My dear Mrs. Post:
How diligent you are. When I came to the office this morning I found four [letters] from you. I went soon afterward to Hull-House and talked matters over with Miss Addams. If you could only know how grateful she is to you for all you are doing in connection with the Annual Meeting and how perfectly comfortable she feels with you at the helm, I am sure you would feel repaid for all the sacrifices of time you are making.
I began at once to have a list of groups and individual members made according to your suggestion. These I will bring with me to the Annual Meeting for use in certifying delegates.
Miss Addams agrees with Mrs. Mead that I should be the Registrar for the Annual Meeting, as I am perhaps more familiar with the names and locations of individuals and groups than anyone else who will be there.
Miss Addams and I approve Mrs. Mead's plan for having a little ribbon badge for voting delegates, slightly different in color from the regular convention badge. We think people will want to sit together at the convention in connection with personal friendships rather than to regard sections.
We shall see, also, that Mrs. Villard's name comes second on the list of Vice-Chairmen.
In regard to the third page of the program: Miss Addams thinks that we should print the names of State Presidents and Secretaries, so far as we know them, but doesn't approve the plan for including the names of the Presidents of groups as the list would be too long. She thinks we must get out an Annual report following the convention in which all these people will be recognized. She will ask Mrs. Catt to preside at one meeting, if she is present, and then the Vice-Chairmen in their order can relieve her when necessary.
I am [today] for the first time hopeful that Miss Addams can attend the Annual Meeting. She was sitting up "clothed and in her right mind" when I reached Hull-House [today]. At 4:00 o'clock she will [page 2] go for a short drive and is to be permitted this outing daily if she experiences no bad results from this first effort. Her color is certainly very much better than it has been at any time since she returned from The Hague, showing that much poison has been eliminated from her system.
She hopes, however, that Mrs. Spencer will attend the meeting, as she counts on her for very definite assistance.
Also, she agrees with you that Miss Marot's address should come during one of the business sessions, hanging over until Tuesday, if necessary, as it is not a matter which will have to be voted on.
The informal Sunday Evening meeting Miss Addams will leave entirely to you and Mrs. Mead. She will be pleased with anything you agree upon for the subject of discussion at that time.
Miss Addams thinks it would be well to have two reports -- one from Mrs. Mead giving a general survey of the year's work, and one from me, which might be called the Office Report, bringing in everything in connection with the office end of our organization except the Treasurer's Report, which would immediately follow.
I will send you the list of State Presidents for your program just as soon as we can complete it in the office.
I am sending a copy of this to Mrs. Mead, so that you will not have to report to her on these questions.
We are greatly disappointed that Helen Keller cannot be one of our speakers.
Mrs. Young is out of the city. We understand that she has gone to California for the rest of the winter, but I have not succeeded in getting any response from her house and do not know where else to get this information.
Thank you, dear Mrs. Post, for all your careful and splendid efforts in behalf of the Annual Meeting.
Miss Addams and I expect to go on together on Thursday, the 6th, so that she will have a little time for rest and informal consultation with you all before the regular sessions begin on Saturday evening.
Sincerely yours,
Executive Secretary.
P.S.
We have just learned that Miss Abbott cannot attend the Annual Meeting. I fear our list of speakers will dwindle sadly, but Miss Addams' presence will make up for many other losses.
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