i i { By | Mrs. Pearl C. Green | July 19468Sixth STATE PRESIDENT 1926 - 1928 second President of Henderson, N.C. B.P.W. Begin 1923 a) x ISOPODWhen Dr. Johnson asked me to write a history of the Club, my first reaction was to have a meeting with the four remaining Charter Members who have stood by for twenty-six years: Miss Mattie Hays, Miss Annie Lemay, Mrs. Mary Satterwhite, Mrs. 8.8. Green. At the meeting each one made many valuable suggestions but as Miss Mattie said, ‘we are sure to leave out some of the finest things we have done”. In May 1922, Miss Carrie Dorrity of Henderson, formerly of Goldsboro, asked some women to come here and help organize a Club. Miss Bess Claytor and two other ladies came. We met in the old Chamber of Commerce rooms, one of which was then used as a meeting place for the Women's Club. About 35 were present. Miss Claytor talked and answered questions and the outcome was a club organized with Miss Carrie Dorrity-President, Mrs. RB. Green Vice-President, and Miss Bessie Withers-Secretary. Books were kept open for one month so that all who came in would be regarded as Charter members. Dues were to be twenty-five cents a month and twenty-five cents initiation fee In August, Miss Dorrity moved from Henderson and Mrs. Green became President. Membership settled to about thirty. In the twenty-six years we have had nineteen Presidents. Some served less than a year, but most served for two years. ‘Each one has made a very definite contribution in her own way and the Club’s success is due greatly to their leadership. One of our first activities was with the Newcomer's — Club, composed of men who had come here recently to live. We gave two very attractive social affairs which began to put us on the map, As we had no money, we sponsored shows at the Riggan and the Stevenson Theaters, put on Home Talent: performances, Manless Weddings, Beauty Contests, and All Women Minstrel Shows. Soon we began to function financially. Later dues were raised to five dollars with the result that membership decreased. That was a pretty big amount for a woman to put out when most women were underpaid. We stayed with about fifteen members for several years as we decided it was better to have fifteen members who would work and cooperate instead of so much dead timber. Later dues were raised to six dollars with the idea of eventually having dues large enough to meet our budget. It was felt that a group of self supporting women should be able to meet their budget without help from the public except in the extreme cases. It was voted that any means of raising money for the support of the Club must first be presented to the Board of Directors and the Club. This has saved us from several very embarrassing situations. Also, no member of the Club can sign a contract in the name of the Club without first consulting and getting the sanction of the Board of Directors and the Club. From the beginning we have operated on a Budget Plan, as we felt that business women should conduct their affairs on a business like basis , meeting their obligations promptly.It early became a slogan in Henderson, “If you want anything to go over big, get the Business and Professional Women’s Club behind it". We have jealously guarded that tradition and have tried to live up to it. For twenty-six years we have tried to give our cooperation to all other Civic Clubs, but we must acknowledge we have not had one hundred percent cooperation in return. We have always had good attendance at the State meetings, and for some years the Henderson Club was the despair of the convention meetings. We won all the trophies, $5 gold pieces, gavel, and plaques. To the chagrin of other clubs. We were always peppy; sometimes taking husbands, ‘sweethearts, and mothers along; and were generally the life of the meetings. In 1926, we went to Goldsboro. We carried Mother Goldsboro a gift and we came home with the highest honor a club can get. The State presidency. To which, Mrs. Green, as a dark horse, was elected to serve two years. Miss Bessie Withers was her efficient secretary. By this time, 1928, we began to feel the need of a Loan Fund, so it grew slowly. We loaned money to girl graduates in High School in order to carry out our slogan, “Better Business Women for a Better Business World”. We gave talks at all the High Schools on vocations, furnished literature for the libraries, and had a Junior Business Woman from the Senior Class at High School attend our meetings each month. We kept in touch with authorities who informed us when a girl was going to quit before finishing her course, and we would interview her , trying to persuade her to remain on until her education was completed. In all, we sponsored and loaned money to nineteen girls. It may be said, that no local girl defaulted on her payments. That is to their credit, but a peculiar quirk is that we were never able to get any of these girls to become a member of the B.P.W. Club. After the passing of Miss Carrie Draper, we named the Loan Fund for her as she had been Finance Chairman for so many years and had been responsible for raising most of the money. In the