TOWARD
NEW HOR
Such is the motto of the Future Homemakers
of America—an organization of high school girls
who are learning to live better today in order
that their lives and those of their families may
be better tomorrow.
The national organization—founded in June
1945 is composed of chartered state associa
tions, which in turn are made up of chapters in
junior and senior high schools offering home-
making. Prior to 1945, high school home eco
nomic clubs were only statewide organizations,
known by various names such as Junior Home
makers, Home Economic Clubs, Betty Lamp, Fu
ture Homemakers, etc.
When the need was felt for consolidation of the
various state clubs into a nationwide organization,
representatives from 29 states met to draw up the
plans. Several months later details had been
worked out and the Future Homemakers of Amer
ica was begun with an initial enrollment of 2,487
chapters with 92,516 members in 42 states and
the territory of Hawaii. By 1948. the organiza
tion had grown to 6108 chapters and 237,133
members in 47 states and territories. Today the
chapters nuumber over 7,000 with more than
300,000 members in all 48 states, Hawaii and
Alaska.
Typical of the 7,000 chapters of F. H. A. is that
at Rosman High School. It is one of two chapters
in Transylvania County—the other being at Bre
vard High School. It’s membership, which is en
tirely voluntary, consists of 9th and 10th grade
girls enrolled in homemaking courses.
There are four membership degrees of achieve
ment in the F. H. A.: (1) Junior Homemaker,
(2) Chapter Homemaker, (3) State Homemaker,
and (4) American Homemaker. The standards
In the FHA lounge Katie Brown (seated) and
Grace Gillespie look on as Barbara Chapman does
a little ironing on a skirt she just completed.
for degrees of achievement and bases for evalua
tion are determined by the National Executive
Council and the National Advisory Board of the
Future Homemakers and are revised from time to
time, in light of experience.
The purposes of the F. H. A., a sister organiza
tion to the Future Farmers of America, are: (1)
To promote a growing appreciation of the joys
4