In honor of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC), the La Mesa Woman’s Club General Meeting invited Chris Herzog, Southern District Leadership Chair, to speak about the Federation.
Below is a transcription of her speech:
Strong Roots Encourage New Growth
La Mesa’s Woman’s Club Federation Day Presentation – April 8 2026
Good Morning-Thank you for inviting me to your meeting today.
My name is Chris Herzog. I am a club woman like you. I belong to the Woman’s Club of Lakeside.
My women’s club journey took me to many places outside of Lakeside that I would have missed had I not said yes to the leadership opportunities that federation has given me. I’m grateful for the experience and I especially value the people I have met.
Today, in my capacity as past state president, I bring you greetings from GFWC International president Suellen Brazil and a thank you for La Mesa Women’s club’s long membership with the General Federation of Women’s Clubs.
GFWC has 136 years of strong roots encouraging new growth.
Each year on April 24, clubwomen plan to celebrate GFWC Federation Day, the commemoration of the Federation’s founding. On this day in 1890, members of 63 women’s clubs throughout the United States came together to form the General Federation of Women’s Clubs at a ratification convention in New York City. This was the beginning of the women’s club movement.
It has been said that the Women’s Club movement chapter in history was the primary tool for women’s emancipation. And blessed are stories of patience, tenacity, vision and love by those clubwomen before us whose shoulders we stand on today.
For 136 years GFWC has provided education, training and resources for volunteers who are committed to individual growth and community improvement. Membership in a GFWC club has given women from all walks of life the opportunity for fellowship and help build, serve, improve
and enjoy the community in which they live.
The GFWC motto “Unity in Diversity” is appropriate because of the varied experiences, diverse interests, talents and ages of the membership.
So, in honor of Federation Day, I want to tell you a little bit about Caroline Seymour Severance and her connection to GFWC, CFWC, and importantly to you.
About the same time that the women’s clubs banded together to form a federation in New York, clear across the country Caroline Severance was in Los Angeles California uniting women’s clubs for social reform and women’s advancement.
Born in 1820 in New York, she was a well-educated, progressive thinking woman who enjoyed the company of Julia Ward Howe, Susan B Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Jane Adams and other reformers of the day.
Caroline was married for over 50 years, raised 5 children, moved her household and family westward to California in the 1870s, a time of doubtful long life and daily hardships.
Like other leading women of the 19th century, she maintained the conventional emphasis on the woman’s role as wife and mother, and still found time to be an abolitionist, suffragist and pioneer organizer of women’s clubs.
After relocating to Los Angeles, from the east coast intending to enjoy the sunny climate, it was not long before she and husband became civically active again founding the city’s first Unitarian church.
- Caroline also became president of the L.A. County Woman Suffrage League
- She led the successful drive to make kindergartens a part of the L.A.school system
- And led in establishing California’s juvenile court system.
These causes were later adopted and promoted by the CaliforniaFederation of Women’s Club.
At age 55, Caroline Severance opened the door for the women’s suffrage movement in Los Angeles.
Viewing women’s clubs as a vehicle for social reform and a bridge from the home to the public arena, she brought political awareness and support of suffrage to the club movement and earned the name “The Mother of Clubs”•
Two important club women Caroline knew and worked with during these times was
- Ellen Henroitin, active member of the Friday Club of Chicago,and Vice President of the Women’s Auxiliary for the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.
- Ellen Henroitin soon became the 2nd President of the GFWC in 1894 and was known particularly for the organization of the state federations of women’s clubs.
And…
- Clara Burdette of Pasadena, the chairman of the SouthernCalifornia Woman’s Parliament, founded in 1892.
- Clara Burdette later became the first president of the California State Federation of Women’s Clubs in 1900, and 2 years later was elected as 1st Vice President of the GFWC.
Honored for her lifelong women’s rights work, Caroline Severance died in Los Angeles at the age of 94 in 1914. She lived long enough to register to vote and cast her ballot in the first California state election of 1911-a lifelong cause to allow women to vote.
Although Caroline never served in office for the California Federation, she was a sympathetic, founding force of the California state federation. Upon her death, she bequeathed to CFWC funds to set up a foundation to ensure the message of federation would always be carried on.
To this day the principal funds are kept invested for the future. Only the dividends of the CFW Memorial State Endowment Fund are used for the CFW executive board member’s itinerary visits to speak to clubs, the area seminars and other means of federation communication.
When California was a brand-new federation, just organized in 1900 under the leadership of first president, Clara Burdette of Pasadena, CFWC completed their very first state convention. It was held in January 1902 at Golden Gate Hall, San Francisco.
Coincidentally, 1902 was also the year the La Mesa Women’s Club was organized. And the following year, 1903, the club joined the Federation. Despite the expense of traveling by rail, steamer, or horse team—plus the hotel bills and baggage portage, none of which was covered in a club budget—there were 500 guests present in the Golden Gate Hall at the first California state convention.
Do you suppose some of your early La Mesa club members attended that first-annual California convention and were inspired to join forces with California?
No longer was a Women’s sphere of influence confined to the washtub, the kitchen, or the parlor. Women were gaining education and fellowship, and that was worth their effort to attend these meetings. The women’s club movement was on the rise.
And I look forward to your upcoming 125 club anniversary for you to add more to the story.
Before I stop…I want to remind you about a free club resource…the GFWC WEBSITE and Member Portal is www.gfwc.org.
- Along with downloading the GFW Club Manual from the web site.
- Sign up for free email newsletters on Membership, Legislation,Public Relations, The Women’s History Resource Center.
- Purchase federation pins and brochures
- Download The GFWC Clubwoman Magazine for free, published 4 times a year.
- You can even take a virtual tour of the GFW Headquarters inWashington DC
And… right now
- Get information and register for the GFWC national Convention—this year the convention will be in Arizona-relatively close forCalifornia members—it will be in Scottsdale, Arizona. Dates are June 26-28, at the Westin Resort and Spa.
I have printed instructions to help you sign up for the member portal on the GFWC website to get these membership tools.
