The Cherokee Rose the Newsletter for the GFWC Woman’S Club of Palatka
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The Cherokee Rose The Newsletter for the GFWC Woman’s Club of Palatka March 2021 Linda Priest, President Wow! Can you believe it is March already? If you haven’t been to the club lately, drive through the driveway and enjoy the azaleas. They are so beautiful this year. All the hard work of the grounds committee last year is showing now. Mentioning azaleas, what a successful azalea sale we had this year. The weather cooperated and it was a nice day outside. So many of the people who bought our azaleas were repeat customers. They wait until our sale to purchase azaleas. This year the azaleas are beautifying the lawns of homes, churches and businesses fulfilling the original purpose of the sale – to beautify our community. Some of the azaleas are going to Clay and Marion Counties. It is very satisfying to see these plants going into other counties to promote beauty and health to the pollinators who love them as well. Much appreciation and gratitude to Dee Parker and her husband, Terry, and all the volunteers who helped with this fundraiser. Appreciation to Pat Baughman for a wonderful lunch provided for the volunteers and to Lynne Currie for the delicious brownies. This year we sold 1900 plants! We could not have done it without you and all of those who purchased the azaleas. Again, many “thanks” to you all, those mentioned and those who were behind the scenes , un-named but working hard to make this a successful event. We have some exciting things coming this month and into April and May. Don’t forget to mark your calendars for the March luncheon (please RSVP to Kay Hope via email if you plan to th attend), the tickets for the Fashion Show on the 27 are on the website for purchasing. We have even had whole tables purchased for this event! I love it! We have a dinner & country rock band in April and a reading by the River City Players in May. Stay tuned for more details via email, Facebook, and newsletters. The “Prize Opportunity Tickets” (aka raffle tickets) will be available at the March luncheon. This is another huge and extremely important fundraiser for our club, ladies. Not only do we get funds to benefit qualifying local students with scholarships but we also can bring in much needed funds to continue running our club so we can do what we do best – help our community. This is a fundraiser we all can join. If you have any questions as to how you can participate from home (should you not be attending functions right now) call me. I have ideas! We will be welcoming our latest new member at the March luncheon, giving me 115 reasons to love this club – our members! United we make a difference for our members, our club, and our community. As Rosie the Riveter would say, “We can do this!” Love to all, Linda 1 Celebrate Women’s History Month Join GFWC in recognizing women’s contributions to history, culture, and society from March 1-31. Women’s History Month, observed annually in March since 1987, is dedicated to reflecting on the often-overlooked contributions of women to U.S. history. From Abigail Adams to Rosa Parks, the timeline of women’s history milestones stretches back to the founding of the country. The official recognition of Women’s History Month grew out of a weeklong celebration of women’s contributions organized by the school district of Sonoma, California, in 1978. As part of this celebration, presentations were given at dozens of schools, hundreds of students participated in a “Real Woman” essay contest, and a parade was held in downtown Santa Rosa, California. A few years later, the idea caught on within other communities, school districts, and organizations across the country. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued the first presidential proclamation declaring the week of March 8, as National Women’s History Week. The U.S. Congress followed suit the next year, passing a resolution establishing a national celebration, and six years later, the National Women’s History Project successfully petitioned Congress to expand the event to the entire month of March. One of the many ways Women’s History Month has been celebrated since then involved a 50-year progress report issued by the White House in 2011, which detailed the status of women in the U.S. The report found that younger women were more likely than their male counterparts to hold a college degree and that the number of men and women in the labor force had nearly equalized. Continue to follow News & Notes through March as GFWC celebrates Women’s History Month! https://www.gfwc.org/news-publications/news-notes/ 2 Arts & Culture – Carol Lutter GFWC Woman’s Club Palatka February Luncheon at the club house saw a good turnout. We were