Washington Women's History Consortium
Women's Clubs and Organizations
Nina Westmore, President, 1923-1925
Washington State Federation of Women's Clubs
Mrs. Bert Frederick Westmore was the fifteenth President of the State Federation. She was born in Emmetsburg, Iowa,
the daughter of Daniel Webster and Ella E. Burlingame. With her husband she moved to Spokane in 1907. Mr. Westmore
was a teacher of English at the College of Spokane. He owned and managed the Westmore Teacher's Agency in Spokane.
Mrs. Westmore was closely associated with her husband's work. She owned and managed the Westmore Teacher's Agency
after his death. They had one son, Halward Garfield.
The intimate connection with her husband's work kept Mrs. Westmore a busy woman, but with it all, she found time to
contribute of her talents to many worthwhile organizations: the YWCA, the State Council of Child Welfare, The
Correlation Committee of the Chamber of Commerce of Spokane, the Manitou Study Club, the Presidents' Council, the
Business and Professional Women's Club, the Ladies of Rotary, and the Spokane Community Welfare Federation.
She presided at the twenty-eighth and twenty-ninth annual conventions of the State Federation of Women's Clubs.
The twenty-eighth was in Bryan Hall, the State College Auditorium, Pullman, June 24-27, 1924, with 214 registered
delegates present. The general theme was "Citizenship Ideals as Developed by all Departments." The twenty-ninth
convention was in the Masonic Temple, Port Angeles, June 16-19, 1925. There were 308 delegates registered and the
general theme was "The American Home."
An innovation for the Pullman convention was the plan for housing delegates. They were spirited backward in time and
transformed into "coeds" once more. In the college dormitories were beds nicely provided for them. During their stay they
took care of their respective rooms and made their own beds. The whistle blew at 6 a.m. and they promptly arose and were
ready for breakfast at 7 a.m. Meals were served as to regular college students in McCroskey Hall dining room. Each
delegate paid $4.50, and was given a ticket which entitled her to all meals from Tuesday noon to Friday noon,
inclusive. All of the delegates entered into the spirit of the scheme with enthusiasm.
During Mrs. Westmore's administration, the Federation was placed on a strictly business basis by means of the Budget System.
The Bulletin was placed in the hands of every clubwoman in the state, a complete and definite reorganization of the
departments was made to correlate with those of the General Federation, and universal membership in General Federation
was adopted.
Universal membership meant that every club in the State Federation, paying per capita dues, also held direct membership
in the General Federation. The dues of 10 cents per capita were paid through the state Treasurer out of state dues paid.
Twenty-three states voted for universal membership. At the 1925 Port Angeles Convention, a resolution in favor of the
plan was adopted.
In practically every administration, changes were made in the constitution to bring the work of the state more in line with
that of the General Federation, but a complete organization was never effected. Mrs. Westmore appointed a committee on
revision of the constitution and reorganization of the departments. After careful consideration and deliberation, the
changes were submitted for ratification at the convention in Pullman.
Miss Jeanne Caithness, chairman of Conservation, outlined a plan for raising funds for the saving of an "Evergreen Forest" for
posterity in the state of Washington. She suggested "Save a Tree" buttons. This was the beginning of the project which
culminated in the purchase of the "Federation Forest."
Under the subject of Conservation, it should be noted that Adelaide L. Pollock, chairman of the Division of Birds, wrote a
book "Excursions about Birdland." It was a series of essays dealing with about 100 common birds that could be found between
the Rockies and the Pacific. She assumed the financial responsibility personally but it was sponsored by the State Federation.
Teachers found it very helpful in their bird work in the schools.
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