Howto Realize Our National Association Membership By Eliza Rhees Butler Subjects Considered in This Leaflet: I. Taking Part in the National Convention II. Attendance at Summer Conferences III. The Use of Publications IV. The Field Committees and Their Headquarters V. Annual Membership in the Student Department VI. The Visit of the Traveling Student Secretary VII. Our Share in the World’s Work This leaflet will be of especial service to the cabinet as a whole, inasmuch as the material is of mutual interest to sev- eral of the standing committees. How to Realize Our National Association Membership - By Eliza Rhees Butler National Secretary for Secondary Schools Published by National Board OF THE Young Women’s Christian Associations 600 Lexington Avenue, New York City 1916 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2016 https://archive.org/details/howtorealizeournOObutl How to Realize Our National Association Membership By Eliza Rhees Butler One cannot take a conscious part in a great organization nor contribute to its life without constant and increasing knowledge of and contact with that organization in all its interests and activities. Every local Young Women’s Chris- tian Association the world over has something to give and something to receive from all the other Associations. In order that this “give and take” may go on, advantage must be taken of the various means which exist for that very purpose. Provincialism and self-sufficiency mean stagnation and decline locally, and inefficiency nationally, while a world spirit and teachableness lead through united action to a live and growing influence. Locally the Association leadership is in the hands of the cabinet and its several committees. These committees should strive to keep in touch with the national as well as the local aspects of the work as a natural part of regular Association life. The ways by which membership in the national or- ganization may be realized are as follows: 1. Taking Part in the National Convention* Attendance upon the National Convention is one way of realizing that every local Christian Association has a respon- sible part in the national work. These conventions for- •For this and the following section see leaflet on “The Conferences and Conventions Committee” listed on back cover. 3 merly met every two years, but according to the action taken at Richmond, Virginia, in 1913, they will hereafter meet every three years. The last meeting was held in Los An- geles, California, in May, 1915. At these conventions, the work as a whole is reported upon. New undertakings are discussed and future policies outlined. Every delegate has a part and can express her- self freely upon all matters. The number of delegates each Association is entitled to is in proportion to its membership (see Handbook, p. 113). Thus it is that all Associations may share alike in all decisions that are made and are there- by equally responsible to fulfill all the obligations undertaken by the Convention. How far has your Association thought out and met these corporate obligations? (For further in- formation see Convention reports.) Student Associations sometimes find it hard to raise the money necessary to send delegates and to have them ex- cused from academic work in order to secure representation in Convention. If some money is set aside each year for this fund, the amount will be on hand when needed. And if an Association is filling the great part in student life that it is meant to play, surely any college president or dean of women will count it an honor to have his or her students participate in the national gathering of a great democratic Christian women’s movement such as the Young Women’s Christian Association. Why not begin now to prepare for your representation at the next Convention? II. Attendance at Summer Conferences The National Convention for discussion and legislative action can come but once in a student generation, but the summer conferences, which are to inspire and educate, gather in many sections of the country every year. Do all Asso- ciations realize that the efficiency of Association life is 4 largely determined by the number of members in attendance at these conferences? The rapid changes which take place in every student body make conference attendance almost imperative if there is to be real understanding and joy in local work. By how many delegates is your Association represented each year? Ten, twenty-five or fifty? Every cabinet member should be there and as many representa- tive girls as possible. The conference is the place to find out what Association work on a national and world wide scale means, and to be spurred on to renewed effort because of a new understanding of and reliance upon superhuman power. Surely in these intercollegiate gatherings called to- gether for the promotion of Christian life and service, we do realize that we have a part in a world student Christian movement bound together by a commanding purpose. III. The Use of Publications What a help it is to have the information we are seeking put down in black and white! Leaflets are ready for each committee, full of suggestions and containing the best of all the Association’s experience. Information is constantly being gathered at the national headquarters and prepared for distribution. Association officers do not have to take time to write to or bother neighboring or similar Associa- tions with questions which are already answered. It is therefore wise to keep a full set of the student technical leaflets* on hand for ready reference, and to use them, for in this way local work becomes standardized and advances more rapidly. For Association history, there is at hand “Fifty Years of Association Work Among Young Women,” by Miss Elizabeth Wilson, and we can follow “current events” by reading regu- larly the Association Monthly, the North American Stu- •See back cover for announcement of these leaflets. 