A-14. Margie Cassias Chapter M E1 Paso, Texas

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1 A-14 "From Iowa with Love" was presented January 28, 1984, for Founders' Day Luncheon at the Marriott Hotel, El Paso, Texas, by Chapter M. It met with great success, due largely to the authentic costumes from that era graciously loaned to us by one of our chapter sisters, Kitty Tomlinson. At the time I was asked to present the program for Founders' Day I had only been a P.E.O. for two years and never attended a Founders' Day program. I relied heavily on "Out of the Heart - A Century of PEO" by Stella Clapp and "The Story of P.E.O." by Winona Evans Reeves. I confess I used verbatim portions from both books - not because of sloth on my part but because there was no way in which I could improve upon the beautiful wording. Those passages said exactly what I wanted to say and exactly the way I wanted to say it. I also used some interesting details from the program by Evelyn Cranston, Chapter DX, for Founders' Day There was an elevated stage 6' x 6' on either side of the head table with a spotlight for each elevated stage. On each stage was a table draped to resemble a desk with books, figurines, candle, pencils, and a microphone. There was a chair at each desk and another chair off to the side. The lights in the entire room were dimmed and the prologue was given from the podium in the center of the head table. Each girl entered while the one preceding her was still talking. As each girl stepped up on her stage, first one side and then the other, the spotlight for that stage came up full strength and the other stage spotlight was dimmed to half-strength. Each girl read while writing in her memory book so no memorization was required...her script was right on the table where she was pretending to write. Margie Cassias Chapter M E1 Paso, Texas 1

2 FROM IOWA WITH LOVE Once upon a time in the long ago, on a wooden stile leading to the Iowa Wesleyan College campus, two girls sat one January day in the warm sunshine, which sometimes comes to Iowa in midwinter. Their heads were bent in earnest mood as they talked together. Finally, Harriet Briggs said, "Let's have a society of our own and Franc Roads replied, "All right - let's go tell Mary!" They hurried across the campus and found Mary Allen, Alice Coffin, Suella Pearson, Alice Bird, and Ella Stewart and told them of their plan for a society. There was not one dissenting voice in the seven - all were eager to carry out the plan. When P.E.O. was organized in 1869 there were almost no societies for women. During the Civil War, Army Aid Societies were formed but with the surrender at Appomattox, these societies automatically ceased to be. These girls in the Iowa Wesleyan College felt that first impulse which years later developed into the club movement among women. The P.E.O. Sisterhood was one of the pioneer societies for women. All great events of history come naturally and simply to those who have part in them and only the perspective of years give them historic significance. The ringing of the Liberty Bell in 1776 was only the natural way of spreading news and yet our hearts thrill as in fancy we hear it peal for American liberty. By the same token those who make history are only home folks in the land of their birth - the Lord of Love and Light was only the carpenter's son in Nazareth and the man who freed a race was just Tom Lincoln's boy, Abe. Those seven girls formed a sisterhood in response to their own needs, not realizing that their needs and longings are common to all womankind, and in their wildest fancy they could not have dreamed that their society would bless the lives of thousands of women for more than a century. Let us meet these girls as each writes in her memory book about those events and each other. 2

