6 minute read
More than a Decade of Dedication
More Than a Decade of Dedication Now Fighting Domestic Violence
In 1913, a group of industrious and civic-minded ladies organized The Civic Association of Brunswick, Georgia with a goal to make the streets, parks, and squares blossom with thousands of trees and shrubs. Students from the now non-existent Purvis Elementary School joined in by planting window boxes full of bright, colorful flowers. The beautiful work they did was recognized by Brunswick’s “City Fathers” who set aside a fund to finance the women’s projects. Soon Brunswick’s squares blossomed, streets were well-maintained, and parks overflowed with flowers as evidence of the work done by the civic association.
The Civic Association merged into a “Woman’s Club” in April 1917 and became owners of a school in Tallulah Falls, Georgia. Concerned that children in the mountains were not receiving proper education, a Mrs. Lipscome started Tallulah Falls School in 1909, with the school owned and operated by Georgia Women’s Clubs. Today, the school exists as a private boarding and day school for grades 6-12 which enrolls students from several foreign countries. Brunswick Woman’s Club takes great pride in “their school” by helping to support it.
The membership for the club totaled 150 heading into the war years of 1918, and the women did their part for the cause by knitting garments for the Battleship Georgia and sweaters for “our boys.” Following the war, the club sponsored a night school for adults who were unable to read or write using public school teachers who were paid a small stipend. Enrollment increased from 135 students to 506. A resounding success! Unfortunately, due to the difficulty of raising funds to support the program, it ceased around 1932.
During the 1930s and 1940s, Club meetings held at the Oglethorpe Hotel included programs on music, public speaking, literature, education, and government. Plans to build a clubhouse never came to fruition and valuable downtown lots owned by the Club were sold. Members approached Glynn County commissioners for space for a clubhouse when the county was disposing of property in the Goodyear Park area in the 1950s and the Club was granted a deed for property adjacent to Parkwood Drive and West Park Avenue in February 1952. In 1971, the building was sold to the Jaycees and later sold again to another non-profit organization. The Junior Woman’s Club of Brunswick was organized by the Woman’s Club of Brunswick in the 1940s, the St. Simons Junior Woman’s Club in 1950, and the Woodbine Club in 1951.
In spite of the goals the original civic association set for themselves – to beautify the city of Brunswick – they and their successors far exceeded their expectations. In 1922, Brunswick Women’s Club joined the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, an organization of more than 80,000 members in affiliated clubs in every state and more than a dozen countries. GFWC members are community leaders who work locally to create global change by supporting the arts, preserving natural resources, advancing education, promoting healthy lifestyles, encouraging civic involvement, and working toward world peace and understanding. In addition to continuing to maintain their garden and various other beautification projects, and providing support for the Tallulah Falls school, members have volunteered time and money to a wide variety of organizations and community programs, awarding scholarships, raising funds and collecting needed supplies for agencies like CASA, Safe Harbor, America’s Second Harvest, Gateway Behavioral Health Services, Coastal Honor Flight, United Way, the families of service personnel, MAP International, UNICEF, Heifer International,
Glynn Community Crisis Center/Amity House and Hope House, the Salvation Army, the International Seamens’ Center, our local libraries, schools, and hospitals, among others. They have visited nursing homes, and schools, done arts and crafts, attended naturalization ceremonies, manned call centers, donated books, Christmas trees, holiday meals, and so much more, over the years.
In their 104 years of service, the Club has also received numerous awards at state and national Club levels as well as other recognition. Last year, Brunswick Mayor Cornell Harvey proclaimed May 10, 2017 as “Brunswick Woman’s Club Day,” and congratulated the Club on the 95th anniversary of their 1922 charter with GFWC. Although current membership now stands at 18 active members, 2 life members, and 6 honorary members, the Club is still diligent in its mission, with members actively providing volunteer service to the Golden Isles of Georgia in the areas of the arts, conservation, education, home life, international outreach, and public issues, with last year’s volunteer time totaling approximately 4,000 hours.
On Saturday, April 28th, members of the Brunswick Woman’s Club will join thousands of other members of GFWC in Georgia in local communities collecting personal care items for local domestic violence shelters and raising awareness of GFWC national signature project: Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention.
Brunswick Woman’s Club members will be outside of the Dollar Tree located at 197 Golden Isles Plaza (next to Bed, Bath & Beyond) from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. greeting the general public, sharing information about local resources for victims, and collecting personal care items for victims of all ages such as: diapers, shampoo, body wash, deodorant, hair brushes, paper towels, trash bags, feminine hygiene products, shavers, toothbrushes, toothpaste, etc. to donate to Glynn Community Crisis Center/Amity and Hope Houses. GFWC Georgia members have chosen this day –April 28, 2018 – during Volunteers in Action Week as the GFWC Georgia Day of Service to be a visible force in their local communities helping domestic violence victims break the cycle of violence and allow them and their families to thrive on their road to recovery.
Every nine seconds in the U.S. a woman is assaulted or beaten. Studies also show that 3-4 million children between the ages of 3-17 are at risk of exposure to domestic violence each year. This abusive behavior has devastating effects on our society and impacts individuals in every community across America.
“The consequences of domestic violence can span generations and it is more important than ever that GFWC Georgia members come together to raise awareness and advocate for those victims who do not feel they have a voice,” said GFWC Georgia President Ida Dorvee.
Please come out and meet the fabulous community-minded women of the Brunswick Woman’s Club during their Day of Service. You can also look for members volunteering at A Taste of Glynn on Sunday, April 8, at The King and Prince Beach and Golf Resort from 5:00-8:00 p.m., the signature fundraiser for Glynn Community Crisis Center, Amity and Hope Houses, in support of domestic violence awareness, prevention, and victim assistance and advocacy.
For more information about the Brunswick Woman’s Club, please visit their website at bwcga.net. New members are always welcome!
OPPOSITE PAGE (top): Linda Nelson, incoming 1st Vice President, Lilly Smith, Home Life Co-chair, with Dottie Bromley, Executive Director Glynn Community Crisis Center and Hilda Hagarty, current President.
OPPOSITE PAGE (left): Brunswick Mayor Cornell Harvey presenting Brunswick Woman’s Club officers with a proclamation recognizing their contributions to the community on the 95th anniversary of their charter with the General Federation of Woman’s Clubs.
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