5 DENT and the Student World. For description of the general work and organization we have the Association Handbook. New books or leaflets along all Association lines are constantly being published. Write directly to the Publication Depart- ment at the national headquarters building, 600 Lexington Avenue, New York City, for a price list containing further information about any or all of these. Let us show our national spirit of unity by using the au- thorized forms of Recognition Service for new members and Installation Service for new officers, and keep in touch with the Association’s foreign work by sending for the booklets on work in China, India, Japan, South America and Turkey. Through a wise and faithful use of all this literature, surely the great work we are engaged in should become to every member a reality. IV. The Field Committees and Their Headquarters There are eleven sub-committees of the National Board, whose chief interest is the welfare and progress of all the local Associations in their respective districts, whether they be city, country or student Associations. You will find the headquarters of your Field Committee among the fol- lowing ; Central Field Committee, 58 East Washington Street, Chi- cago, Illinois; for Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin. Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania Field Committee, 630 Witherspoon Building, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. North Central Field Committee, 412 Flour Exchange, Minneapolis, Minn.; for Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North and South Dakota. Northeastern Field Committee, 600 Lexington Avenue, New York City; for New England, New Jersey and New York. 6 Northwestern Field Committee, Fifth Avenue and Seneca Street, Seattle; for Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington. Ohio and West Virginia Field Committee, 1211 First Na- tional Bank Building, Cincinnati, Ohio. Pacific Coast Field Committee, 319 Russ Building, San Francisco, Calif.; for Arizona, California and Nevada. South Atlantic Field Committee, 806 Virginia Railway and Power Building, Richmond, Virginia; for Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Virginia. South Central Field Committee, 1411 Locust Street, St. Louis, Missouri; for Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louis- iana, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee. Southwestern Field Committee, 811 Sumpter Building, Dallas, Texas; for New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. West Central Field Committee, 321 McClintock Building, Denver, Colorado; for Colorado, Kansas, Utah, Wyoming. The volunteer workers and employed staff of the Field Committee who are responsible for the administration and extension of the work in your field, bring all the resources of the national organization within easy reach of every local Association. Therefore all correspondence, unless otherwise specified, should be carried on with or through your field committee. Only concerning publications and summer con- ferences should direct correspondence be carried on with the national headquarters in New York. Your contribution to national and world work, 40 per cent of membership fees (see Finance leaflet) should be sent at the date agreed upon to the field office, also your voluntarily pledged contribu- tions to foreign Association work. Any matters concerning which you want help, advice or information, e. g., the visit of your traveling secretary, head- quarters help, study courses, finance methods, new organiza- tions, etc., should be directed to the field office. 7 The fact that a field committee is constantly studying and supplying your needs makes this help most practical, for they know your “peculiar situation” and also the resources of the National headquarters, and can adjust one to the other in your part of the country. Moreover, since all the Associations in your section are united through your Field Committee, you can thus unitedly strive for the extension of Association work and ideals as no local Association, even if it had the time and resources, could ever adequately do alone. Being a part of the field organization is a reality carrying obligations and dispensing benefits. V. Annual Membership in the Student Department of the Field Committee A very real contribution to the development and adminis- tration of the student department of the field work is made by the “annual members” — undergraduate representatives from the Associations in universities, normal schools and colleges, appointed to serve as representatives of a large Association or groups of two or three smaller ones. These undergraduate members, who have full voting power, share in the active work of the Field Student Department by studying the immediate needs of the local Association, attend- ing at least two meetings a year and presenting plans in ac- cordance with the undergraduate viewpoint. Their inter- pretation of present day student interests is of the greatest value to the other members of the student department, and the annual members gain much valuable experience and knowledge for the local Associations by taking the larger re- sponsibility of judging matters from a national rather than a local viewpoint. VI. The Visit of the Traveling Student Secretary One of the most vital, because the most personal, means of 8 keeping in touch with national work is through the visit of a national staff representative, a field student secretary. Pic- ture the schedule which she follows month after month as she goes about among the Associations aiding and uniting them even though scarcely ever able to stay more than a few days in the same place. In all weathers, at all seasons of the year, on, on she travels from school to school, suit-case in hand. What are her responsibilities? What should the Associations expect from her? What should she expect from them? Because of the importance of her visit, of what she can be to each Association and of how each Association can help her do effective work and at the same time aid her in keeping herself at the point of greatest efficiency, many de- tails should be seriously considered. (1) The traveling student secretary has many responsi- bilities. First of all the