interim, Mrs. Green was made Honorary President of the local club; and Mrs. Sidney Perry Cooper, because of her great contribution to the civic life of the Community and to the State, was named Honorary Life Member, and was presented with an Emblem pin. At her death, Mrs. Hattie Plummer was made an Honorary Life member, because of her contribution to the rural women of the county. We sponsored the Girl Scouts and contributed to the funds for their clubhouse expense until they became well established. We have shared in all other groups needing help, including the Salvation Army. We have helped the 4-H girls with their expenses when they went to their encampments and are still doing so. In Legislative matters, we wrote letters, sent telegrams, and made personal visits. We have assisted in all matters pertaining to our community, schools, women, and children. We make it a rule to take note of iliness of our members and have been of financial help tosome of them. We have followed suggestions from National, in so far as they could be adjusted to conditions in a small town. Our Club was mainly responsible for the first half- day closings on Wednesdays. Thru our efforts a meeting of all business men was held in the old Chamber of Commerce rooms. our speaker was the Rev. I.W. Hughes. He made a very splendid appeal. For three days following, three of our members made personal calls on business men, cornering them in attics and basements or wherever. Finally the last two agreed, and Wednesday afternoons off became fact. It really was Yeoman service, for now, it has become a comparatively easy matter. Once a prominent businessman said he wished the girls in his employ could spell. We took that. as a cue, and instituted spelling matches for the last thirty minutes of each club meeting. The one who spelled a word correctly went to the head of Tine. To focalize the attention on the schools, we held a monthly spelling contest in all schools, grades four through — six. Josephine Thurston was the chairman of the project and she was also a teacher. The club selected the words, tests were given, papers graded, records were kept, and at the end of the year small prizes were given. Miss Thurston kept a scrapbook of the publicity and final records which is among the records belonging to the club in my home. We felt that the publicity and attention that spelling received, more than justified all our efforts. Several times the members got out a 8.P.W. Edition of the Dispatch including all the publicity, and soliciting the ads. The first one was during the time of the Kidnapping of the Lindberg baby, and we had to compete with the Associated Press Notices of the search for the child, but we cleared two hundred dollars for the Loan Fund. Seeing a club thru twenty-six years, without full cooperation, has not been an easy matter. That could not be expected when twenty-five or more intelligent women come together with their differences of opinion in tact. We have had a fine degree of democratic tolerance and when the Club decided on any policy, 100% cooperation was given by each member . During Miss Oliver’s term of office, Carrie Draper-Retiring Finance Chairman, conceived the idea of having Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady of the Land, as guest speaker for a lecture. We contacted the White House and were referred to her Lecture Bureau. The price was $1,000. Five hundred to be paid when the contract was signed, and five hundred before the lecture was given. We called on three very fine businessmen; Mr. W.A. Hunt, Bob Davis, and Kalford Burton for their opinion. Each said it would be fine publicity for the town, and they seemed sure that B.P.W. could do it if they set their mind to it. To make the lecture a reality would mean very hard work. The Bank offered to jend us the money without interest. Then we took it to the Executive Soard and the Club which reluctantly gave their consent.Well, the lecture with Eleanor ‘Roosevelt as guest speaker is all a matter of History now. We got the publicity, made the telephone calls, sent the telegrams, and received visits from interested folks who wanted to get in on the ground floor. The answer to one and all, was a resounding “No”, this was a business agreement, and so it was kept. The Secret Service men were here a week ahead of Mrs. Roosevelt. Edna, Carrie, and I were the three happiest folks the night before the lecture; when the club members came to my home to report on the tickets sold, and turned in their money, we saw the $1,000 in our hands and breathed a sigh of relief. THE CLUB HAD DONE IT AGAIN. Mayor Powell, Edna, Mrs. o’Lary, and I met Eleanor Roosevelt in Lynchburg, accompanied by North Carolina and Virginia Highway patrol. A blaring siren parade proceeded to the Hotel in Lynchburg, where covers were laid for six, a corsage, and impromptu gifts were received from those who knew nothing of her visit. After the Rotary’s dinner meeting was interrupted, many handshakes, and signatures given; the parade continued to Henderson and to our own little Vance Hotel. Once at the Hotel, she was made comfortable with supper served in her rooms. Then