Judi Lutz Woods

The Fredonia Shakes-peare Club met for its eighth regular meeting of the 2016-2017 year at the Edward Waterhouse Inn hosted by Florence McClelland. President Judi Lutz Woods presided with 12 members present. Woods welcomed the club members to the 131st year of the club.

The topic for the year is “Women Artists, Authors, Designers & Entrepre-neurs.” Woods presented her paper on “Gloria Steinem.”

Her paper is summarized as follows:

“Gloria Steinem is a writer, lecturer, political activist, and feminist organizer by which she has had an enormous impact on many women’s lives including my own. Through her writings, primarily MS magazine, I came to have a better understanding and awareness of many of the societal restrictions placed on women. I read of issues that had been foreign to me such as sexual assault and domestic violence and the laws that too often protected the perpetrator rather than the victim. My inner dreams were awoken by feelings of worth beyond that of mother and wife. I began to become aware of the many legal as well as cultural restrictions that had been placed on women in our country. However, Gloria Steinem’s greatest impact on me personally is when I heard her lecture at our local university. I realized to be a feminist was based on one idea — equality. The entire feminist movement can be summed up by the word choice. It is not what you choose to do  — it is the idea you have the right to choose your own path, with no restrictions based on gender. This simple idea continues to be the basis for feminists. Equality for both sexes to pursue their path of choice is stressed. Gloria Steinem paved the path for all of us to be free to be who we are.

“Steinem graduated from Smith College in Washington, D.C., where she graduated magna cum laude. After graduating, she was awarded a Chester Bowles Fellowship where she was able to spend two years in India studying, writing and learning. She was greatly influenced by ‘talking circles,’ the sharing of ideas and making decisions in a group democratic method. The talking circles had taught her that if you want people to listen to you, you must listen to them. If you hope people will change how they live, you have to know how they live. If you want people to see you, you have to sit down with them eye to eye.

“Upon her return to the United States, Steinem worked as a freelance writer and reporter. In 1968, she was hired as a founding editor of New York magazine which enabled her to finally report on progressive social issues and politics. In 1972, Steinem and Dorothy Pitman Hughes founded Ms. Magazine. It was a magazine for and about issues important to women. In 1972, Steinem was the first woman to speak at the National Press Conference.”

McClelland called the group to tea, where Mary Croxton assisted at the tea table.

The next meeting of the club was scheduled to be held on Dec. 15.