3 (Enter Harriet Briggs) Harriet Briggs is a natural leader in church affairs and campus activities. Hattie possesses that rare quality of making everyone near her feel comfortable. She joyously accepts the world around her with little thought of personal gain and is always receptive to the needs of others. Although not born in Mount Pleasant, she very easily slipped into life at Iowa Wesleyan as her heart and her family's door, were always open to friends. She tends to be modest and retiring but all who know her admire her for her innate ability to display the ideals of Faith, Love, Purity, Justice, and Truth. HARRIET BRIGGS (HATTIE) There is so much to do - I shouldn't stop to write in my book. Science is such a difficult course, but I love it. I never have as much time for my painting, drawing, and music as I would like. When Franc Roads and I sat on the stile that Thursday morning, I deeply felt the importance of holding my friends close. And I thought, "Why not have a society of our own? Then we can always be together. This would be a bond forever!" (Enter Mary Allen) So we quickly found Mary Allen, Alice Coffin, Ella Stewart, Alice Bird, and Suella Pearson, all of whom were enthusiastic about the plan. The closest secrecy was pledged and we proceeded to make hasty plans to organize our society that very day. Mary Allen is graceful, poised, with an innate dignity of bearing. Practical Christianity is a natural way of life for Mary - her life is totally centered in other people. She treasures her friends. Some call her Victorian - a new term evidently meaning conservative but she feels she is very modern. She entertains nicely in her home and stands well in her classes. (Hattie Briggs was a natural leader in church affairs and campus activities. She was instinctively loved by all. Everyone was comfortable with her. She had light brown hair, fair complexion, large blue eyes, and radiant smile and she was thoroughly democratic. She possessed the rare quality of making everyone around her feel 3

4 comfortable. She joyously accepted the world about her with little thought of personal gain, always receptive to the needs of others. She was modest and retiring. Hattie pursued the scientific course and from her, P.E.O. gets its homemaking tendencies.) MARY ALLEN It is not surprising that we chose the music room as the place for our organization. We have all attended many meetings there and it promised a reasonable amount of privacy. While one kept watch, another one carried the old college Bible down to the music room from its customary place on the Chapel lectern on the third floor of Main Hall. Another important task was assigned that morning. We needed some kind of ceremony; a bit of pageantry, perhaps; or an oath of allegiance. Certainly, it had to be something wherein each could participate. To Alice Bird fell the task of composing something suitable. (Enter Alice Bird) Alice is a brilliant student - an intellectual. She is destined to become a gifted speaker and writer of note. She possesses a tremendous knowledge of literature as well as the ability to create it or declaim it. She is a forceful reader and singer, a member of the College Quartette, and she is in demand on all the downtown and college literary programs. The oath Alice wrote was short - only thirty-five words - and was a simple pledge of secrecy. We met in the afternoon and we suggested that Alice, as the author, be the first to take the oath. Ella Stewart read it to Alice, and Alice, in turn, read it to each of the other six of us. That was our initiation. (Mary Allen was beautiful - tall, slender, graceful, poised, with an innate dignity of bearing. She had good taste in dress - made smart clothes look better. She was graceful, cheerful, and popular with the boys. She entertained nicely in her home and stood well in her classes, pursuing the classical course. She was always conveniently available to family and friends - much of early P.E.O. happened in the Allen home. From Mary, P.E.O. gets its poise.) 4

5 ALICE BIRD Father just returned this afternoon from a conference in Philadelphia with much news. Mrs. Lincoln has finally been granted a pension of $5, and the Transcontinental Rail Line is completed. Maybe now, there won't be so many homesteaders streaming through Mount Pleasant in their covered wagons. There are certain scenes in life that are forever etched in memory and that of us seven girls standing around the old Bible lying open on the table I will always remember. Each girl searched her heart and made her vow. It was a dramatic moment - simple, restrained, precious. (Enter Alice Coffin) How beautiful Alice Coffin was, standing at the table - stately, dignified, like a goddess. She is delightful company, though sometimes meditative, thoughtful, almost aloof. For the most part, she is cheerful, kind, and generous to a fault. Though sometimes quick to anger, she is equally quick to forgive. Such paradoxes are not uncommon in one with her complex but thoroughly attractive personality. Alice is the one who suggested the star as the emblem for our society and we all agreed. (Alice Bird was a brilliant student, following the classical course. She was a gifted speaker and writer of note. She had black hair, dark eyes, and took long strides. She was a forceful reader and singer. She met the boys like brothers and was generous in her attention to all. She was an expert in Latin and Greek - an intellectual, with a tremendous knowledge of literature. From Alice Bird, P.E.O. gets its literary bent.) ALICE COFFIN Before the meeting in the music room ended four important decisions were made. 1. The society was named P.E.O. and Hattie Briggs had the inspiration for the meaning. 2. The star was chosen as the emblem. 3. Alice Bird was designated to prepare a constitution. 4. The next meeting was set for Saturday, January 23rd, at the home of Mary Allen. (Enter Ella Stewart) 5

