I got an email from a man in Australia asking just what the Serosis/Sorosis (seems to be spelled either way) was all about. When doing a search on Google, all that came up really was the Jefferson Co., OK webite - because there's a picture of a group of women that belonged to that club. So, I decided to dig further and found this info on the clubs so thought I'd share to those that are curious: Women's Organizations A tremendous growth of women's organizations occurred during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These were groups such as: clubs, self improvement and social outreach, temperance societies, suffrage organizations, civic groups and many more. Women also got involved in groups that would stand for causes such as opening industrial schools for girls in order to encourage them to pursue jobs instead of marriage, prison reform, moral reforms, property law reforms, and hospital reform. These things gave women a sense of their own individuality and self worth and also made them more aware of their oppression in a male dominated world, and so the political and social environment that began during industrialization provided a climate conducive to women's activism. The organizations began emerging in 1868. One called Sorosis originated in New York and was founded by Jenny Croly. She was a journalist and the club had a literary tinge to it, but was involved with matters of social concerns. Their purpose was for women to assist each other and to be "of use to the world" (Wilson, 95). http://www.csupomona.edu/~skpuz/vhst202/projects/wmhst/whrevess.html ~~~~~~ One of the pioneer clubs now in existence is the Sorosis Club of New York City, founded in 1868. It had an interesting beginning as a sort of indignation meeting. When Charles Dickens came to America, the Press Club of New York City gave him a dinner which many women active in literary work were anxious to attend but to which they were refused admittance except as spectators. Their exclusion from the celebrated event led them to express their resentment by organizing a club of their own which they called the "Sorosis". In 1873 these New York women called together from all over the world a meeting which they termed a "Congress of Women." Thousands of women including many sovereigns of Europe endorsed the movement and the congress held at the Union Square Theatre, New York City, was the beginning of an "Association for the Advancement of Women" which met annually until it was replaced by the General Federation of Women's Clubs. We have the story of this first club writ! ten by one of the founders and the first president, Mrs. Jennie Cunningham Croly, in 1898. She writes in her "History of the Woman's Club Movement": "The early half of the century was marked by a crusade for the cause of better education of women. . . The woman's club was not an echo, it was not the mere banding together for social and economic purposes like the clubs of men. It became at once, without deliberate intention or concerted action a light-giving and seed-sowing centre of purely altruistic and democratic activity. It had no leaders. It brought together qualities rather -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 51 than personages; and by a representation of all interests, moral, intellectual and social, created an ideal basis of organization, where everyone has an equal right to whatever comes to the common centre." http://docsouth.unc.edu/nc/roberson/roberson.html ~~~~~~~~~~ 1868 The Fourteenth Amendment is ratified, which extends to all citizens the protections of the Constitution against unjust state laws. This Amendment defines "citizens" and "voters" as "male." Also, Stanton and Anthony had a falling out with longtime ally Horace Greely. As a result, Stanton and Anthony began publishing The Revolution, a weekly newspaper devoted to suffrage and other progressive causes. Also, Sorosis founded, the first professional club for women. Also, Middle and upper class women establish the Working Women's Protective Union in New York; similar groups form in other cities. These unions give free legal aid to workers, act as employment agencies, and lobby successfully for laws to protect women workers. And, The African Methodist Episcopal Church establishes women's first official office within organized Christianity: "Stewardess," or assistant to the clergy. http://www.amazoncastle.com/feminism/sufftime.shtml ~~~~~~~ Her original club, SOROSIS* founded in 1868 became the stimulus for the strong club movement across the country. The programs for clubs reflect the entry of 19th century women into the public sphere addressing issues of education and social welfare. http://home.att.net/~womensrights/croly_bio.htm ~~~~~~ If anyone has more information on the Serosis/Sorosis Club, please share it!! ^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Becky north Idaho *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* "Just as eating against one's will is injurious to health, so study without a liking for it spoils the memory, and it retains nothing it takes in." Leonardo Da Vinci My personal genealogy site http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~ouryorks The URL of YORK: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~allyorks Jefferson County, OK CC & listmom http://www.rootsweb.com/~okjeffer/ Brown County, TX CC & listmom http://www.rootsweb.com/~txbrown/ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~