By Michelle James
In October 1909, a group of 25 Beckley women gathered at the home of Sen. John McCreery on North Kanawha Street to organize a club with the purpose of self-improvement in literature and music.
Tuesday night, the current members of the Woman’s Club of Beckley will gather for a re-creation of that initial meeting at the home of Susan Hambric, former southern district director of the junior woman’s club.
It is fitting that the reception will take place in Hambric’s home, which is known to many as the “Hodel House,” the former home of Beckley Newspapers publisher Charles Hodel, whose daughter-in-law Muriel was a club president.
Mary Abott, current club president, said the “social event” will include current members and past members, community leaders and friends of the club.
Abott said between eight and 10 new members will be inducted during the reception and Beckley Mayor Emmett Pugh is expected to declare 2009-10 as “The Year of the Woman’s Club of Beckley.”
Additionally, the club will unveil its new Ladies of Vision Memorial Plaque, which will hang inside the organization’s clubhouse on Park Avenue and feature names of current and past members.
Anyone who wishes to add a name to the plaque can do so for a $50 contribution to the club.
“We just feel like it is important to remember those who have done so much for the Woman’s Club,” Abott said, adding the money will go toward the plaque. “This is a good way to memorialize them.”
Abott and Kathryne Williams, second vice president in charge of membership, said Tuesday’s event is just the first in what they hope will be a year-long monthly series of celebratory events.
“We’re going to have different activities planned each month through next September,” Abott said, adding a parade and a May luncheon are in the planning stages.
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Although the club’s initial goals were geared toward literature and music, Williams, a member since 1947, says its goals quickly expanded and its accomplishments and contributions to the Beckley community are too many to count.
“The club has been a catalyst and has worked toward various projects and improvements in the city,” she said.
Among those projects are a “well baby clinic,” efforts in establishing the Beckley-Raleigh County YMCA, Raleigh County Historical Society and Theatre West Virginia and providing assistance for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.
Williams said the club can also be credited with the first citywide cleanup as well as with the formation of the Raleigh County Public Library.
“It started with the women bringing books into their homes, then it moved into the Memorial Building and then the library,” she said.
Both Williams and Abott say they believe the club’s dedication to all its projects is the reason it is now in its 100th year.
“The club has been involved in doing so many nice things for the community,” Williams said. “It has always had good volunteers and women who have put in the hours and worked at it until they made it a success.”
Abott agreed.
“It’s because of the efforts of all the women who have belonged and the dedication to the causes that they are working on,” she said.
“I see it being here for the next 100 years.”
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Anyone interested in nominating a name for the Ladies of Vision plaque can do so by contacting Patricia Meadows at 304-253-7980.
The Woman’s Club of Beckley can be found online at www.beckleywomansclub.org.
— E-mail: mjames@register-herald.com
