History
There are no records of how the Woman’s Club of Oriental got its
start; however, women who were associated with the Club from its beginning have
related that 8 local women, meeting in the home of Mrs. L. F. McCabe in 1914,
organized the “Ladies’ Embroidery Club”.
By 1916, there were 20 members and the name had been changed to the
“Women’s Improvement League”. Once
again, in 1917, the name was changed to "The Woman’s Club” and membership had
increased to 27. It was then that
Miss Love Ritch began the actions which took the Club to membership in the state
and national Federations. Official
records show that The Woman’s Club of Oriental, North Carolina, became a member
of the North Carolina Federation of Women’s Clubs in 1916-1917, assigned to
District VIII, where it remained until 1925-1926 when redistricting assigned it
to District XII. Redistricting in May
2000 assigned the Club to a new District VIII.
Meetings were held on alternate Tuesdays until 1936-1937 when the
present practice of meeting on the first Tuesday, September through June, became
effective. Until 1919, meetings
were held in the homes of the members.
In March 1919, Mr. W. J. Smith, Sr. gave the Club the use of a room on
the second floor of the W. J. Smith & Sons Dry Goods Store where the Club
met for almost six years. Early in
1923, as a joint effort of the Club and the Mount Vernon Lodge No. 359 A.F.
& A.M. of Oriental (Masonic Order) plans began for a club building. Dr. and Mrs. J. J. Purdy gave the land
(on Broad Street opposite the present Mariner Realty, Inc. building) and a
two-story building was designed and constructed. The entire citizenry of Oriental
contributed toward the purchase of the solid concrete blocks at ten cents a
block, and members of both organizations worked on construction. By 1924-1925, though the building was
still being finished, the Woman's Club held its meetings on the first floor and
the Masonic Order on the second.
Through the years, as funds were available, the building was improved
with plumbing, a kitchen, carpeting, etc.
The Woman's Club of Oriental was most generous in making its meeting room
available, at little or no cost, to civic organizations, churches, schools, and
to individuals for a meeting or other function.
In 1979, with the
Broad Street building in need of repair, the Club sold it, divided the proceeds
with the Masonic Order, and began the major project of building its own new and
larger clubhouse on Gilgo Drive on land donated by The Dolphin Company of
Oriental. The building foundation
was poured in the spring of 1980 and a Club bazaar was held in the shell of the
building in November. By April
1982, Club meetings began there. As
the years continued, the interior of the Clubhouse was furnished, decorated,
maintained, and refurbished. In
1989, a storage building was added to the property to house furnishings and
equipment. This has been a
pay-as-you-go project and it is gratifying that there is no debt. Major renovation of the building, begun
in 1998/99 was completed in 2001.
Work included new roof, ceiling, windows, kitchen flooring, lights in the
meeting room, heating/air conditioning unit, two refrigerators and a
freezer. The Oriental Woman’s
Clubhouse is the only building in the area with appropriate facilities,
furnishings, and off-street parking that can accommodate up to 180 people
standing /120 seated for meetings and special events. The Clubhouse is made available at a
reasonable fee to community support organizations for their special events and
to members of the community for private events. In a program held May 3, 1987, with Rev.
Gray Southern, pastor of the United Methodist Church officiating, the Gilgo Road
building was dedicated. The Dolphin
Company, the building’s designers, the Club’s building committee, the Club’s
Past Presidents and the Junior Woman's Club were appropriately
honored.
From its beginning, the Club’s aim has been to be an asset to the
community and to work for its betterment in every way. Priorities have always been youth and
education, health and welfare, community improvement and beautification. The Garden Club, described on another
page, grew from this last objective.
Contributions to local educational institutions have included electric
light wiring for the school building in 1918 and arrangements for a traveling
library to serve Oriental and Pamlico County. The Club lobbied State representatives
to support numerous projects such as appropriations for the State public library
and, in County schools, numerous projects such as “Better English Week”, nursery
school facilities, vocational training, and a mandatory eighteen credits for
High School graduation. Monetary
support to local students for continuing education has been a major emphasis of
the Club. These, too, are discussed
on another page.
Early Club minutes tell of the Club’s work with the Oriental Town
Board toward community health and welfare.
Trash receptacles at street corners, the hiring of a sanitation
inspector, and the clearing of the harbor branch marshy area for mosquito
control are just a few accomplishments.