committee in charge of her work needs some share of her time at the field headquarters, where committee matters must be attended to — meetings, interviews and correspondence. These take, or should take, at least one week a month. Furthermore the needs and demands of the various Associations require an extended correspondence, both with national headquarters and the Associations throughout her field. Special conferences are to be arranged, printed material to be distributed and latest suggestions in regard to advance policies of work to be explained and for- warded. (2) Secondly, new groups of students requesting or- ganization must be communicated with and visited as soon as possible. The traveling student secretary for the field must advise and guide in organization; in fact, her help is essential if the new group is to start aright and understand the real purpose and obligations of organization. Joining the national movement has deeper meaning and more far-reach- ing consequences than local groups often realize. Prepare carefully through correspondence with the field student sec- 9 retary, asking for advice concerning “first steps,” and fol- low them carefully, for she has had repeated experiences in organization while locally this may be a first venture. In planning for a first secretarial visit, it would be well to arrange for the visitor a meeting with some representative and interested faculty members, the dean of women, asso- ciate principal or president, as the case may be, as well as conference with the girls. Often local pastors and women residents of the town should be advised with. A careful study of local needs should be made and before organization is effected a definite decision reached concerning its advis- ability. It is in this way that sure foundations are laid. (3) Thirdly, the organized Associations expect their reg- ular visitation and help. The secretary usually proposes to the local president or secretary the time for her visit. Try to arrange for the time suggested and answer her notes promptly in any case. Each visit involves time, expense and a schedule including many Associations. Therefore one Association can show consideration for the others by being prompt and thoughtful about answering mail. Many an Association loses its only chance during the entire year for secretarial help by neglect of correspondence. How can a secretary’s time during her visit of from two to three days be utilized to best advantage? Local and im- mediate needs will largely determine the program planned for her. There are always certain definite things every As- sociation wants help in and every good cabinet can list those promptly. Of course it is always a joy to see again some one who brings back the happy memories of last summer’s conference, which helped your girls to find some of the things they were seeking. There are girls on the campus besides the Association members who may want to meet her, as well as a number who ought to be interested in the work and are not. Possibly one of the advisory board members who is not quite clear as to her responsibilities should be 10 visited, or the superintendent of the Sunday school where one of the student classes meets, desires more information about the Voluntary Study course of lessons. There may be some adjustment needed with the administration about caring for student employment. Everybody wants sugges- tion for social service and usually there are several girls try- ing to decide whether they should volunteer for the foreign field, who, in the interim between visits of the traveling Student Volunteer secretary, await advice and information. Thus the list of needs grows. Furthermore, has your local Association problem ever been really defined and faced so that you know what can best be planned for this year and really accomplished? If not, arrange for the traveling secretary’s time so that she can study it with you. In planning her schedule do not as- sume that just because she is “an Association person” she has no wider interest in your school than your Association provides. For instance, she will enjoy meeting members of the faculty in a purely human and friendly way, and hear- ing of the work they are interested in, or going to some college service where she is not expected to speak. The entire life and activity of your college are all a part of your “local situation,” and the secretary desires to understand it fully, for if your Association is to be really efficient it must adjust itself to meet the real needs and life of your com- munity. Too many cabinets arrange the same kind of a program year after year and thereby limit the secretaries’ knowledge of the schools to only the Association girls’ viewpoint. As an illustration of a poor schedule often handed to a secre- tary upon her arrival, the following may be noted: 5:30 P. M., train due; 6 P. M., supper at the dormitory; 7 P. M., cabinet meeting; 8:30 and 9.30 P. M., summer conference girls’ party (peanut butter on crackers, pickles, olives and chocolate cake) ; 7 A. M., breakfast; 8 A. M., chairman of 11 finance committee, and every half hour following until noon, successive chairmen of committees, excepting from 9:50 to 10.25 A. M. for assembly hour, when the secretary is asked to speak “on anything interesting” for fifteen min- utes. At noon, she is carried off to a chapter house for din- ner and asked to speak afterwards because “there are some fine girls in the house who are not a bit interested in the Association.” From two to three she may have an appoint- ment with the dean of women or principal; three to four, “rest,” and a girl will accompany the secretary to her room, help her dress, incidentally confide her difficulties and stay until the next escort arrives to take her over to the regular Association meeting. On the way she espies a large poster where a pair of scales and her own name are the prominent features. Into the hall she pursues her way to find the girls waiting to know “what hymns go best with the subject, ‘A Balanced Life’?” Raise this program to the nth power and the life of a