This month, the Dundas Women’s Study Club is celebrating what its 20 charter members wouldn’t have imagined: a centennial anniversary.
When the club was formed on Sept. 16, 1924, the women established a name, a constitution and an objective: a focus on the literary and social culture of its members. For organizational purposes, they’ve adopted Robert’s Rules of Order and have a slate of four officers plus a historian. The club’s committees include program, social sunshine and centennial.
A celebration marking the club’s anniversary is planned for Saturday, June 22 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Dundas City Hall.
Rosie Werner, a member of the centennial committee, explained that at each meeting a roll call was taken by the secretary to record which members were present. “Our club uses the roll call as a means to know members better or as a chance for members to display their prior knowledge of the topic for the meeting,” she said. “Some of the best stories come from the roll call.”
A booklet is prepared with the information for the next season from September to May. Membership booklets from the early years showed that the members gathered to study various topics of interest, from government to geography, from mental illness to various social problems, from local politics to education in the schools.The presenter researched the topic carefully in order to teach the other women about subjects they did not already know.
Club historian Lynda Pavek said therecords indicate that many of the women were somewhat confined to their homes, and although they had the right to vote they still wanted to influence legislation and provide better working and living conditions for their families. Many did not have the opportunity to get a college education but were determined to learn in the Study Club setting.
{div dir=”ltr”}The hostess serves a light snack which is usually a dessert often accompanied by fruit, cheese and crackers or nuts for those who are diabetic. During WWII no lunch was served, because of rationing. At early meetings simple treats like popcorn or homemade fudge were served.{/div}
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{div dir=”ltr”}Besides the seven regular meetings a year, the study club holds two socials, a Christmas Party in December and the Banquet in May. The Christmas party includes a pot-luck meal, while the banquet is usually held at a restaurant, like the Northfield Golf Club, with a meeting room.{/div}
Most of the early members were women who lived on farms around Dundas, who were wives and mothers, cooks and cleaners, quilters and canners, gardeners and usually an extra farm hand who helped out with crops and animals, explained Cheri Albers, who joined the study club in 1974.
“When I joined in 1974, I had a toddler at home,” she said. “I wanted to learn more than what I read in the pages of ‘Good Night Moon.’”
Other contemporary members who had gathered around Werner’s large wooden dining room table one rainy morning in May nodded in agreement. Werner, who joined the study club in 1977, said the group would like to keep researching and presenting programs. “It’s easier now to do research than it was years ago when all the women had were encyclopedias and the library,” said Werner.
“We learn from each other,” she said. “We want to keep that tradition alive.”
Marie Gery, who joined the club in 2019, said she’d like to incorporate younger members into the club. With the evening start time of either 6 or 7 p.m., Gery said working women and working mothers would still be able to fit the meeting into their hectic schedules.
Gery, a former teacher and storyteller, said she enjoys the variety of talents each member brings to the group.
Diane Schrader, an artist and photographer, created the drawing on the poster for the anniversary celebration. Albers, a singer who plays guitar, delighted the women when she performed a summary of the year’s programs in song.
“It’s silly, fun, relaxing, comforting and supportive,” said Dawn Conrad, a member since 2019.
When 20 charter members of the Dundas Women’s Study Club gathered on September 16, 1924 for their very first meeting, the Statue of Liberty was new, Nellie Tayloe Ross of Wyoming became the first woman governor in the U.S. and the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade debuted in New York City.
Celebration
On display at the June 22 celebration, organized by each decade, will be club booklets, photographs and memorabilia.
Included in the displays will be evidence that the study club supported a variety of local causes, from crafting provisions for World War II troops to sponsoring regional programs on drug dependance to sponsoring book and art drives community service certificants
While women had the right to vote, many were somewhat confined to their homes, women still wanted to influence legislation and provide better working and living conditions for their families. Many did not have the opportunity to get a college education but were determined to learn in the Study Club setting.
At 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Helen Howie and Arlene Williams, the club’s oldest member, will perform a skit about an unruly class and their teacher and has many smart-alecky remarks and jokes that was originally performed in the 1960s.
When group members were asked what they hoped the next 100 years would be like for the Dundas Study Club, Karen Johnson said, “We hope to survive.”
Club Motto “Service is the rent we pay for the space we occupy.” ~ Mrs. Mary Sherman c57bf467-c4c5-4602-8276-9c8402e7b4de
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