Altrusa Club of Marion, Ohio records

The items contained within the Altrusa International of Marion collection provide a fairly accurate history of the organization. Though there are gaps here and there in the materials, those that are available provide adequate representations of the decades that the club has been in operation. The meeting minutes, of which there are only a few missing years, present a meticulous record of the club’s activities and inner workings. In many cases, these minutes also include the monthly and annual treasurer’s reports attached, as well as the reports of committees in the earlier decades.

Perhaps the most interesting and important aspect of the collection is the large amount of scrapbooks within. When possible, these were kept intact and not altered. Those that were dismantled were put into folders with attention to page order, so that they maintain the original essence of the scrapbook. Each volume is set up in the same way, featuring a variety of materials that help describe club life and events for each given club year. Many of the later decade scrapbooks also include copies of the chapter newsletter “The Blotter.”

The collection is especially useful to those studying women’s organizations on the local level, or to those who have a specific interest in this chapter. However, the collection can also appeal to a much broader audience. The material contained in this collection follows professional, working women from the 1920s through the 2010s. They represent a much different demographic than many of their contemporaries, and this is often reflected within the collection. The inner workings of the club, the activities they took part in, and the events that they promoted throughout the years can speak towards the social history of a certain region of Ohio.