Center for Archival Collections

Introduction | Agency History | Scope and Content | Series Description | Inventory

Introduction

The minutes and programs of the Ideal Club, a women's literary club in Columbus Grove, Ohio, spans from December 16, 1907, when the group was organized, to 1982. This collection is comprised not only of club minutes and accompanying programs, but also a club history which dates from 1907 to 1942.

This collection was donated and transferred to the Center for Archival Collections in July 1982 through the cooperation of Barbara Ward, the Ideal Club's current President, and Jill Gates Smith, field specialist for the Women's Studies Archives Project. Literary and property rights have been dedicated to the public and duplication is permitted for the purpose of preservation and scholarly research. The register was prepared by Kelly L. Sikora, in September 1987, and revised by Marilyn Levinson, Curator of Manuscripts, in March 1991.

Agency History

On December 16, 1907, Mary Sterlin organized a meeting with ten other women in Columbus Grove, Ohio to establish an embroidery club. On January 7, 1908 the group was officially named "The Ideal Embroidery Club". The membership of this group was limited to fifteen and each member was to respond with a quotation at roll call. The group met the first and third Tuesday of each month and later it was amended to meet every two weeks. The club's colors were red and white and the carnation became their club flower.

The Ideal Embroidery Club members took turns in being hostess for each meeting. Quotations and stories with a particular theme were read and the women closed each meeting with a luncheon.

The Ideal Embroidery Club was city federated in 1910 and state federated in 1929. On September 1, 1952 a revised constitution was adopted. The organization was now known at the "Ideal Club" and there was no limitation on the club's membership. The Club still read quotations and stories and had a luncheon afterwards. Basically, the "Ideal Club" was an organization which enabled women to get together and socialize with one another.

Scope and Content

The core of the Ideal Club collection lies in the ten club minute books, which contain the main points covered in each meeting. These books are useful if you want to know who was at the meetings, the quotations and stories read, and the luncheons served.

The programs begin coinciding with the minutes in the year 1915. These programs seem to give the minutes an added touch. It's interesting to the changes made in the program, which was printed ahead of time, when you are reading the minutes. The correspondence and a partial club history form a very minor component of the collection.

This collection is basically the records kept by a group of women who wanted to organize themselves into a group so they had some form of socialization.

Series Description

PROCEEDINGS

MINUTES
1907-1912, 1919-1962, 1965-1980
Arranged chronologically
Includes treasury reports, who was at the meetings, the quotations and stories read, and the luncheons served.

CORRESPONDENCE

CORRESPONDENCE
1929, 1932, n.d.
Arranged chronologically
Includes a letter from the General Federation of Women's Clubs, a letter from the Ohio Federation of Women's Clubs, a letter from Evelyn Porter, a charter member of the club, and various cards of appreciation and thanks from members.

LITERARY PRODUCTIONS

HISTORY
1942
An incomplete history of the Ideal Club from 1907 to 1942.

PRINTED MATERIALS

PROGRAMS
1910-1912, 1915-1982
Arranged chronologically
Pamphlets summarize who was to be the hostess at each meeting and what quotations and readings were to be read.

Inventory

Box 1

1. Minutes, December 1907-April 1912
2. Minutes, September 1919-April 1925
3. Minutes, September 1926-January 1929
4. Minutes, February 1929-December 1933
5. Minutes, January 1934-January 1940
6. Minutes, March 1940-April 1945
7. Minutes, September 1945-March 1953
8. Minutes, March 1953-April 1962
9. Minutes, September 1965-May 1972
10. Minutes, September 1972-November 1980
11. Correspondence 1929, 1932, n.d.
12. History 1942

Box 2

1. Programs, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1915-1926
2. Programs, 1926-1941
3. Programs, 1941-1953
4. Programs, 1953-1969
5. Programs, 1969-1982

Manuscripts by Subject | Women's Studies Collections