HISTORY OF CARY WOMAN’S CLUB
CARY, NORTH CAROLINA
1935 to 2014
The Club was first organized in 1935 and was active through 1950, with Presidents being Mrs. Addickes, 1935-36; Mrs. J.K. Coggin, 1937-39; Mrs. E.C. Sanderford, 1939-1940; Mrs. R.B. Williams, 1941-42; Mrs. E. C. Sanderford, 1943-44; Mrs. F.R. Yarborough, 1944-45; Mrs. T.C. Womble, 1945-46; Mrs. E.G. Padgett, 1947-48; and Mrs. Beth Stevens, 1949-50.
During the World War II years, there was a War Service Chairman. Activities included a Red Cross Sewing Room at which six club members worked from two to five each day making dozens of red, white and blue lap robes with Cary Woman’s Club embroidered on each; entertaining servicemen from Ft. Bragg in club women’s homes on weekends. Captain Eddie V. Rickenbacker spoke at the State Convention in 1944.
There was but one school in Cary and for a two-year period Anna Neese kept the school library open during the summer to provide reading material for the Cary community since there was no other library. The Woman’s Club purchased new books. A Drama club was organized. A Girl Scout troop was sponsored and leadership provided by club women. Ways and Means had a minstrel show, Tom Thumb wedding, and a bridge tournament. A teen club was also established. The club procured and furnished an adult center for education classes.
Pink dogwood was the club flower and pink and green the club colors. To pay for the yearbook, ads were sold. Mrs. J.K. Coggin served as District VIII President 1940-42; and Mrs. F.R. Yarborough served 1946-48.
The original club went out of existence sometime after 1950. Several efforts were made to revive it and finally, in 1963, the present club was organized under the sponsorship of the Cary Junior Woman’s Club.
Below is a synopsis of activities, meetings and events for the club for the most recent years:
2013 – 2014
September 2013: Ed Gauf, Director of Downtown Development, spoke to the club about current and future development of Cary.
October 2013: CWC and Jr’s hosted District VI Fall Meeting at Christ the King Lutheran Church. We purchased refreshments from Life Experiences. Club members volunteered and Cary WC Jr’s handled registration. On October 1 a meeting was held to discuss CSP program plans at Le Farm Bakery. The CWC joined forces with the Heart of Cary organization and manned an information table on Downtown Harvest Day and took orders for pecans. Our By-laws were revised. Guest speaker, Cindy Straken, Administrator for Cary High School, reviewed demographics, curriculum, Special Ed and CORE standards for us. Cary party profit was $514.
November 2013: Donna Morgan of WRAL-TV was our speaker. Her mother was a member of GFWC. Seven members attended the Dorcas Ministries Breakfast and contributed.
December 2013: The Club participated in Cary’s Gifting Tree program and decorated a tree with the theme of our club along with mittens and socks which were then donated to Dorcas Ministries. Members wrapped gifts at Barnes and Noble. Tips received ($106 total) were used to purchase children’s books. Our luncheon was held at Prestonwood Country Club. Musicians from a local church provided music.
January 2014: Member Willa Brigham was our speaker. Her subject was “Quilts are not just for Sleepin.” The Arts CSP sponsored a visit to the NC History Museum for the Russian exhibit and luncheon. The club decided to sell our lot on Walnut Street that had been donated long ago to be used for building a clubhouse. Proceeds were $127,000 and invested in the Maynard Fund (named after the donor of the land). Some of the proceeds will be used to pay for room rental for our meetings. We made $2,300 from the sale of pecans.
February 2014: Our club provided refreshments for the District VI Arts Festival in Raleigh. Our SSC scholarship recipient was Pauline Powlerza. Members donated to and participated in our Life Experiences Valentine party.
March 2014: Meg Rader of Alliance Medical Ministries presented our program. AMM works to provided uninsured working adults with affordable health care.
April 2014: Alexandria Polk of Woman NC Fellows talked about women and girls access and participation in science and technology. A display of Persian New Year articles were shared. The Education CSP delivered 120 new books to Briarcliff elementary school.