traveling secretary is before you. Need this be so? Is such a schedule valuable? Can local needs and “peculiar situations” be met by any such frenzied scheme? How long can a secretary retain her efficiency under such abnormal living? Also how few Associations can make any real advance by such a method. Much that is fundamental can and ought to be done even in a short visit if thoughtfully arranged. Much difficulty would be obviated if plans were made sufficiently in advance and with the advice of some advisory board member or the local secretary where there is one. Some one in authority, the dean of women or principal, should know when the secretary is expected to arrive and the proposed program, so that in case the Association president or local secretary were delayed or failed to have some one meet her, the visitor would not arrive, only to find no one informed as to where she is to go. Try as far as possible to prevent unfortunate conflicts between regular campus appointments and special gatherings. Do 12 not call a meeting at the hour when every one is busy, and expect a crowd to hear your visitor’s message. A good meet- ing requires careful planning, wise publicity and definite in- vitation. An elastic and simple schedule is really necessary. Plan so that when the secretary arrives, she can be comfort- ably located in a room definitely set apart for her alone. If your college has a regular guest room to which she can be assigned, all the means necessary to do her work are usually at hand and she can establish her headquarters most easily. If she is to occupy one of the girl’s rooms, suggest that a thoughtful hostess will have removed her necessary supplies to her temporary abode, clearing a few hooks in the closet and arranging at least a corner of the table for writing. Before leaving your guest alone to unpack, and collect her thoughts, go over briefiy the chief engagements made for her, and explain the school schedules, ringing of bells, etc., and where water safe to drink may be found. Some hot watei brought to the room is always most acceptable and refresh- ing after traveling. Later, through longer consultation, compare your local needs and the message she desires to bring, and adjust her schedule, leaving some vacant spaces which will allow for final preparation on “speeches” or un- expected conferences. Always see that she has at least one uninterrupted hour before taking part in a large public meeting. Varying schedules may be arranged. No two visits are exactly alike. One secretary has found the following plan most satisfactory. Instead of a special appointment with each committee chairman, a cabinet meeting open to all committee members is called at a convenient hour. The cab- inet proceeds with its regular business, while the committee members listen with interest to brief reports given by the several chairmen. The visiting secretary can commend or question each report as given, and short discussions on “best ways” can take place. Thus the committee needing the most 13 help gets it. Those needing little help are heard from and encouraged, and every committee member present sees her committee work, possibly for the first time, in the light of the whole. The secretary can then present some advance work before the group and it can be well started by having all the workers hear and discuss it together. By these means in one hour, or an hour and a half, the secretary can become familiar with the work as a whole, identify committee mem- bers and readily determine which two or three chairmen need special help. With these she may make special appoint- ments. The interested Association worker is always found ■willing to give this time for such helpful work if arranged for far enough in advance. While the girls are busy during morning hours with the regular scholastic work, the secretary -will have opportunity to make appointments or call on local pastors, Sunday school superintendents, and advisory board or faculty members. She will also need time for necessary correspondence, study and preparation for later meetings. A general Association meeting, informational or inspira- tional in character, can usually be held, individual girls be seen, and some time given to necessary investigation or con- sultation with the secretary of the Association or chairman of the advisory board. Such, in general, should be the char- acter of regular secretarial visitation. Of course the object of a secretary’s visit may be for some specialized rather than general work, such as finance, a Bible institute, round table, the calling of a secretary, foreign work or special meetings. In such cases every endeavor should be made to have the visit well planned and in accordance with its special purpose. The necessary preliminary work sug- gested through correspondence with the field office should be carefully attended to. How many Associations really read, pay attention to and file their letters? How many presi- 14 dents remember to share letters with cabinet and advisory board members? Often a secretary will refer to a letter which the president has scarcely opened. If the purpose and meaning of letters is not clear, be sure to list them among “questions to be referred to the field secretary.” Never forget that the secretary has a far more important message than mere technical efficiency. That object alone would never have brought her to your campus. Technique is truly important, for by and through it we are able continu- ally to pour forth the most vital Christian message in a steady and truly normal way. In fact this is one reason why our organization exists at all. If your Association de- sires to make a real advance each year, and keep pace with other Associations, you will adopt the well tried methods as recommended to you, and will use the material provided. Also remember that the traveling secretary’s health and efficiency are part of your definite responsibility, and arrange as normal a life for her as is possible, so that she may give of her very best. She comes to your campus only that more girls may have the more abundant