 Club Members at Installation in December |
In 1930, a small group of women met with Miss Rugh Hickman. Home Demonstration Agent, of Dewey County and organized the "Jolly Neighbors" Club.
Their charter members were Mrs. M. E. Palmer, Mrs. Carrie Ellis, Mrs. Cora Paulson, Mrs. Olive Snyder, Mrs. Martha Burghardt, Mrs. Leona Burghardt, and Mrs. Harriet Wills. |
 Club Members playing a Party Game |
Olive Snyder was elected president and Cora Paulson secretary and treasurer. For a short time they met in the homes and then started meeting in the Leonel School House.
We bought window curtains, stove, locker, dishes, and pictures and fixed up a club room. We used this club room until 1947 when we went to meeting n the homes again. In 1933 we had an enrollment of 29 and today we have about 15 enrolled in our club. In 1933 Mrs. M. E. Palmer was chosen as our club Mother. |
The club gave showers for the brides and stork showers in the community. We bought flowers or fruit for the sick and flowers for funerals. We donated yearly to the Red Cross, Cancer Fund, Heart Fund and March of Dimes. We also helped the needy families in the community. During World War II we sent gift boxes to the sick and wounded in the hospitals.
Over the years our project has been community recreation. We have held parties, picnics, weiner roasts, ice cream socials, dances and all day quilting parties. We held community Christmas trees as long as we had a school at Leonel. A sewing machine clinic was held in 1945. Six machines were cleaned and repaired. Our county agent also tested the pressure cookers in 1945. The water supplies were tested for purity.
During our years in Dewey County Miss Robinson, Miss Zella King, and Miss Mildred Tustison were our Ho. D. Agents. Our past presidents during that time have been Mrs. Olive Snyder, Mrs. Ethel Wills, Mrs. Iva Ellis, Mrs. Blanche Kershner, Mrs. Opal Trook, Mrs. Ellen Schafer, Mrs. Audrey Snyder, and Mrs. Edna Bond who is our present president.
In 1952 the Jolly Neighbors transferred to Blaine County. We did this to be of more assistance to our 4H Club members as they all attend school in Blaine County. We sponsored bringing the Cancer Detection Clinic to Canton. Sixty nine people had examinations and several positive cancers were detected.
We helped with the 4H Rally.
Six from our club attended the District meeting at Fairview. Eight members went on the tour to OKC. We also sponsored the Cancer Drive at Canton. It is our sincere hope that in our small way we have been able to accomplish that purpose for which our club was organized, to make better and more successful homemakers offer opportunity for self development and make our community a better and more interesting place in which to live.
1. Story of 1953 Project.
The Jolly Neighbors Club has very successfully carried out various community get togethers by sponsoring picnics, parties and wiener roasts.
Most of our club members and families attended our activities held at the Canton Lake, the American Legion Hall and Roman Nose Park.
Everyone seemed to enjoy meeting together to play, visit, swim and eat outdoors. The children played games and played on the play ground equipment while the adults visited with their neighbors and always suggested the club sponsor another get together soon.
A family Life poster of our community activities won a blue ribbon at the County and State Fairs.
2. Our outstanding club achievement of 1953 was sponsoring the Cancer Drive in Canton, the members collected 118 dollars.
3. President, Edna Bond, VP, Winnie Sanderson, Sec, Ellen Schafer
Members:
Nellie Armstrong
Maxine Bond
Irene Baird
Elsie Chain
Iva Ellis
Agnes Murray
Audrey Snyder
Bessie Snyder
Laura Seifred
Winnie Sanderson
Olive Snyder
Opal Trook
Eva Tidball
Ethel Wills
Ellen Schafer
Edna Bond