(Adapted from “A History of The Federated Business and Professional Women’s
Club of Concord, NH” by Helen Carr and Arlene McDermott)
The National Federation was organized
in July of 1919 when about 212 delegates from 284 clubs representing some 25,000
members met in St. Louis, Missouri, for a convention. The following objectives
were adopted and they remain the same today.
- To elevate the standards
for women in business and in the professions.
- To promote the interests
of business and professional women.
- To bring about a spirit
of co-operation among business and professional women in the
United States.
- To extend opportunities
to business and professional women through education along lines of industrial,
scientific, and vocational activities.
The
first years were busy ones and the foundation for a federation of 2,700 clubs
with over 160,000 members in 1952 was firmly laid. To summarize briefly:
-
In December 1919 the club
magazine Independent Woman appeared (Now Business Woman)
-
The Collect,
written in 1904 by Mary Stewart of Colorado,
was adopted at the 1920 National Convention in
St.
Paul
,
Minn.
by the
372 delegates
-
In 1921 the emblem was
adopted consisting of Nike, Torch, Wand, Ship of Commerce and Scroll symbols
with a golden Circle
-
In 1927 green and gold
were chosen as the Federation colors
-
In 1928 the first National
Business Women's Week was observed with the theme "Better Business Women
for a Better Business World”
The
coordinated program and uniform standing committees were also started within
the first few years. The very names of the standing committees show the
breadth of interest of the clubs: Health and Safety, Education and Vocations,
International Relations, Public Affairs and Legislation. Over the years
they were renamed to reflect changing interests.
During
the years the National Federation grew to be the largest organization in the
world entirely devoted to working women. In 1959 it consisted of over
175,000 members, representing 3,489 clubs, in all 50 states, the
District
of Columbia
, Puerto Rico, and the
Virgin Islands
During
the Depression, the Federation helped its member develop new types of job opportunities
and assisted government advisory commissions in dealing with economic problems.
With the advent of World War II the Federation turned its talents and facilities
to national wartime services, developing a classification system for women in
critical specialties, supported the formation of women’s branches in the Armed
Forces and purchased mobile kitchens to send to the British Federation.
After
a two year intense study, the Equal Rights Amendment was elevated from a resolution
to a full plank on the Legislative Platform
In
the 1950’s BPW was increasingly active in legislative affairs and opened a branch
office in
Washington
,
D.C. In 1954, the Headquarters was moved from
New York City
to
Washington
,
D.C.
In
1930 the clubs had spread to several other countries and the International Federation
of Business and Professional Women was formed in Geneva where a convention sponsored
by the United States National Federation was held.
New
Hampshire Federation of Business and Professional Women (BPW/USA NH)
The
New Hampshire Federation was formed in June 1924 by three independent clubs
in
Manchester,
Nashua
and
Keene. The
State Federation has held annual conventions since its founding.
New
Hampshire has always stressed the need and desirability
of a feeling of unity among the business and professional women of the State.
The State is divided into districts and a meeting of the clubs in the district
is held each year, the place of the meeting rotating among the member clubs.
The
New Hampshire Federation has not only served as a medium of personal development
for its members, but also is recognized throughout the state as a group of civic
minded women working not only to elevate business and professional standards
for its own membership, but for people at large.
In
1961
New Hampshire
established a scholarship fund for an older woman who wanted to improve her
business or professional skills. In 1976 the Federation established a
New Hampshire Legislature Conference to be held every two years. |
