Grand Terrace Woman’s Club Celebrates 106 years

On March 19th the Grand Terrace Woman’s Club held an Anniversary Tea celebrating 106 years of service to the community. Several guests from the community included representation from the Grand Terrace Council, Historical Society, Senior Center, and Chamber of Commerce. Certificates were presented from Senator Norma Torres' and Congressman Gary Miller’s offices commemorating the club’s continual service to the community. Members from women’s clubs throughout San Bernardino County also were in attendance. The Grand Terrace Community Center was decorated in grand style. Guests were served tea sandwiches and other delights prepared by the ladies of the club. As a high point of the tea, tea pots from the personal collection of member Barbara Martin were on loan for the occasion and were placed on each table for guests. Hostesses for the day included Sally McGuire, Darcy McNaboe, Maryetta Ferre, Elida Ortiz and her daughter Adele, Renee Richmond, Club Hospitality Chairman Betty Daniel and Amenities Chairman Norma Bethel. Also serving on the planning committee was Elizabeth Duarte. A small amount of business was first on the agenda which included the election of GTWC officers for the 2014-2015 club year. Those nominated included Wendy Curran - President, Nanci Austin – 1st Vice President, Elizabeth Duarte – 2nd Vice President, Sally McGuire – 3rd Vice President, Renee Richmond – Recording Secretary, Carolyn Crowe – Corresponding Secretary, Joanne Long – Treasurer and Rosemary Lopez – Auditor. Per the club’s bylaws since there were no other nominations from the floor, a voice vote elected those nominated. After the recess for the tea, President Wendy Curran remarked that it was fitting to have the Anniversary Tea in March as that is Women’s History Month. She also provided some historical information regarding the General Federation of Women’s Clubs of which the Grand Terrace Woman’s Club is affiliated. The General Federation dates back to 1890 when 63 women’s clubs convened in New York City to establish the Federation. Since that time, state and international federations have been established along with women’s clubs at the local level. Some milestones include work to establish public and school libraries in the 1930s and in 1942 through the “Buy a Bomber” campaign raising $154,459,132 through the sale of war bonds – enough to buy 431 planes. Also, in 1945 the General Federation was one of 5 women’s organizations to participate in the conference to form the United Nations. While the work of the General Federation continues in many areas today, the members of the Grand Terrace Woman’s Club actively support the community. Since the founding of the club in 1908, GTWC has reached many milestones. The club worked to get utility lines placed underground, petitioned for a stop sign at Mt. Vernon and DeBerry (a busy school site), helped establish school libraries at the elementary schools, helped build the pool at Terrace Hills Middle School, raised funds to build the Bell Tower at Grand Terrace Elementary School – housing the original school bell at the site, which still rings every school day, supported bands at both the middle school and high school level, supported the fire department by purchasing needed equipment, teaching fire safety along with Smokey Bear, spearheaded the “blue dot” program which identifies fire hydrants throughout the city, provide scholarships to high school seniors and nursing students – just to name a few of the many projects. As part of the club’s history, in the late 1960s a tree was planted in remembrance of all prisoners of war and missing in action in the kindergarten play area at Grand Terrace Elementary. A local man was a POW and later returned home. In fact, building on past projects, the GTWC continues to award scholarships, donates annually to the elementary, middle school and now Grand Terrace High School libraries, as well as the City Library. Each year, the club holds their annual Hamburger BBQ in conjunction with the Country Fair, participates in Grand Terrace Day by offering free fingerprinting for children, and for over 20 years has been supporting the Halloween Haunt. The club remembers our veterans with a gift bag each year at the Pettis VA Hospital. Perhaps the longest continual project is the Child Help program. For the last 28 years members of the club have been assisting local families at Christmas with donations of food, new clothing and toys. Anyone interested in becoming a member of the Grand Terrace Woman’s Club is welcome to contact President Wendy Curran.