Woman’s Club Of Ste. Genevieve Celebrates 70th Anniversary

The General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC) Woman’s Club of Ste. Genevieve celebrated 70 years of local, national and international volunteer service during its monthly meeting on January 28.

The hostess committee went all out with specially decorated cakes, large inflatable “1949-2019” signs, monogrammed napkins, souvenir candy, chocolate-covered strawberries and even sparkling toasts in champagne glasses.

In addition to a full house, dignitaries were on hand to honor the 70-year milestone with official significance.

Ste. Genevieve Mayor, Paul Hassler read a proclamation that highlighted the club’s many service areas:

• To the students in our local schools:  Since 1949, the GFWC Woman’s Club of Ste. Genevieve has provided more than $200,000 in college scholarships, leadership seminars, music camps, pilgrimages to Jefferson City.
• To the many charity and service organizations:  Funds and/or volunteer hours have been provided to Missouri Girls Town, serving abused and neglected girls; women’s shelters; Reading Express; the Ste. Genevieve Holiday Christmas Festival; Challenger Baseball field and playground; Shop With A Cop; Operation Christmas Child; local food pantries; Ste. Genevieve County Memorial Hospital; Riverview at the Park resident birthday celebrations; USO; Heifer International; Operation Smile; St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Canine Companions; and many others.
• To the Ste. Genevieve community: Members have volunteered countless hours and service during the last seven decades in our community to help make it a better place to live and work.

Hassler thanked the club for its service and added words of encouragement for the future.

The second speaker, Dr. Susan Gettys, president of GFWC of Missouri, praising the Woman’s Club of Ste. Genevieve as the largest club in the state.

The addition of two new members who joined at the meeting brought total club membership to 71.

Gettys also presented a Certificate of recognition and read a special letter from GFWC International president Mary Ellen Brock.

Gettys also outlined the international initiatives set forth for the next two years to further advance the levels of service to worthy causes.

A report by local Reading Express representative Joann Schremp highlighted the benefits of the club’s donation to help provide books to preschool children in the Ste. Genevieve County.

Years of service awards were presented by GFWC of Missouri president-elect Judy Gustafson to those club members who had five-year increments of service. One special service award was given to Betty Donze for 67 years of service. She shared some recollections of the early Woman’s Club gatherings with the group.

Plans for the upcoming Women’s Health Fair were discussed as were plans for the Ninth District Spring Convention, which will be April 13 in Ste. Genevieve at Audubon’s Grill and Bar.

The next meeting of the GFWC Woman’s Club of Ste. Genevieve is 11 a.m. on Monday, February 18, at the Ste. Genevieve County Community Center.

For more information, contact president Naomi Glassey at 314-630-9896.

The General Federation of Women’s Clubs and the Woman’s Club of Ste. Genevieve are dedicated to strengthening the community and enhancing the lives of others through volunteer service.

(Information in a release from the Woman’s Club of Ste. Genevieve.)

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