Husbands Don't Attend Women's Meetings, But They Do Benefit From Them, 1936

Carolina Co-operator, March 1936

The Male Viewpoint from Iredell County

H.B. Moore of Stony Point in Iredell County says: “Although we husbands are not allowed to attend the meetings of the farm women’s clubs, we reap the full benefit of the plans they adopt when manual labor is involved.

“Last spring the Sharon Home Demonstration Club in Iredell County decided to carry out the project of making an outdoor living room. Of course, a potato house would have been much more practicable from a man’s point of view, but a woman’s orders must be obeyed, so in this case I helped put plans into action.

“In selecting a location for our out-of-doors living room, it seemed that a briar patch near the house was the only suitable place. Work was started to clear this spot and when it was completed it was such an improvement that we could hardly wait to continue the project. After laying off a plot about 200 square yards, turfing grass in spots, setting flowers and shrubs here and there, and laying a flag stone walk according to a plan, we were still more enthusiastic over our accomplishments.

“Out of scrap lumber and goods boxes we made furniture consisting of a settee, two chairs, a table, and a swing for the children. For a lily and fish pool we used an old discarded bath tub, placing rock and cement around the edge, and this completed the work for the first season. However, we hope to make further improvements during the next year.

“The total cost was $1.25, which was spent for paint, nails, and cement.

“After all, we husbands will have to admit that the farm women of our community are really doing a worthwhile work in that they are educating us in recreation and cultural lines and making us like it.”