[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 133 (Friday, October 5, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1682-E1683]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             IN RECOGNITION OF THE POCASSET COMMUNITY CLUB

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                        HON. WILLIAM R. KEATING

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 5, 2012

  Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Pocasset 
Community Club upon its centennial anniversary.
  The Pocasset Community Club traces its roots to seventeen women who 
lived in the region over a century ago. Together, they formed a club to 
promote scholarly exchanges amongst themselves. These women had 
wanderlust for travel but had neither the economic means nor the 
opportunity to see the world. So, they decided to do the second best 
thing, and named their group ``The Travelers Club.'' The members would 
take turns presenting a report of a travel experience they would like 
to have, and would then discuss these destinations and the journeys 
necessary to get there. Before long, the club became quite popular in 
Pocasset, and it was no longer possible to meet in members' homes. The 
Travelers Club created a fund to erect their own building, starting the 
fund with just $25.90. By 1912, enough money had been saved, and the 
first Travelers Club meeting was held in the group's new building on 
October 3rd of that year.
  In 1948, ownership of the building was transferred to a group of town 
residents who renamed it as the Pocasset Community Club. As more and 
more families moved to the area, the Club's popularity grew quickly. 
Saturday night dinners, dances for the local teenagers, and family 
movie nights ensured that the Club was a popular spot for the people of 
Pocasset. Travelers Club meetings continued to thrive, and other groups 
found their home in the building as well. Today, the Pocasset Village 
Association ensures that the original mission of the Community Club 
remains in place. The building continues to be a beloved location for 
the town, hosting Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts meetings, 4H events, and 
countless other town proceedings.
  The Pocasset community will celebrate the one hundredth anniversary 
of its Community Club building by honoring the original founders of the 
Travelers Club, a group of courageous women who were certainly ahead of 
their time in establishing their own organization when women's suffrage 
was over a decade away. The many groups who have since then kept the 
Community Club an active location in Pocasset will also be remembered 
during this celebration.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to recognize the Pocasset Community Club upon 
its centennial anniversary, as well as the countless men and women 
whose work has made the Club a central fixture in the Pocasset 
community. I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring these 
outstanding organizations.

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