Spring, 1959
THE FEDERATION JOURNAL
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Continued from Page 1
attention has been the conscien
tious effort of the Souvenir Pro
gram Committee with Mrs. F. T.
Newsome as chairman to stimulate
interest and enthusiasm in the cele
bration of the fiftieth anniversary
of our great organization which will
be held at Wilson, N. C. Tem
porary plans for the celebration
were presented at the fall meeting
of the Executive Board. A later
meeting of the committee was held
in Raleigh at the Harriet Tubman
Clubhouse as guests of the Wom
an’s Club. There we were happy
to see Miss Juanita Lowe, a senior
at Shaw University who has merit
ed a scholarship from our State
Federation through each of the four
years.
An overnight trip which covered
993 miles will long be remembered.
Delivering Christmas packages at
the State Hospital in Goldsboro for
patients of Elizabeth City made
possible by the City Federated
Clubs gave the first stop of the
trip.
Answering a call to represent our
organization on an advisory com
mittee set up by the Conference
Committee on Children and Youth
in connection with the North Caro
lina Conference for Social Service
which was held at Raleigh in the
afternoon gave opportunity for in
formation on a subject of vital in
terest to us, “Births out of Wed
lock.” A suggested outline for
study and report on the subject in
cluded: Facts on Births out of Wed
lock in North Carolina; What Hap
pens to the Children and to the
Mother Afterwards?; Cost to the
State of Children out of Wedlock;
Why are Children Born out of
Wedlock?; Sexual Promiscuity, and
What Can Be Done About the Prob
lem? The committee realized the
whole problem a grave one about
which perhaps little could be done
but because of the great concern
action needs to be taken. Other
such meetings will be held and it
is the hope of your president that
our organization will get all infor
mation possible and make use of
it to help our children.
After leaving Raleigh an invi
tation was accepted which was ex
tended by our own Mrs. Esther
Moore to attend a meeting of the
North West Women’s Professional
Club. Not even the dangers of con
tinual rainfall and highways under
construction daunted the deter
mination to accept the invitation.
To meet with nearly one hundred
ladies in their Christmas meeting
in the recently constructed modern
recreation center at Hickory was
certainly a memorable occasion.
It is our hope that the ladies were
sufficiently inspired to join the
ranks of our State Federation.
On the return trip home a baby
who had been discharged two weeks
from the McCain Sanatorium was
picked up and brought home to
relatives who had been unable to
get him here. Truly the cheer
spread and contacts made more
than compensated for the 993 miles
covered and the tired feelings ac
companying them.
As a means of disclosing plans
for entertaining our State Federa
tion at the Fiftieth Anniversary
Celebration the planning commit
tee at Wilson with Mrs. Norma
Darden as chairman extended an
invitation to your president to meet
with the committee. Our chair
man, Mrs. Newsome, agreed to
make the trip also. Mrs. Larkin
who has worked untiringly with the
committee was notified of the
meeting. Having Mrs. S. F. Griffin,
one of our senior club ladies ac
company me to Rich Square where
the night would be spent en route
to Wilson worked well. The real
surprise came on awakening and
finding ourselves snowbound which
meant returning home as soon as
possible and deferring the trip to
Wilson.
A great deal was accomplished
by the overnight stay in Rich
Square because many plans were
made in connection with our Fed
eration business. Among them was
one of getting copies of our Fed
eration Song into each club so that
they might be used in club meet
ings as well as our larger club
gatherings. It is my hope that you
have seen fit to send the $1.00 for
copies received to our Correspond
ing-recording Secretary, Mrs. W.
P. Collins.
At a later date favorable weather
permitted Mrs. Newsome to join
me and make the trip to Wilson.
Mrs. Larkins met us there. Meet
ing the planning committee in the
lovely home of Mrs. Darden gave
opportunity to iron out many de
tails in connection with our annual
meeting. First of all came con
sideration of the date for the oc
casion because we were aware of
making a change due to wintry
weather which had caused change
in the date of closing school where
meetings were to be held. After
careful consideration which includ
ed contacting the school principal
and our speaker for the banquet,
Mrs. Vivian Mason, of Norfolk,
Va., May 14 was set as the date
for the banquet with other ses
sions to follow on May 15, 16. A de
licious dinner served by members
of the planning committee cer
tainly was enjoyed.
No communication reached me
regarding an emergency confer
ence in January which was called
by Mrs. Rosa L. Gragg, president
of the National Association of
Colored Women’s Clubs. Later a
letter expressed her regret at not
having me present. There must
have been an oversight on some
body’s part. Mrs. A. Foster was
in Washington at the time, attend
ing the meeting and got informa
tion about which we hope to hear
later.
See MESSAGE, Page 6
Wilson Host City to Convention
Wilson Planning
For Convention
The Fiftieth Anniversary Conven
tion of the North Carolina Federa
tion of Negro Women’s Clubs will
be held May 14, 15 and 16, 1959 at
the Darden High School in Wilson,
North Carolina.
At this time of stress, strain and
distrust and tension among the
various racial groups, the need for
organized work among women of
the world is more needed than ever.
See CONVENTION, Page 7
Mrs. Bessie S. Satchell
Presidenl Host Club
The carpet is being spread by
the City Federation of Negro
Women’s Clubs in Wilson for our
guest. We are leaving no stones
unturned, and the whole city ex
tends a cordial welcome to club
women and their friends in and
out of North Carolina.
The people of Wilson are proud
of their city along the Atlantic
Coast, located on U.S. Highway
301 with highways No. 264, No. 48
and No. 42 entering it.
The fair city boasts of being an
eastern agricultural and education
al center, where homeseekers and
businessmen alike are certain to
find it Neighborly and to succeed.
The city had its beginning in
1949. Tobacco and Wilson are syn-
onomous, having established on
September 3, 1890 a tobacco auc
tion market where the first basket
sold for 50c per pound.
Nash Street, lined with magnif
icent elms and oaks, has been
called one of the ten most beau
tiful residential streets in America.
Churches embracing 13 different
denominations and faiths make it
easy to select your church.
Schools and teachers are among
the best the country over for both
races.
Adequate protection — utilities —
shopping—and recreational facili
ties can be found in Wilson for its
population of 24,600 as weU as their
guests. The homes are spacious and
comfortable, come and share them.
You need not hesitate to take
this opportunity to visit the city,
you will find all the people friendly
and ready to assist if needed.
Host Committee
Mrs. Norma Darden, Chairman
108 Pender Street
> Sk-
WILSON HOST PLANNING COMMITTEE—Seated, left to right;
Mrs. Anna B. Johnson, Mrs. Bessie Satchell, Mrs. Norma E.
Darden, chairman, Mrs. Lelia B. Yancey. Standing, left to right:
Mrs. Ethel L. Hines, Mrs. Marie R. Mitchner, Mrs. Letitia Fisher,
Mrs. Flossie C. Barnes.