There are many service organizations in the Concord area, and every now and again, we like to spotlight one of them, telling you about the cool people involved and what the group is doing to make Concord a better place.
Enter the Woman's Club of Concord. The group offers social, educational and volunteer opportunities for its 130 members. And thanks to a donation made in 1919, it also has its own headquarters on Pleasant Street.
History
The club got started in 1893 as part of a nationwide movement to unite women for the purpose of improving community life. The club's original bylaws restricted membership to 75 people, but due to its popularity, it found itself constantly revising the restriction. By 1900, there were 225 active members.
In 1919, member Nellie Chamberlin, wife of a railroad baron, donated her home at 44 Pleasant St. The home was originally built in 1880 from a Sears-Roebuck plan and boasts plenty of Victorian period detail. There's a corner tower, several fireplaces and even a system for ringing servants from various rooms.
The club made many notable contributions over its long history, including founding the Concord District Nursing Association and the local chapter of the Red Cross. During the Great Depression, members set up an unemployment office and helped 400 women find jobs. The group also founded the Friends of White Park.
Back from the brink
A few years ago, with membership dwindling and headquarter maintenance costs mounting, the group came close to selling the Chamberlin House. Most members then were elderly, says now president Barbara Ruedig, and the youngest member was in her 50s. The Monitor wrote about the club's predicament. The story mentioned an elderly member, Mary Lou Kelly, who, among other chores, would wax the house's kitchen floor once a year.
Barbara read the article that evening and thought she could help. If Mary Lou could wax floors, she could help find members. She got in touch with women she thought would be interested, who in turn got in touch with their friends.
On it went until there were more than 100 members. Annual dues were raised from $20 to $35, which club members felt was still low enough to be accessible for everyone, but enough to bring in much-needed money to the club.
Also, longtime member Linda Graham worked with two local attorneys to help the club get its nonprofit status back, something it lost in the 1970s due to some confusion between the club and the IRS. After a drawn-out process, the club has regained its official nonprofit status and can accept tax-deductible donations to make repairs to the property.
The club also rents rooms in the upstairs apartment to working women in need of affordable housing and several parking spaces. They also rent out the main level of the house for social events and meetings (learn more at concordwomansclub.com).
Moving forward
Today, the club remains true to its founding principals. It offers educational opportunities for members at its monthly meetings, where speakers talk on all kinds of subjects. Past presentations include a Fulbright scholar from St. Paul's School who volunteers with a medical group in Haiti, a naturopathic doctor, a program on organization and time management and a panel of speakers from area arts organizations.
The speakers keep women connected to what's happening in the community and, in one case, even inspired a great volunteer opportunity. Membership committee chairwoman Sally Helms said that the group had a prisoner who was serving the last few months of her sentence at a halfway house speak to the group with the prison warden. As it happened, the judge who sentenced the woman was in attendance that evening, making the powerful talk even more memorable.
Sally said the woman's honesty and transformation was truly inspiring, and since then, the club has started a speakers bureau at the prison. Members also keep yarn, fabric and books stocked at the prison and are working on a mentoring program at Shea Farm.
With more than 100 members from age 30 and up, it's not hard to find like minded women if you're looking for friends, a service project, or both! A group of interior decorators recently finished refurbishing rooms at the Rape and Domestic Violence Crisis Center, and a few women are getting a bridge group started. Soon, members will be able to log on to an online membership directory searchable by interest, making connecting with people even easier.