fortunate to have two amazing speakers from The ARC of Putman County, Inc., Kari Bates, and Abbey Such (pictured with Carol Lutter). The theme was Arts & Culture and they spoke to us about how important the arts are to the residents of The Arc. Having challenges in their lives does not deter them, and they actually look forward to their creative time. We will definitely be hearing from them again. Photo by Elizabeth Elliott GFWC PALATKA WOMEN’S CLUB DISTRICT 4 WINNERS GFWC Palatka had a great showing at the District 4 Arts and Culture Competition on February 24-25, 2021. We had 6 First place winners, 7 second place winners, and 3 third place winners. First place winners were Debra Daniels for Paint on China (Cardinal), Ornament (2000 Thumb Tac’s all glued by hand), Natural Materials (Southern Bell). Joan Godwin won first place for her Doll Clothes (Crocheted Bride Gown) and Drawing (Bear portrait). Julie Hart won first for her photo Natural History (Alligator). Second Place winners were Linda Priest for Jewelry (Beads), Fabric (Quilted Photo by Elizabeth Holiday-van Gnome), Debra Daniels for Clay (Shark and Octopus) and Recycled Rensberg Materials (Dragonfly – made from broken whisk). Director’s Choice Award D4 goes Third Place winners were Mindy Estep for Photo Florida (What to Joan Godwin … the photo Ant?), Photo (Behind the Scenes), Joan Godwin for Scratch Art doesn’t do her justice! Acrylic Painting, Watercolor (Twin Frogs) and Debra Daniels for Crochet (Twin Plus Afghan) and Mixed Media (Daisies). Congratulations to all who participated. Hope everyone is thinking about next year. Health & Wellness – Mindy Estep Kicks for Kids Fundraiser Sip & Paint We had 32 ladies in attendance for our first Sip & Paint on February 25th. We had a such a wonderful time, the next one is tentatively scheduled for June! Look at the lovely artwork we produced. I can’t draw a stick figure ant… Photos by Julie Hart A big thank for all who turned out to bag for tips! Don’t forget your pop tabs for Ronald McDonald House and bras for Save the Girls! 3 Photo by Tiffany Sage Photography We SOLD OUT! Yes, Dee Parker out did herself this year. We sold 1800 azaleas or an entire truckload. But wait, the grower was able to fit another 100 plants on the truck. And they sold out too. Dee will be sleeping well Friday night; I saw a couple of bottles of champagne…. Photo by Elizabeth Elliott Photos by Tiffany Sage Photography 4 as Club President Mrs. Roy Germany passed the gavel to Mrs. Porter Angel. If the Angel name sounds familiar it is because Doris and her husband were the owners of Angel’s Diner and resided in Palatka’s North Historic District. Doris presided over 284 club members and during her term welcomed 32 new members to the club. In the words of member Pat Buchanan, “If you were asked to join, you had made it.” The 1956 membership list seems almost impossibly large and one wonders if the ladies ate in shifts. The Executive Board lists 23 members doing the work of the Club alongside the eight officers. Although the clubhouse was only seven years old, records indicate that in 1956 it was painted at a cost of $487.00. At the same time drapes were ordered with a price tag of $523.00. The Woman’s Club was in good shape financially and supported a wide range of charities. The club had both a savings and a checking account totaling, on average six thousand dollars. Betty Milne served as treasurer and her reports show donations to the Boy Scouts, Indian Welfare, The T.B. Association, March of Dimes and Teen Town. The latter was an activities center for teenagers. It is noted that a six-piece orchestra from Daytona was engaged for $100 to play at the club’s Christmas Dance that year. Proceeds from the dance netted $79.01. President Angel donated .99 and the Photo courtesy of Nancy Harris profits were split between Teen Town and the Hilltop House. Funds were raised in a variety of ways and annual dues appear to have been $1.50 in 1956. One of the largest revenue sources was the club’s Birthday Calendar. For a donation, your birthday was listed on the calendar and businesses bought advertising spaces throughout the calendar year. The clubhouse was rented out and it appears that rental rates were fairly fluid, ranging from fifteen to twenty-five dollars. Monthly utilities averaged at $25.00 and the piano was tuned for seven dollars. Club members championed two projects specifically in 1956 – building a Junior College and Putnam Memorial Hospital. The draw to join the Woman’s Club was a straightforward one, “We were doing civic works,” explains Pat Buchanan “and we were all great friends.” From card parties to fashion shows, Mad Hatter and Birthday Luncheons to the annual Follies and Confetti Ball for teenagers, the Woman’s Club of 1956 stayed busy and productive.