Activities Among Negroes
The North Oakland Improvement club last week held a flower show in connection with its regular monthly meeting in the auditorium of Longfellow public school. This club is one of the outstanding community clubs in the United States. It has been organized less than one year, during which its influence has been far reaching. At this last meeting there was between 200 and 300 white and colored people in attendance, a large number of whom are members of the club. The large attendance however was due to a desire to hear the decision of the judges in the flower show. The club had offered prizes to school children who displayed the most beautiful flowers grown through their own efforts.
The awarding of the prizes and the educational feature of the club was explained by the master of ceremonies, W. E. Moore, who said that while he was a member of the club, he was also the principal of the school, and that as such it was his duty to protect the taxpayers and to encourage the use of the auditorium of the school as a community center. Since then, California legislature had passed a law authorizing such use when it was for the development of the community. He further said that this flower show was but one of the many educational efforts of the club, and that, in another year the children would be instructed in the names and development of flowers. The profusion of beautiful flowers on display had been grown through the club's efforts to encourage residents in the district to plant more flowers.
A short program was given, the opening number being a song by the school glee club, conducted by Miss Jessie Miller. This club had the appearance of a class in Americanization, since all nations and races were represented. Vocal solos were sung by both Miss Germaine de Leuz and by Miss Ruth Hayward, instructor of music in the Roosevelt high school. A playlet was presented by members of the dramatic club of the school, and a musical number by the community orchestra.
The report of the corresponding secretary and General Inspector M. N. Johnson told of the work accomplished by the club in securing a traffic officer for the Longfellow school. And the splendid spirit of cooperation of the city in regard to street cleaning of this district, and in other matters. He also spoke of the large number of additional homes that had been painted since the last meeting, the number of lawns beautified with growing flowers. He concluded his remarks by stating that in a large measure this was due to the splendid publicity given the club's activities, especially through the columns of The Oakland TRIBUNE, for which the club wished to return grateful appreciation.
W. E. Moore, the master of ceremonies said: "In making the awards, the judges were confronted by a mixture of flowers, and combination of flowers, which made it most difficult to decide on a basis of points. They however decided to choose the best vase of one variety of flowers, considering this to be the original meaning of the committee in charge, to be awarded the first prize. The second prize was for a bouquet or vase of flowers with the best collection and for taste in arrangement. The third prize considered was either individual flowers or combination of flowers showing best culture, a fourth prize to be given next best. It was the aim of the judges to encourage simplicity and taste of arrangement.
The judges were Miss Jessie Miller, teacher of science, in Longfellow school; Mr. Ottlander of the Sunset nursery, and Leslie Pellett of the Charles C. Navelet Nursery and Seed company. The following children were awarded prizes: First prize, Lawrence Valpredo, high sixth grade, displaying a vase of gladiolas, awarded tennis racket and ball; second prize, Lucile Stewart, lower eighth grade, vase of pon pon dahlias, awarded a house plant of lacey ferns; third prize, Beulah Hogg, lower fifth grade, pink Canterbury bells, awarded as prize a favorite child's book; fourth prize, Beryl Williams, lower eighth grade, collection of snap dragons, awarded box of candy. After the awards were made the audience was invited to view the school children's work on display through the cooperation of the Parent-Teacher association. The following composing the committee were responsible for the success of the affair: Messrs. Garety, Strickland and M. N. Johnson, and Mesdames F. Gallo, Gardner, Raymey, O P. Lewis and Strickland.
Mrs. Elizabeth Brown was hostess to the Fanny Coppin Club on Tuesday, when she served a fine luncheon to the club members. The afternoon was given over to completing the club arrangements for participating in the forthcoming reciprocity day to be held at the Fifteenth street A. M. E. church July 6 and the exchange day to be held in Beth Eden Baptist church June 29-30, at which time the most beautiful piece of art work will be awarded a blue ribbon.
The writer has just received a letter from Mrs. Edward F. Glaser in which she said: "I would advise that you not only urge colored women to register and vote, but all women of the bay district. The women in general are not registering as they should, being many thousands behind the men. Anyway you can help, and not hurt the cause, for while I do not know that this is the case, it may be that colored women, like their sisters, are not completely registered and the stimulation of your words may do good.
"It is most interesting to relate that all over the United States in every weekly and monthly magazine or publication of the race, they are urging the race to register and vote. They are stressing the value of the vote to the colored voters as they have never done before except just before an election. At the last meeting of the Alameda County League of Colored Women Voters it was stated that the granting of the power to the chairman of the committee to draft the proposed legislative bill was satisfactory with the majority of the committee, only one member dissenting. This authority was given the chairmanship because of her many years of experience as a social worker. The league was perfectly willing to trust her judgement to draft a bill. They intended using the experience, as a legislative drill in their study of California laws."
The writer, realizing the great value to any group of women voters of such an important matter, wrote for the benefit of all readers, since questions in such matters should be treated as a sacred duty, and to no group of women of more value than to California negro women voters. However, through the leadership of the Alameda County League of Colored Women Voters, the colored men voters of Oakland have during the past year and a half been giving great attention to the study of political questions, local, state and national. Their organization is known as the Alameda County Voters' Council, which, under the guidance of George Martin, holds regular and frequent meetings for the purpose of political study previous to election day. They claim the interest in such matters has been stimulated because of the intensive study program of the Alameda County League of Colored Women Voters.
The Fanny Coppin Club elected its delegates to serve both at the reciprocity day and also the biennial meeting of the N. A. of C. W. They are Mesdames Hudson, Craig and Jones.
The Linden branch Y. W. C. A. will for the first time send delegates to the national student Y. W. C. A. conference, to be held for the next ten days at Asilomar, Cal. They are Miss. Lula Chapman of the Girls' Reserves and Miss Ida Jackson, who will read a paper on research work and will also lead the discussion on such work. The south section of California branch Y. W. C. A. will also have delegates in attendance. It is interesting to note that this conference grounds and also the Y. W. C. A. hut on the university grounds are owned by the national board of Y.W. C. A. and are available to all student Y. W. C. A. activities. All such huts throughout the United States are thus owned. But the only grounds are those at Asilomar, Cal. Last Sunday afternoon the Linden branch Y held a most successful musical tea, at which time Miss Helen Price, a student secretary, and Alvin Nurse addressed the assembly. The musical numbers were given by members of the branch who have graduated in music, and were very creditable. This Sunday afternoon the branch will hold a public reception from 4 to 6 p. m., honoring Miss Muckelroy of Los Angeles.