6 How wonderful my friends are to make me feel so welcome. It is hard being from the South, although the Amnesty Act has granted citizenship to all of us Southerners but about 500. I appreciate living in Ella Stewart's home so I can attend Iowa Wesleyan, one of the first colleges to admit women and the first college west of the Mississippi to give them a degree. Ella loves people, all people, and readily identifies herself with every person she meets. Her natural intuition and training make her unusually perceptive to their needs. But she is more than that. She is a doer, quick to respond to the needs about her and capable of enlisting help when needed. Ella is of Irish descent and few can match her keen wit. She is a disciplined person, bright and cheerful, industrious, considerate, and courageous - a thoroughly delightful person to know. (Alice Coffin was tall, blonde, and handsome with an air of distinction. She was delightful company - meditative, thoughtful, cheerful, kind, and generous. She combined all the qualities of a stunning personality. In the drawing room she would be a queen; in the ballroom, a first lady. She could lay aside her dignity and become a hilarious romp, which she often did. Alice pursued the scientific course and from her P.E.O. gets its interest in education.) ELLA STEWART There was glamour, beauty, and excitement at the meeting in the music room on Thursday. At the Saturday meeting at Mary Allen's, business was the order of the day. The real problem was what we wished to become. We desired something broad and substantial. We wanted a society of more lasting name and reputation than a mere college fraternity. We began to sense our responsibility toward something larger than ourselves and our own precious friendship. (Enter Suella Pearson) (Ella Stewart loved people and readily identified herself with every person she met. Her natural intuition and training made her unusually perceptive to their needs. She was a doer, quick to respond to the needs about her and capable of enlisting held when needed. She was of Irish descent with a keen wit. She was a disciplined 6

7 person, bright and cheerful, industrious, considerate, and courageous. From her, P.E.O. gets its desire for social service.) I have enjoyed a special relationship with Suella Pearson through our mutual love of music. It is a joy for me to sing with her - she has such a beautiful voice. She could not have more feminine grace, charm, talent, and virtue if a fairy godmother had waved her magic wand and wished them upon her. She is a planet with a ring of boys around it. She has more beaus at the same time than all the rest of us put together and she is absolutely impartial. None of us is jealous of her: Her light shines on us all, and no one wants to put it under a bushel. SUELLA PEARSON At our first business meeting the following officers were elected to serve six months: President...Alice Bird Vice-president...Alice Coffin Secretary.. Ella Stewart Treasurer... Hattie Briggs Since that first meeting we have held many informal preliminary meetings deciding how to announce ourselves to the public. We finally decided we would march as a group into chapel, and Franc Roads drew a sketch of an apron for each of us to wear. (Enter Franc Roads) Franc Roads is the youngest of our group of seven but perhaps the most progressive with her ideas on the rights of women to be recognized in the community, the church, and the nation. She is very concerned about child abuse and cruelty to animals. She is a girl with vision. It is her delight to offer suggestions and propose changes, and she is then happy whether or not they are accepted. Her rare ability to go straight to the heart of a problem; to analyze situations and offer solutions; and her crusading spirit make her a coveted member of any group. 7

8 (Suella Pearson was a story-book child with beauty, intelligence, and goodness. She was adored by family and friends but not spoiled. She was a charming, gay, gracious, affectionate young woman. She is the most beautiful and popular of all seven. She was an excellent musician and was adept at dramatics. She carried her share of religious and other activities. She maintained her delightful spirit of gaiety. From her, P.E.O. gets its gaiety and charming sociability.) 8