Adams was
the first female president—that year TCI won awards in all
five departments of Kiwanis International.
Paula Glenn was TCI’s second
female president, Other females president include Jill
Monley, Rozanne Tucker, Pat Merkel, Norma Holliday, TCI has
not had a female Lt. Gov. yet but Jane Kassuba, who is a TCI
member now, was Lt. Governor representing Dayton.
Thanks for asking me to speak
for female Kiwanians.
I am almost sure there is no one
who does not think females made a difference for the
betterment of KI.
Information for
this essay was obtained mostly from the book REACHING OUT,
THE STORY OF THE GENERAL FEDERATION OF WOMEN’S CLUBS,
copyright 1989 And DIMENSIONS OF SERVICE, THE KIWANIS STORY,
BYLARRY HAPGOOD.
COPYRIGHT 1989
Lou
Beckman was president when he brought the women into the
Richland Kiwanis Club—I do not know their names.
Priscilla Cannon was the first
female president of this club, the only female to be given a
Hixson by this club and she was the first female Lt.
Governor of Division 54.
Other female presidents of this
club were Sherry Likala, and Ginger Vetrano.
Ginger and her hubby
Jim are
the only couple to serve as
presidents of the club.
Jim served 1994-95 and Ginger
served 2003-04.
Richland
now has two community service minded women who have gained
fame for the club with a unique service project called
birthday bags.
Now children of needy families
will have birthday items including cake mix
to
celebrate with.
The Salvation Army distributes
the bags.
If there is time I will try to
answer questions
Good I probably wouldn’t know
the answers anyway.
Thanks for allowing me to speak
for female Kiwanians.
I do not think there is any one
that does not think women are essential to making Kiwanis
great.
Susan
Volk was Atomic
City’s
first female president she served in 1995-96.
I don’t know for sure who the
first female member was. May Hays was the first female to be
given a Hixson by the club.
Phyllis Cannon, BC Cunningham,
Jane Kassuba were Lt. Governor’s of Division Council 54, and
The first PNW Governor was Bobbe
Godwin she served in 1999-2000, I think and Louise Regelin
was the second female governor —the third of course is our
present day Lori Bryant.
To date we have not had a
Kiwanis International President—but maybe women really do
not want to be President that is a lot of work. There are KI
International female trustees however.
“KIWANIS CLUBS GO
COED” was the headlines in the newspapers across the
country.
The rest of the story is in the equality
of all peoples, male or female performing service for a
better community, nation, and world.
Information
for this essay was obtained mostly from the book REACHING
OUT, The Story of The General Federation of Women’s Clubs,
Copyright 1989; and DIMENSIONS OF SERVICE, THE KIWANIS
STORY, by Larry Hapgood. Copy right 1989.
If
there is time I will try to answer questions.
Good I probably didn’t know the
answer anyway.
Carol
B. Roberts February 2005
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