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Community Women's Club records

 Collection
Identifier: MSS-086

Scope and Contents

The collection contains meeting minutes (1904-51), treasurer's report (1904-07, 1923-1937), flower secretary lists (1934-1952). It also contains letters and cards (1938-1950); membership lists; programs (1937-1949); yearbooks (1935-1949); program books, creeds, and membership cards (1949-1953), and secretary record books (1948-1955).

Dates

  • 1904-1953

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Archives and Special Collections, Ball State University Libraries, Muncie, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Archives and Special Collections.

Historical Note

The Community Women's Club was one of the many organizations that traced its origins to the turn of the century when women's clubs became so numerous and so popular in Delaware County. It was on March 3, 1904 that the ladies of the Union Chapel Church in Eaton, Indiana met at the home of Mrs. Lee Langston for the purpose of organizing a Ladies Aid Society. The group established by-laws that stipulated that monthly meetings would be held in various members' homes. Hostesses who served over three items for refreshments would be subject to a small fine. Sewing was the main activity of the group and orders were taken for sunbonnets, aprons, and eventually for handmade quilts. The money received for the sale of these articles was used for the upkeep of Union Chapel. The singing of hymns and group prayer also accompanied the meetings, which sometimes featured a trip to the minister's home with refreshments.

In March of 1935, the Society voted to change its name to the Community Woman's Club. Sewing was still a main activity, but by the 1950s, the club had evolved into one of the numerous home economics clubs in the County. Demonstrations of products for home use and time saving tips for completing household tasks were now part of the monthly programs.

Extent

1 Cubic Feet (3 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in the following series:

Series 1: Community Women's Club meeting minutes, 1904-1951

Series 2: Community Women's Club documents, 1904-1953

Custodial History

This collection was received by Archives and Special Collections as a donation.

Accruals

No further additions are expected.

Processing Information

EAD finding aid created 2012/10/04 by Julie Hausknecht. EAD finding aid revised 2012/10/30 by Bethany Fiechter.

Title
Community Women's Club records
Status
Completed
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Repository Details

Part of the Stoeckel Archives of Local History Repository

Contact:
Alexander M. Bracken Library
2000 W. University Avenue
Muncie Indiana 47306 USA