[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 124 (Wednesday, September 22, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1920-E1921]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               A HALF-CENTURY OF ``MOMENTS TO REMEMBER''

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. STEPHANIE TUBBS JONES

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 22, 1999

  Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, the big 5-0 can be very traumatic 
for some, but others relish the nostalgia-filled meandering down memory 
lane. So it is for Brecksville Women's Club (BWC), as the ladies gather 
to celebrate the group's half-century milestone.

[[Page E1921]]

  In the gold glow of post World War II, Brecksville Women's Club was 
born--an outgrowth of the Women's Committee of Brecksville Little 
Theater. Believing the community needed a cultural, philanthropic and 
social outlet for women in the area, 10 young women met on September 
26, 1949 and founded the club. The years since then have proved it was 
a wise move.
  In the golden glow of a half-century of ``making members useful to 
society and helpful to each other'', BWC will mark the Big One 
September 23. Fiftieth Anniversary Chairman Annette Gorris and 
committee have arranged for the organization to take over Swingos-on-
the-Lake's entire restaurant that afternoon. The Four Lads will guide 
the BWC lassies in a reminiscent sail through ``Moments to Remember.''
  ``Although the celebration is a private party for members only, we 
are expecting recognition on the state and national levels'' said 
President Joan Kules. ``Governor Bob Taft has proclaimed Sunday, 
September 26 as Brecksville Women's Club Day. George Gintoli, CEO of 
Northcoast Behavioral Healthcare System (NBHS) is to present us with 
that proclamation and one from NBHS, where our members have volunteered 
for 50 years,'' she explained. At the beginning of this year 
Brecksville and Broadview Heights Mayors Jerry Hruby and Leo Bender 
issued proclamations naming ``1999 Brecksville Women's Club's 50th 
Anniversary Year.''
  The formal presentations will be brief however and lighted-hearted 
merriment is expected to prevail as members recollect anecdotes about 
volunteering, fundraising, social gatherings and special events. Some 
are expected to appear in skits recalling humorous incidents chairmen 
have encountered in raising thousands of dollars to help hundreds of 
causes. Those attending will be asked to write a brief greeting to be 
put into a time capsule which will be opened by BWC in the year 2005.
  When the club was founded late in '49, the world was on the verge of 
a new decade and now, 50 years later, the world is on the verge of a 
new century. Marian Huefner, BWC's second President, and Mary Hoffman, 
BWC's third president, recall some turbulent but fun times for the 
fledgling group which numbered 35 by the end of 1950-51. (Of course, 
Brecksville was only a village then--it would be 12 years later that it 
reached city status with a population of 5,000.)
  In the 50's era when saddle shoes, poodle skirts and malt shakes were 
``it'', the group often held social events with their husbands as 
guests. Marian, laughing, recalls being in charge of refreshments for 
one of these events, arriving at the party with her husband and not 
thinking about the desserts she left at home until it was refreshment 
time. Mary says she misses the camaraderie of the smaller membership 
when everybody knew everybody else. Today with a membership of 300 
women from 35 Northeast Ohio communities and Florida, it is more 
difficult to know everyone. Both ladies treasure friendships they have 
made throughout the years and as charter members they will be awarded 
Lifetime Memberships at the celebration. The late Betty Hoffman, first 
president and founding leader, was awarded a Lifetime Membership when 
the Club marked its 30th anniversary in 1979. There are currently 19 
past presidents on the active roster and 31 ladies who have belonged 
for 25 years or longer!

  Since 1949, a chief money-making event has traditionally been a 
luncheon fashion show. At first these were in the form of garden 
parties with the members doing all the work. ``There was no such thing 
as rain insurance and the weather was undependable,'' said Orah DeHamm, 
past president and a member for more than 40 years. She remembers 
scrambling into a member's home when the rain hit the backyard party.
  These events were moved indoors, but ``minor calamities'' also 
happened that weren't weather related. ``Old-timers'' recall one such 
incident when the food committee members all plugged in their electric 
roasters and blew out the lights in St. Basil's Church Hall.
  More often, the fashion fundraisers came off without a hitch. ``One 
year we each roasted turkeys at home and combined the meat in a main 
dish salad,'' said Margaret Mansbery, a past president. ``This was a 
lovely affair we held at Camp Cheerful's main auditorium in the Metro 
Parks.'' The fashion show fundraisers have been held at various 
places--the Holiday Inn, Landerhaven, Windham Hotel, etc. BWC's 50th 
major fundraiser is set for May 1, 2000 at the Hilton Hotel across from 
Summit Mall.
  In the fall of 1973, a second fundraising event--the President's 
Ball--became a part of the club's activities. After 10 years the ball's 
popularity declined and since then a variety of money-making affairs 
have been staged such as card parties, holiday bazaars, Day at the 
Races and a Celebrity Fingerpainting Auction. Profits from the 
fundraiser go into the philanthropic fund and are distributed at the 
end of each club year. BWC has given away more than $150,000 to a 
variety of causes with the largest percentage to education in the form 
of scholarships and education awards.
  In addition to monetary help, BWC purchased a washer and dryer for 
patients at the old Broadview Center, bought books for the library, 
obtained eyeglasses for needy students and provided for families who 
needed assistance during the Christmas season. When a fire damaged 
Brecksville Old Town Hall, the club gave $2,000 for kitchen repairs. It 
has purchased paintings for both Brecksville and Broadview Heights city 
halls.
  In its first year, the club began helping the less fortunate, staging 
monthly parties at Hawthornden State Hospital (now Northcoast 
Behavioral Healthcare System). Former president Mary Ann Celebrezze has 
chaired this project for the last five years and each month she and her 
workers take Bingo games, prizes and refreshments to the facility for 
the mentally ill.
  Ruth McMahon, a NBHS volunteer for many years, remembers that in the 
early days the parties were held in the evenings and in the segregated 
cottages--dancing and singing with the male patients and playing games 
with the female patients. ``In those days it was not unusual for a 
female patient to strip naked,'' Ruth said. ``We would just ignore her 
and a staff member would take over.'' Ruth also recalls one snowy 
evening the volunteer group came in the back entrance and the gate was 
closed they went to leave. There was nothing they could do but back up 
the steep hill to get off the grounds. Nowadays that gate is closed and 
the parties are in the afternoon with mixed groups.
  Throughout the years, BWC members have served as nannies for the 
babies of unwed mothers at Marycrest School and helped with the 
mentally handicapped at the old Broadview Center.
  ``In the early '70s, BWC received a great deal of recognition from 
the Federation of Women's Clubs of Cleveland for its volunteer work and 
types of projects,'' said Cecile Clarenbach, a former president. ``We 
won the first place award among 45 clubs numerous times over the years 
for our philanthropic events and volunteer efforts.''
  The Federation was dissolved in the early '90s with the decline of 
women's clubs making BWC rather unique for its longevity and healthy 
operations.
  ``We had baby-sitting service for our members in the '70s,'' said 
Rita Morris, another past president. ``The cost of the baby-sitter was 
partly subsidized by the club so young mothers could attend the 
meetings,'' she explained. Nowadays, many of these members' children 
are grown. The group no longer prepares their own lunches and for the 
past seven years has considered St. Michael's Woodside Party Center as 
its headquarters.
  Many friendships have been built up in participating in bowling, 
bridge, golfing, antiquing, special lunch outings, bus tours, Cleveland 
Orchestra Concert series, and theatrical productions. These and many 
more activities through the years will give those attending the 
``Moments to Remember'' celebration a true sense of renewed sisterhood 
and commitment to BWC.

                          ____________________