In 1868, Jane Cunningham Croly, an accomplished newspaper woman, founded the Sorosis Club in New York City. It was a club for women only. In 1890, when she organized the General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC), the Sorosis Club became the “Mother Club.”
The Federation was chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1901 and is headquartered in Washington, D.C. The state organization, GFWC-NC, is headquartered in Raleigh, NC, and was founded in 1902. We are over 100 years old, and have many clubs throughout the U.S. and in 20 countries outside the United States.
See the link below for information on the history and programs of the General Federation Woman’s Club in North Carolina.
Cary Woman’s Club – Today
The current Cary Woman’s Club – now more than 90 years old – was organized and received its charter in 1935. Today we have approximately forty or more members and meet monthly (September through May) at the Page-Walker Arts & History Center, 119 Ambassador Loop, First Floor, Downtown Cary (behind City Hall).
For more information on the early years of the club, see this Link.
The Cary Woman’s Club consists of five Community Service Programs: Arts and Culture, Environment, Education and Libraries, Civic Engagement and Outreach, and Health and Wellness. The Club is proud of its many achievements and its contributions to our community such as:
- Sponsoring Friends of Hemlock Bluffs
- Collecting many contributions for local, state, and national charities
- Providing many college scholarships for local students and mature women
- Organizing the Cary XYZ Club (a club for seniors)
- Participating in the GFWC Annual Arts and Crafts Festivals, which are local, state and national.