life through knowing Jesus Christ as Savior and Friend. If your Association would share as it should in the world- wide student movement, each year should mark a definite widening of your horizon. This means real study, thought- ful planning, devoted members and a praying leadership. The field secretary through personal visitation and knowl- edge keeps you in touch with the other members of our national movement, and together we can work for the ful- fillment of the fundamental purpose for which we are or- ganized. VII. Our Share in the World’s Work If each local Association is to take a worthy part as a unit in the national organization, it must do so by creating and maintaining a world consciousness. How can this be 16 done? By making it a reality through knowledge of condi- tions, prayer and life service. (See leaflet on “World Fel- lowship.”) There are two world wide relationships which every local Association maintains. The first is maintained through being a part of the national organization. Each Associa- tion is a part of the World’s Young Women’s Christian As- sociation, which is the federation of thirty national organiza- tions under the World’s Committee with headquarters in London. The World’s Committee is responsible for the new work to be done in its field, which is the whole world, and must find means of organizing, directing and supporting new work. Workers as well as money are needed. Part of our regular contributions towards our national organi- zation goes toward the expense of administering the World’s Committee. The responsibility for work in the sev- eral countries is apportioned among the national move- ments. The Associations in the United States are respon- sible for work in China, India, Japan, South America and Turkey. That is why special pledges are asked for foreign Association work, and when we realize that the extent of the work for the girls in these foreign nations actually depends upon our gifts and when we count up our small gifts, we see why the work is not growing faster. Why are more girls not offering to go out to teach, to minister, and to serve in these lands? It must be because we are not yet conscious that these responsibilities are ours. Let us gain a truer un- derstanding of our “world fellowship” and respond loyally to these calls for life service. Secondly, by being a part of the student movement in our national organization we are a part of the World’s Student Christian Federation. Do we follow the Christian work in the university centers of the world? How far have we com- prehended their difficulties? Are we standing together 16 with them to unite the students of the world in loyalty to Christ Jesus as Lord and Master of us all? To-day when so many of those to whom we are related by our common faith and common hope are suffering both in the east and west in the great conflict for righteousness, can we sit content and unconscious in our home Associations, doing a little work and leading a self-centered life when the great purpose of our whole organization is calling to us to realize our “togetherness” and to use every means to make our common life a reality! Being a member of a great world organization should and does inspire each one of us to make our own part worthy and ready for joyous service locally, nationally and world wide. 17 PUBLICATIONS FOR LEADERS OF EIGHT WEEK CLUBS 1. How to Promote Eight Week Clubs in the Colleges, by Mabel Stone. 5 cents. 2. College Women and Country Leadership, the study book, by Jessie Field, national secretary for country work. 25 cents. 3. For Leaders of Eight Week Clubs (among American girls) by Jessie Field. 10 cents. 4. An International Friendship Club (among foreign girls) by Edith Terry Bremer, national secretary for immi- gration and foreign community work. 15 cents. Eight Week Club Packet containing 1, 2 and 3 or 4 (cross out one not wanted). 40 cents. Texts: Out of Doors in the Bible, by Ethel Cutler. A pilgrimage with outdoor people of both Testaments. Written espe- cially for summer use. 15 cents. Jesus Among His Friends, by Ethel Cutler. Six stories from the life of Christ. 15 cents. Christian Citizenship for Girls, by Helen Thoburn. Ten chapters on a girl’s relation to home, work, worship, recreation, friends, etc. 25 cents. Note: The five cent leaflet, “Two Kinds of College Girls,” containing “little stories” by Oolooah Burner and Abbie Graham, is of special interest to Eight Week Club leaders. Order from Publication Department, National Board Young Women’s Christian Associations, 600 Lexington Avenue, New York City. STUDENT LEAFLETS For Universities and Large Colleges Advisory Committee. Bertha Conde. 10 cents. Association Membership and Church Work. Bertha Conde. 10 cents. Association Meetings. Oolooah Burner. 10 cents. Association News Committee. Edith Dabb. 5 cents. Bible Study Committee and the Voluntary Study Plan. Ethel Cutler. 10 cents. Cabinet, The. Bertha Conde. 5 cents. World Fellowship (for the Missionary Committee). Mar- garet Burton. 10 cents. Conferences and Conventions Committee. Louise Brooks. 5 cents. Finance Committee. Blanche Geary. 5 cents. How to Promote Eight Week Clubs. Mabel Stone. 6 cents. How to Realize Our National Association Membership. Eliza R. Butler. 10 cents. For Colleges, Seminaries and Academies The first six leafiets listed above, and “World Fellowship,” “Conferences and Conventions Committee,” “How to Pro- mote Eight Week Clubs,” and “How to Realize Our National Association Membership,” as listed above. In addition: Committee Work in Small Associations. Eleanor Rich- ardson. 5 cents. Finance Committee in a School or College Association. Edith Helmer. 10 cents. Social Service Committee. Eliza R. Butler. 5 cents. Year’s Outline for Religious Meetings. Oolooah Burner. 10 cents. Note: As the cost of each of these lists totals $1.06, a packet of each will be sent for $1.00. Watch The Association Monthly for announcement of additional leaflets during 1916-17. Order from Publication Department National Board of the Young Women’s Christian Associations fiOO LEXINGTON AVENUE. NEW YORK