Fifty Years of Friendships, Fundraisers, Food, and Flowers And service to the community
Part 1
In March, members of the Woman’s Community Club of Kensington (WCCK) came together to celebrate several decades of activities and volunteer service. The program also commemorated National Woman’s History Month. Eighteen members shared their memories and honored some of the club’s past leaders. Here are excerpts from some of their stories. In future issues, we’ll have more.
A Musical and a Mystery
Lorraine Kennedy, member since 1950
I was invited to the drama club as a guest. At the meeting, which took place in a member’s home, a play was read and the members took the parts. I didn’t know what to expect. From the very first scene, I was enchanted. We read South Pacific. I went home on Cloud Nine. I couldn’t wait, I tell you, for it to come to the National Theater. I was there for the first matinee at the National Theater, but it just didn’t compare with the drama club. That’s the absolute truth! We no longer do three-act plays—we just can’t sit that long. We settle for a one-act play and have a delicious luncheon.
Stories of Estelle Waters
Jean McKinsey, member since 1976, President, 1986-88
We remember Estelle Waters as perpetual motion, a swirl of activity. She was the president twice and a member since 1948. In 1986, the Maryland Federation of Woman’s Clubs honored her as the Maryland Clubwoman of the Year, the only WCCK member so honored. I remember the day she was honored at the state convention. She didn’t like to sit at long meetings, and I kept trying to shush her. When her name was called, she didn’t have the slightest idea what it was about. She received her award and came back and sat down and said, “What in the world is this for?”
She loved to be up and doing. She volunteered at the Suburban Hospital snack bar and gift shop and the Red Cross Blood Program sponsored by the club. She loved telling us what to do, and she was usually right. She had a unique ability to involve others. She’s an honorary member, a distinction she richly deserves.
The Victorian Room and a Crafts Display
Doris Westwood Fisher, first joined in 1953, president from 1979-81
In 1953, the year I joined, we put on a crafts show, and I presented a heavy bedspread that I crocheted for seven years and got it up there and presented it to the group.
During my presidency, the Victorian Room became a reality. Many people donated furnishings for the room. I gave a Tiffany lamp in memory of my beloved niece.
I have been a member of all the sections, three of which I was chair for: music, book, and crafts. I also was active in many committees. I was chair of the Charities Committee. I did my stint with the Red Cross Bloodmobile when they were here. I was chair of Over-Sixty Counseling and Employment Service and served three years. (Note: Over Sixty, a nonprofit organization, provides screening and job placement for men and women over 55, at no charge to the job seeker or the employer.)
I hold a certain distinction in this club, I’m told—I’m the oldest active member. Of all the clubs and organizations that I’ve been affiliated with, the one I’ve enjoyed the most has been the Woman’s Community Club of Kensington.
Charter Members and Memories Too Numerous
Glee Lohm, member since 1954, President 1963-65
I was in the drama department for thirty-five years. Those three-act plays— I never heard the end. I had two little girls coming home from school. It took years before I heard the end of a play.
Genie Baxter, who was president when I joined, did something I’ve never seen before or since. Each interest group mapped out a far-ranging plan and proceeded to execute it. It shows what you could accomplish. The main areas of expertise were civic, education, fine arts, international affairs, and welfare.
In 1960, Genie Baxter helped start the Over Sixty Counseling and Employment Service. She represented the county at a bi-county conference, which preceded the White House conference. If Genie Baxter gets an idea, she sells you on it. Another member pushed us to get into the Thrift Shop to make money to support Over Sixty.
When the club landscaped the Noyes Library, we didn’t just plant plants. The whole darn library was sitting in a swamp. The garden club had to deal with the town, the county, and the sanitary commission. We got tons of dirt dumped there and got Pepco to bring in railroad ties.
The following are presentations from the Woman's Community Club of Kensington Anniversary Celebration. These articles were from the same event, published over a number of newsletters
For More Newsletters, please visit www.garyditto.com/newsletters/index.htm
Comments(0)