Sandusky Fortnightly Club records

The bulk of the Sandusky Fortnightly Club collection is in the form of secretarial minutes and membership records. These records are complete from October 1906 to December 1978. The minutes from the year 1945-1946, however, are missing. The majority of these records are handwritten, and some of the handwriting is difficult to read. The content, however, is meticulous in its summary of each club meeting. Club business, financial reports, and study topics are included in these minutes. The yearly minutes also contain club attendance rolls, and annual secretarial reports. The majority of these minute books contain addition material, such as pertinent newspaper clippings, financial receipts, and correspondence. The club constitution and by-laws are included in the first complete book of minutes (1906-1913).

Historical reports provide another focus in the collection. A 47-page research paper on the history of Sandusky women's clubs in general, and of the Sandusky Fortnightly more specifically, is contained here. This handwritten draft by Dorothy Keller, Club Historian 1953-1973, is a thorough overview of the Club's goals for its first fifty years of existence. Historical reports on the Sandusky Fortnightly, which were prepared for the Sandusky Business Women's Club and WLEC radio by Mrs. Jacob Bamberger in 1947-1948, are also included. An updated account of club activity was compiled by Dorothy Keller to mark the club's 70th anniversary in 1968. More recent, typed reports were provided by club members Lucile Hutson and Helen Hansen. Other literary documents include memorial resolutions honoring deceased members, in both handwritten and typed format.

Annual, thematic program books were issued by the Fortnightly Club, listing the membership roll, club officers, and the topic for each meeting day. This collection contains a complete group of programs for the years 1906-1985. Also included with the club's records is a certificate which records a contribution made by the Sandusky Fortnightly to the Sandusky Sesquicentennial in 1968.

This collection is the result of almost a century of work and study by dedicated and intelligent women. The material suggests that this was not a controversial or radical women's organization. These church women kept a low profile. The longevity and orderliness of the club, however, does provide a helpful view into the lives of ordinary women in Northwest Ohio throughout the 20th century. The minutes and programs provide a clear idea of the issues which captivated women's attention over the course of this century.