A writing group, ORIENTAL EXPRESSIONS formed in the early
1980’s and shared literary productions with Club members until about 1990 when
it disbanded as a formal group. About the same time, a music group,
ORIENTALAIRES, formed and provided vocal entertainment for Club
events. Although this disbanded as
a formal group, its members continue to sing for the entire County through
membership in the larger Pamlico Chorale, which was formed in
1989.
With the aid of a very successful fundraising project in 1985, the
Club was able to offer financial support to other Town and County groups
including the Oriental Fire Department, Hospice, Life Line, Rescue Squad, Human
Needs Task Force and 4H Campers.
This support and aid to other community service groups continues. Outside the County, the Oriental Woman’s
Club has supported numerous GFWC-NC and GFWC projects.
In 2000, a major refurbishment of the clubhouse was launched,
replacing windows throughout the building and the kitchen floor covering. The ceiling in the main room was
replaced, new lighting fixtures added and the entire inside repainted. The previous year a new sound system was
installed.
The care of the ORIENTAL CEMETERY is the longest on-going
community-service project of the OWC.
It began as a special project in October 1922, and in 1923, the Cemetery
Committee became a standing committee of the Club. Relying on the public for donations to
cover costs, the committee had its difficulties until, in 1935 a plan
was devised whereby cemetery lot owners paid the Club for the
upkeep of their lots. This plan
proved very successful and continues today. A Perpetual Care Plan was established in
1980 whereby participants may contribute to an investment fund, the interest on
which covers the cost of the upkeep.
When it was created many years ago, the Oriental Cemetery served the
needs of a community whose population lived secure in the belief that succeeding
generations would live here and care for the graves. In recent times, life and careers have
taken younger members of some of the families miles from their Eastern Carolina
home, and they rely on the Oriental Woman’s Club to care for the cemetery they
left behind. The Club values the
expressions of affection and thanks it receives from grateful relatives for the
loving care it takes of family plots and family
history.
In May of 1982, it was suggested that special interest groups
within the Club might be formed, and the GARDEN CLUB was the first of
these to organize. What began in
January 1983, with seven members has expanded to an active membership of forty
to fifty.
The Garden Club has assumed responsibility for the landscaping and
maintenance of the grounds of the Clubhouse. Further; these ladies, through
special projects, have funded much of the equipment needed for the work.
Projects in the community have included trees planted each year on Arbor Day,
landscaping and care for the County and Town welcome signs, and the decoration
of Christmas trees for the Town Hall and the Post Office. For several years, the Garden Club has
decorated the clubhouse with poinsettias in early December that have been sold
to members as a successful fund-raising project.
Monthly programs take advantage of the wealth of horticultural
knowledge in the area. County
Agricultural Agents, professional horticulturists, and many Club members have
shared their expertise. Members
have enjoyed visits to many private gardens in our area and to public gardens
within easy travel of Oriental.
The LADIES OF THE NEUSE are members of OWC whose home and
career responsibilities keep them from taking an active part in the Club’s
daytime activities.
The unit began as a Junior Woman’s Club, but after the members
passed the age limits set by GFWC for Juniors, they continued to operate as a
separate unit of the Club. In addition to their ongoing support of the Caswell
Center, this small, but very active, group of women has funded local community
improvement projects with money realized by their sponsorship of community
improvement projects. Fundraising
projects have included an annual tennis tournament, the Spring Sting, an elegant
brunch held near tax time, Candlelight Christmas House Tour, and a Fall
Bazaar. Ladies of the Neuse are
identified as (LON) in the Club roster.
BRIDGE GROUP consists of
members at all levels share their knowledge of the game through play and
discussion. Any member of the Club,
novice to expert, is welcome to enjoy this group.
In 2000, a Logo was designed and a Theme adopted to capture the emphasis of the new millennium: “Women Together, Making a Difference”. The motto, “Be What You Seem”, was retained to honor the past. A history of the Club prepared by Katherine Spruill in 1987 was updated through 2001 by Marion Marsh.
As the Oriental Woman’s Club begins the 21st Century, its agenda remains the same as when it began over eight decades ago: youth and education, health and welfare, community improvement and beautification. For its members, the rewards are the personal satisfaction of work well done and the affection enjoyed in the company of friends.
Women together... making a difference
PO Box 515, 1007 Gilgo Road, Oriental, NC 28571