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.

MINUTES - General and Board Meeting Minutes. 1925 – 1986, 1989 – 2010. Arranged chronologically. Records of regular monthly meetings held by the club and of separate meetings attended only by members, each feature date, location, and details of what was discussed at the meeting. Some may include attached agendas and treasurer’s reports.

MEMBERSHIP RECORDS. 1925 – 2007, undated. Arranged chronologically by type. Varying types of membership records and meeting attendance records that span most of the organization’s history.

BY-LAWS 1961, 1974, 182-2016, undated. Arranged chronologically by type. Official organization policies and by-laws, with representations of changes made over the years.

Internal and external correspondence to and from members of the organization, not all years represented.

COMMITTEES. 1979 – 2010. Arranged alphabetically by committee and chronologically within. The files and related reports of each of the various sub-committees contained within the organization during its later decades.

SERVICES AND CEREMONIES. 1939 – 1946, 1966, undate. Arranged chronologically. Details of prayer services held for deceased members with prayers and eulogies, detailed initiation ceremony for new members.

OFFICE FILES. 1982 – 2004, undated. Arranged chronologically by type. Assorted files relating to various aspects of club operation, including paperwork related to district conferences and nomination and entry forms for national and international awards.

ASSORTED REPORTS. 1981 – 2001. Arranged chronologically by type. Features reports from various club officers, visits from the Altrusa governor, activity reports, and member volunteer hour tallies.

FINANCIAL REPORTS. 1927 - 2010. Arranged chronologically by type. Assorted type of financial reports including those directly related to fundraising, proposed and actual budgets, accounts audits, and monthly and annual treasurer’s reports.

REMINISCENCES – Club Histories. 1998 – 2003. Arranged chronologically. Includes general chapter histories as well as those created to describe the events of specific club years.

Documentation regarding the organization’s tax exempt and not-for-profit status with the state of Ohio.

EVENT SCRAPBOOKS – Altrusa International 50th Anniversary Scrapbook. 1967. Arranged by original page order. Scrapbook dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the organization with memorabilia, photographs, clippings, artifacts, and printed material used to create the pages.

CLUB SCRAPBOOKS. 1958 – 2002. Arranged chronologically by individual volume and original page order. Scrapbooks devoted to the accomplishments and activities of each club year, often with multiple years contained in one volume. Pages made up of memorabilia, photographs, clippings, artifacts, and printed material.

JUNIOR MEMBER SCRAPBOOKS. 1945 – 1965. Arranged chronologically by volume. Scrapbooks used to record the accomplishments of Junior members of the chapter, usually high school students who did not need to meet other membership requirements.

NEWSCLIPPINGS. 1920s – 1990s, undated. Arranged chronologically by decade and year. Multiple decades of newspaper clippings about the activities of the chapter itself and those of its various members throughout the years.

NEWSLETTER – “The Blotter.” 1982 – 2000. Arranged chronologically. Scattered issues of the organization’s local newsletter, featuring news about their own activities and those of their District and National counterparts.

CERTIFICATES – Ruth B. Emmons Award. 1994. Award presented to the Marion chapter by their parent organization.

PUBLICITY MATERIALS. 1984, 1993, undated. Arranged chronologically. Flyers and other such material created to publicize various events held by the organization.

PROGRAMS. Arranged chronologically. Programs for the chapter’s celebrations of the organization’s 50th and 75th anniversaries.

POSITIVE PRINTS - Assorted Event Photographs. 1976, undated. Arranged chronologically. Snapshot photographs, primarily undated, of unknown events held by the organization

POSITIVE PRINTS - 75th Anniversary Photo Collage. 1992. Photocopied collage of photos taken at the 75th anniversary celebration.

RECORDS - “Ruth Kramer Address Marion Altrusa’s 25th Anniversary.” 1950. Two Items. 78rpm recording of an address given by chapter president Ruth Kramer.

RECORDS - “Interview with Altrusa Charter Members.” 1959. Two items. 78rpm record with a recording of an interview with the charter members of the Marion chapter; Edna Rhodes, Clara Walker, and Jessie Lindsay.

VIDEOTAPES - “This is Altrusa” VHS recording. Undated. One folder. Informational video about the organization, its purposes, and activities.