Ideal Club (Columbus Grove, Ohio) records

Collection – Multiple Containers

Identifier: MS-0252

Staff Only

Collection Overview

Abstract

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.

Dates

Creation: 1907-1982

Extent

0.92 Cubic Feet (2 legal manuscript boxes)

Creator

Ideal Club (Columbus Grove, Ohio) (Organization)

Scope and Contents

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.

Biographical / Historical

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.

Conditions Governing Access

No known restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

Researchers using this collection assume full responsibility for conforming to the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright, and are responsible for securing permissions necessary for publication or reproduction.

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Immediate Source of Acquisition

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.