May 2014: The installation luncheon was held at Prestonwood Country Club. GFWC-NC President Gay Warren installed our new officers. The Club made a donation of $1,000 to Dorcas Ministries. Another $1,000 was divided amongst the CSP groups to be donated as agreed upon. The winner of our Schmelzeis Scholarship, Gwendolyn Harvey attended the luncheon. The Conservation CSP arranged for a tour of Montrose Gardens on May 15. The group attended a local restaurant after the tour.
2012-2013
In September 2012, our Club year began with our theme “Celebrating 50 Years of Service”. The Cary Town Council issued a proclamation honoring the efforts of the Cary Woman’s Club in the community. Councilmen Ed Yerha and Don Frantz presented the proclamation at our September meeting. Members of the Concert Singers of Cary performed for the Club. Pat Coats, District VI President, presented a certificate to the Club in honor of our 50 years of service. The International Department arranged for members to lunch after the meeting at the Hibachi China Buffet. Members supported the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society awareness month via Facebook and Twitter. Member Willa Brigham was honored as a 2012 North Carolina Woman of Distinction by the NC Federation of Woman’s Clubs. Members continued to collect Education Coupons to benefit the Tammy Lynn Center for education of autistic and handicapped children.
Beth Dehghan, the founder of Women for North Carolina spoke at our October 2012 meeting. The Arts Department scheduled a visit to the North Carolina Museum of Art for the “Still Life Masterpieces” exhibit. The Club held its annual fall card party and raised funds for our budget.
In November 2012, Toinette Young from Wake Technical Community College spoke to us about “life-long learning” and programs at Wake Tech. We sold pecans to benefit our scholarship fund.
Our December 2012 luncheon was held at the Prestonwood Country Club. Mitzie Underwood and her husband Frank presented a program in full costume about customs in Victorian times. We collected canned goods for the Carying Place, a transitional housing opportunity for families in need.
The historic Page Walker Hotel was the topic for our January 2013 meeting. Two speakers, Anne Kratzer and her associate, educated us about our town’s history. The Club held the annual bridge luncheon benefit at the Kirk of Kildaire.
February 2013: Donnie Harrison, Wake County Sheriff, presented a program with one of the department’s dogs to demonstrate how the dogs help in drug searches. Members went to the Wake Tech Culinary Institute “Flavors Restaurant” where students prepare and service gourmet meals. As a follow up to the January presentation members went to tour the Page Walker Hotel. The Public Affairs Department conducted the meeting at the Chrysallis Club at the prison and taught the women line dancing. The Home Life Department sponsored its annual Valentine party and dance for Life Experience, an organization that provides employment for mentally challenged citizens.
In March 2013, Terry Conyers was our speaker from “The Healing Place”, an organization that helps people with their addictions to lead more productive lives. Allison Harris was the winner of our $1,500 scholarship. Nicole Gonzales won our $1,000 scholarship. A group of our members went to Tazikis restaurant in Waverly Place. The Home Life Department collected items for Oxford House and the Carying Place.
In April 2013 the Conservation Department had Meg Ketron from Hemlock Bluffs, a Cary Town Nature Center speak to us. There are many educational programs available at the Center as well as volunteer opportunities. The Cary Woman’s Club was instrumental in establishing the Friends of Hemlock Bluffs. Additionally the Conservation Department arranged a tour of Duke Gardens. Members went to Dorry’s Downtown Restaurant. The Home Life Department collected clothing and other items for the Healing Place and Oxford House.
For May 2013, the club arranged a trip to the Temple Theatre in Sanford to see “Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Coat” and lunch at Miss Lacy’s Magnolia House restaurant. Our installation luncheon was held at Prestonwood Country Club. District VI President, Pat Coats installed our officers. Our Scholarship winners, Nicole Gonzalez and Allison Harris were honored. Our Mature Woman Scholarship recipient was Michelle Tadayon.
Visit the link below for a synopsis of activities, meetings and events for the club for the prior to September 2012:
Cary Woman’s Club Prior History Activities