to the High School where for one hour she charmed her listeners, and back to the Hotel to meet members of the Club and have pictures taken. Edna and the Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce said their farewells and Mrs. Roosevelt left on a night train. It was all over without a single mishap. That day we got out an Eleanor Roosevelt edition of the Dispatch, and when the money was counted ‘there was two hundred dollars left over for the Loan Fund. During World War II, we helped the Red Cross by making bandages, recruited for the WACS, entertained Solders,helped at the Service Center, furnished refreshments, made utility bags, sold stamps and Bonds, made corsages of stamps and sold them, sent cigarettes overseas, put on an entertainment of soldier talent for the benefit of the Service Center (proceeds of $650 was donated for the heating plant). We also gave First Aid Classes, and provided entertainment, picnics, gifts, and two wheel chairs for the returning injured veterans. In fact, we went all out in service for our country. The question of having supper meetings for every Club meeting came up every year or so. Our first response was, it is not necessary to feed the women to get them to a meeting. We also do not care to ape the men’s clubs, It was felt the cost would be more than many could afford along with the six dollar dues.We felt that having three or four supper meetings, a Christmas party, and several social hours following meetings was closer to ideal.Women Clubs have had a hard time proving their usefulness. Our programs must not be neglected or hurried thru. We must never forget that we are not just another woman’s club, but a Business and Professional Women's Club, We are not organized for social purposes only. We do-not presume to say we are right in this matter and we feel that a majority opinion should rule. Several times since organization, we have had courses in Parliamentary law, which have helped us as a club and as individuals. It is interesting to see young girls develop after entering the club. They are generally appointed to some committee and soon we see them doing things in a small way, then they take an office, and soon they are ablebodied young women, standing on their own feet, leading meetings, giving talks, taking part in programs and doing things as if they had always done them. Of course this is not true in every case, but one generally gets much more than is given. This Club has developed dozens of women to be more efficient. We have ingrained into our women to give good service. To get more than you are paid, is first to be worth it. Do more than you are paid for. Do it better than anyone else can, Be interested in your employer's business. Your working hours belong to your employer. Deliver the goods. Remember that women have come up the hard way and the better you are, the easier it will be for the next generation of business girls. We have found jobs for girls, we have acted as a clearing house between employer and employee. We have advised girls. Always keeping in mind that when we help one girl to elevate herself, we are helping all women, It is impossible to estimate the hours given by individual members in making favors, decorating with flowers, making costumes, decorating ' floats, using cars, collecting paper, driving trucks, cooking meals, climbing steps, selling tickets, soliciting prizes, writing Jetters, making telephone calls, and the ‘thousands of other things that are necessary to make the wheels go round. That is why we have such an up and coming club, because no service is too great or small for our B.P.W. women. Of course there have been many very happy relaxation periods, such as: each five year anniversary (this year was our silver), ‘showers (ie. Nellie Bridger's), birthdays, wiener roasts, picnics, Making little Mann Wood our mascot, delightful meetings in homes, hit and miss suppers, and many other jolly good times that have helped to keep Jill from being a dull girl. We have plenty of fun along with business. In 1943 we established a Memorial Book giving a book to the Perry Library each year in May. The five dollar book is Presented in memory of a departed memberWe are sorry that we have not been able to solve the Clubhouse problem, but we feel that it is a most worthy thing for the Club to aim for, within the next decade. If not a Community Building, then certainly an individual Club House, and if it is started you will not fail. We always found the “Loan Fund" was a good talking point and “Building a Club House” should be just as fine and urgent subject. Now in conclusion, may I say we have always kept uppermost in our minds the good name of the club and the purpose for which it was organized: to elevate the standards, to protect and promote the interests of women in the business and professional world, to increase our efficiency, to encourage cooperative effort, and to create an influence which shall be mutually beneficial to the community and the individual. We have had the respect and confidence of business and civic interests, and so we feel that we have not failed. “LONG LIVE 8.P.W."