Culture and Women's Clubs 103 



Let us study Sorosis a little: it shall be worth our 

 while. 



In the original constitution of Sorosis, provision was 

 made for two meetings a month, one to be largely social ; 

 the other, for members only, should discuss the ad- 

 vancement and independence of women. 



Ten committees were set to report to the formal ses- 

 sions of Sorosis: committees on art, the drama, educa- 

 tion, house and home, journalism, literature, music, 

 philanthropy, science, and working-women. 



As we study it now, while the broad range of the 

 program may surprise, I believe its scope and compre- 

 hensiveness will seem almost prophetic; certain it has 

 been a warrant and stimulus everywhere to most use- 

 ful, cultural, and civic endeavor. But at the outset it 

 was widely criticised; first, because TOO BOLD, too ambi- 

 tious; and second, to be sure, because TOO TIMID, too 

 little aggressive! 



I have no doubt the charter-members of Sorosis were 

 oppressed by a sense of timidity. What attitude could 

 have been more natural ? They were doubtless surprised 

 at their own action. The idea of resenting the slight 

 put upon women by the New York Press Club was itself 

 startling in its boldness; how much more the proposal 

 to crystallize that resentment in terms of enduring pro- 

 test, by the organization of an independent social effort 

 in which men should forever have no part. But, on the 

 other hand, women who had come through the expe- 

 riences of the Lincoln days were sure that the Sorosis 

 program was feeble to a degree. Mrs. Stanton, who for 

 twenty years had been working for a national suffrage 



