Charter members
Seventeen of the charter members of the Raeford Woman's Club pose for a photograph during the club's 40th
Anniversary in 1964. The club had 81 original members when it was organized in 1924, and 18 of those attend
ed the 1964 event. Charter members shown here are: Front row: Mrs. Julian Johnson, Mrs. Luke Bethune,
Mrs. H.A. Cameron, Mrs. L.B. Brandon, Mrs. Doug McLeod, Mrs. Graham Mcl.eod. Second Row: Mrs.
John K. McNeill Sr., Mrs. Clyde Upchurch, Miss Mayme McKeithan, Mrs. A.K. Stevens, Mrs. John
McGougan, Mrs. H.C. McLauchlin. Third Row: Mrs. H.W.B. Whitley, Mrs. R.L. Murray, Mrs. W.E.
Freeman, Mrs. Kate Blue Covington, Mrs. Ryan McBryde.
A vital community force
Raeford Woman9s Club celebrates 60 years '
On Friday night members of the Raeford Woman's Club will
gather in the Fellowship Hall of the Raeford Presbyterian Church
to celebrate 60 years of serving the Hoke County community.
In addition to usual festivities of an annual gathering; the
highlight of the evening is expected to be the keynote address from
Mrs. Jo Sinclair Northrop.
Mrs. Northrop is a graduate of the University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill and is a freelance writer. Her work has appeared in
such publications as: The Washington Post, The New York Post,
The Miami Herald, Good Housekeeping, Food and Wine, Country
Living, Country Magazine and others. She is also a contributing
editor of Country Living.
On Saturday, members of the Woman's Club will honor Mrs.
Northrop at a coffee hour at the Hoke County Library from 10:30
to 11:30 a.m.
There will be a Dutch luncheon for friends and relatives of Mrs.
Northrop at 12:15 p.m. Saturday at the Wagon Wheel Restaurant.
The Woman's Club formed 60 years ago as an offshoot of the
Mother's Club, which dates to 1918 and was Raeford's woman's
organization.
In 1922, women in the community felt there was a need for more
attention to be paid to the arts, and the Music and Literature clubs
were formed.
During 1924, the three clubs merged and formed the Raeford
Woman's Club. The club was admitted to the state federation that
same year.
Mrs. H.A. Cameron, who had lead the Mother's Club, was nam
ed the first president and served until 1925. The original roll showed
81 charter members.
Under the constitution adopted by the club, members were pledg
ed to "the intellectual, philanthropic, social, civic and domestic bet
terment of our town and community."
As part of the first organization, club members organized in five
departments: Education, Arts, Garden, Home Life and Public Af
fairs. The Music Club retained a separate identity, but remained
close in spirit to the Woman's Club.
In its first 10 years, the club took on projects planting trees and
shrubs at the Raeford Cemetery, the schools and on Main Street.
Decorating Main Street for Christmas was also an annual project
of the club.
Woman's Club members also raised funds by preparing meals for
Raeford Kiwanis Club during the early years.
In 1926, the club's education department held a public meeting in
the Raeford Kiwanis Hall. Mrs. Leonard Tufts of Southern Pines
spoke on "Women Writers in the South." That year Mrs. W.L.
Poole served as president.
Mrs. Poole was succeeded by Mrs. T.B. Upchurch, who served
until 1929 and Mrs. P.P. McCain, who was president until 1930.
The literary department held a program the same year entitled
"Popular Philosophers."
In the early years, the large annual meetings were held in the fall
and most in the Bluemont Hotel. The meetings started to honor
teachers.
During the 1930 meeting, the state attorney general was the guest
speaker at a "Get Together Dinner." That year Mrs. J.C. Thomas
took over as president and served until 1932.
Cotton Week was observed annually during the 1930's. Members
wore cotton dresses, and awards were given for the prettiest.
In addition to cooking for Kiwanis, club members also operated a
cannery, which provided canned goods for the schools during the
1930's.
Russia was the topic of study in 1934. The education department
of the club sponsored four programs entitled: "Russia during the
time of Peter The Great," "Russia prior to the World War," "Pre
Pausing for coffee after 50 years
Members of the Woman's Club celebrate the 50th anniversary in 1924 at
tire. The members who took part in a skit depicting club's history from
left to right are: Mrs. H.A. Cameron, Mrs. M.A. Maxwell, Mrs.
sent Day Russia" and "Russian Literature and Music."
A sacred music concert was also held that year at the Raeford
Presbyterian Church in observance of National Music Week. Mrs.
C.E. Upchurch, who had served as president since 1932, turned
over the club's gavel to Mrs. R.A. Matheson Jr. in 1934.
The garden department, which had through the early years been
sponsoring an annual cleanup week and tree and shrub exchanges,
changed its name to the Garden Club in 1936 and joined the State
Garden Club. The Garden Club had become so large that it divided
into four groups: the Garden Group, the Evergreen Group, Crape
Myrtle Group and the Garden Lover's Group.
Mrs. R.L. Murray was president until 1937, when Mrs. H.A.
Cameron served a second term to finish out the decade.
During the 1940's the club was lead by such presidents as Mrs.
Younger Snead, Mrs. A.D. Gore, Mrs. Colon Scarborough, Mrs.
A.K. Currie, Mrs. A.L. O'Briant and Mrs. T.B. Upchurch.
In 1941, Dr. Frederick Koch, who inaugerated the famous
Carolina Players at the University of North Carolina, came to
Raeford at the club's request and read Dicken's "A Christmas
Carol" at the Hoke High auditorium.
Andy Griffith , who was at the University of North Carolina dur
ing the late 1940's, was the featured soloist for several selections of
the Carolina Glee Club, who were performing here.
The fine arts department was established as the club entered the
I950's. It later changed its name to the Public Affairs Department.
Catherine McLean, Mrs. J.H. Austin, Mrs. J.C. McLean and Mrs. J.M.
Andrews.
Girl Scouting, civil defense, women's responsibilities in politics
and the duties and responsibilities of city council were on the list of
the club's topics during the 1950's.
During the decade, the club was lead by Mrs. T.B. Upchurch,
Mrs. W.B. Heyward, Mrs. W.E. Willis, Mrs. Clyde Upchurch Jr.,
Mrs. C.A. Hostetler and Mrs. M.R. Smith.
The Raeford Woman's Club has been a vital force in the growth
of Raeford and Hoke County.
The club has stimulated interests in public affairs, fine arts,
education, literature, gardening and family life.
These same programs have continued through the 1960's, 1970's
and 1980's.
In 1963 the club worked with other organizations in the county to
open the doors on the Raeford Civic Center.
A former project of the club, which became a welcomed annual
event in the community, was the Horse Show.
There were 17 charter members present, when the club celebrated
its 40th anniversary in 1964.
During the last two decades the club presidents were: Mrs. J.L.
Warner, Mrs. Bobby Carter, Mrs. Robert Gatlin, Mrs. J.M. An
drews, Mrs. N.L. McFadyen, Mrs. Samuel Homewood, Mrs. John
Balfour, Mrs. Hubert Cameron, Mrs. R.G. Townsend Jr., Mrs.
Crawford Thomas Jr., Mrs. Alfred K. Leach, Mrs. Clyde Knox,
Mrs. Clayton Buoyer and Mrs. Jack Pope.