Speakers

The first Open Meeting of the club was held in the Technical School on March 4, 1910. Mr. J.S. McKinnon spoke on the resources of Canada in a lecture titled “Problems of Interest to Canadians”. Mr. Cheal then addressed the Club on “General Conditions of Business Men and Women”, the object being to produce “Good Citizens”.

In June 1910, the speaker came all the way from New York City. She was Miss Stover, who spoke on her work in the Settlements there.

In October 1911, the Mayor of Toronto spoke on “Government of a City” and explained methods being taken to make Toronto a healthy city by improving water drainage systems, and a safe city by introducing hydro-electric power to light its streets.

Dr. C.O. Hastings, M.O.H., talked on “Industrial Hygiene” on November 4, 1913 stating that conditions in Canada were much ahead of the U.S. although not as good as in England.

In association with the Housewives League, a meeting was held on June 24, 1914 to hear Mrs. Frederick, Counselling and Household Editor of The Ladies' Home Journal, speak on “The Business of Housekeeping”. Mrs. Frederick pointed out that there is just as much need for system in the home as in the office and factory. She said that housekeeping is only a means to an end whereas home keeping is the important thing; it is just s important to apply the various sciences in the home as in, for instance, a school; and there is just as much business in the home as in any other industry.

1918
Some topics of speeches made to the Club:
  • Mrs. McMichael, a manager from the Gossard Corset Co., spoke on “Over the Top in Business”.
  • A talk on VD by a doctor
  • Buying and selling real estate
  • Salesmanship: “importance of health; ability to take direction; personal appearance; don't be afraid of making mistakes; loyalty to one's employer; know your goods; know your opponents; above all, work, work, twice as hard as you care to work”.
  • Women and the Law; “although we didn't have the same rights (as men), a woman could not be prosecuted under criminal law (if married) as it was assumed (her) husband had coerced (her).”
  • How to write a short story
  • Stocks and bonds
  • Advertising as a career – “after all, 80% of buying is done by women.”
  • Rules for success from a speech to members;
Want something very much
Know what you want
Know how to get it
Get it


1920
Finding speakers for Club meetings was seldom problem in the 1920s. In fact, more speakers were rejected than accepted in the period. The 'flu' season in March often caused meeting nights to be changed to accommodate speakers who had succumbed to the “bug”.

Programmes included: how to dress for business; how to write letters; handwriting analysis; the then innovative use of graphic charts as an aid to sales.

No speakers were permitted whose talks might conclude with an appeal for funds.

1933
The Friday lunch hour became an occasion for cultural and intellectual stimulation for Club members. Guest speakers were invited to present short addresses on a variety of topics. Featured speakers and their subject matter were:

Mrs. Vandervoort
Burgess & Company		 Stocks and bonds
Miss O'Brien
Heintzman & Company		 Played a musical selection
Miss M. Brown
Marketing Publisher		 The Future of Women
Miss Jane Little
Edith L. Groves School		 Underprivileged Children
Miss A. Cool
Progress Exhibition		 Adventures at the Chicago Century of

1934
Guest speakers for Friday luncheons continued to be successful. Among the interesting topics presented on these occasions were: mortgages and loans; psychology and types of people; the use of leisure time; the National Council of the YWCA and its work; lumber camp activities of the Frontier College; and, last but not least, how to arrange and wear flowers.

1935
The first in a series of lectures entitled “Following Our Dollars” was held at the Club Quarters at 67 Yonge Street on October 7. Officially opened by Mayor Simpson, the series included a wide range of speakers. As the following list of male speakers testifies, women still had some strides to make before being considered worthy to listen to for financial advice:
  • Commissioner R.C. Harris, Department of Works
  • Dr. Gordon Jackson, Medical Office of Health
  • Fred L. Bartlett, Board of Education
  • Frank Denton, Magistrate
  • W.A. Laver, Department of Welfare
  • George Wilson, Finance Commissioner
  • Professor McPhee, University of Toronto.
1944
Miss Aitken of the Telegram, addressed the Club at a noon luncheon on the subject of “Pre-invasion Britain”. Miss Aitken represented the Telegram at the Prime Minister‟s Conference in London that year.

The decade of the ’50s saw the rise of the professional woman speaker. The Club was quick to engage leading speakers, such as: Lisa Sergio – first woman commentator in Europe; Kathleen Graham, M.B.E., - British Deputy Consul General, New York – holder of the most important post ever given to a woman in the British Foreign Office; Vera Brittain – English author of twenty-two books including “Testament of Youth”. When approached, Claire Booth Luce declined as she addressed mixed audiences only.

1954
A contribution was made to the United Nations after the meeting in Toronto when Eleanor Roosevelt addressed the Club.

1963
William Davis, then Minister of Education, addressed the Club on his new outlook and approach to education.

1964
At the Ontario Provincial Conference, Pauline Jewett M.P., remarked how far we had travelled since the vote for women was introduced. Said Pauline, “It is a great waste when the brain power of women is not utilized. Not because they are women, but because it is a waste.”

1965
It is interesting to note that at one of the meetings the speaker was Dr. Jennie Huie of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She spoke at that time of the emergence of women into executive positions during the past few years in South-East Asia.

1977
Two hundred attended a seminar on Equal Pay for Work of Equal Value when Elsie Gregory MacGill was one of the panellists. Barrie Cable T.V. station was approached to run an interview with Elsie, but they wanted her to talk about herself rather than the Ontario Women's Resource Centre and she declined to do this.

In March, Joe Clark sent a letter that he was unable to speak to the Club. That month, Abbie Hoffman was the speaker on the subject of “Fitness and Women in Sport”. She pointed out that most public recreation areas are highly male oriented and that there is a lack of facilities for women at the intermediate level. In a study in the schools it was found that boys were allocated 235 hours of physical education compared to 130 hours for girls, which included such sporting activities as cooking and serving.

1980
There were many seminars in 1980. In January, “Personal Budgeting”; in February, “An Introduction to Time Management”; and in March, “Women in Politics”.

1981
In February members enjoyed a weekend at Cedar Glen, learning how to be more successful and get more out of life in a seminar entitled “Problem-solving – family communications and support systems”. Other seminars that year were “An Introduction to Assertiveness”, “Investment Seminar”, “Stress Seminar” and “Women and the Law”.