N. J. Mosquito Extermination Association 33 



to arouse interest, not only in local affairs, but in the county and 

 state. When we are interested in a thing we talk about it, and 

 usually our interest crystallizes into action. This great club 

 organization in our country has living and vital interest, or the 

 women, in these busy days, would not join. When I tell you that 

 there are 2,500,000 club women in this country, with 35,000 in 

 the State of New Jersey, you will realize that their influence is 

 very marked in a community ; multiply ^this by three of each 

 family and you will see that the questions which interest these 

 mothers, and that are talked of and discussed at home, will reach 

 the ears of three times as many, or 7,500,000 people, in the 

 United States. 



Clubs are organized for all sorts of interests — some are for 

 mhsic lovers, others for those who wish to work along the lines 

 of art, while some clubs hold civics to be the topic of interest and 

 pursuit. Many clubs are called departmental, and in this com- 

 bination art, music, literature, legislation, social and industrial 

 interests, public health and civic work are all taken up by the same 

 club. 



There is a great national organization which includes all fed- 

 erated clubs in the country wishing to join. The national feder- 

 ation is made up of president, two vice-presidents, two secre- 

 taries, one treasurer and auditor, with a board of directors who 

 take charge of all departments. 



The New Jersey State Federation and all the clubs throughout 

 the state are composed in the same way. 



The state is divided into districts. This state has nine dis- 

 tricts, each one covering three or four counties, and the clubs of 

 those counties come directly under the jurisdiction of the vice- 

 president of that district. The third district includes Middlesex, 

 Monmouth and Ocean Counties and is under the supervision of 

 Mrs. Prickett, of Metuchen, the third district vice-president. 

 She reports to the state the work, interests and problems of her 

 district. All local clubs have their officers and departments with 

 chairmen, just the same as the state and national federations. 



The joy of a departmental club is this : A member may have 

 no interest in art or literature but is most happy to serve on the 

 civic committee, and so each club member finds her place where 

 she can serve most effectively. 



The request which came to me from Dr. Headlee was to speak 

 on the civic work of clubs, so I am going back several years and 

 try to cover the ground somewhat telling the big things, and some 

 of the smaller ones, which have been accomplished. 



3 MOS 



