Short History of the Club

 

1907  Eight ladies organized the Women's Literary Club of Norwich. Dues: $.25. Dress code: hat, white gloves, and best dress!

 

1914-19  Renamed the Village Improvement Society. Held a Peddler's Parade to raise $100 for first street lights on Main Street. War Relief. Red Cross. Donated buckets for the new Fire Department.

 

1928-29  Name changed to "Norwich Women's Club". Held a “Backwards Party” - including reversed dresses  and the meal which began with dessert! Money raised for new Town Hall on land donated  by Mr. Tracy, and for a cement road to Hanover.

 

1930 NWC Debate - resolved: The emergence of women  from the house is a regrettable feature of modern  life. Affirmed by a vote of 24-3.

 

1940-49  Created first “Know Your Town” booklet - 103   pages of Norwich history and geographical layout. $100 donated for a new swimming pool. War relief and Red Cross work during the five war years.  1945: Sponsored 1st school hot lunch program in Vermont. Volunteers ran it; cost: $.15 per child.

 

1950’s  Began plantings in the triangle in front of Tracy Hall.  First Book & Bake sale for School library.

 

1960’s  Petitioned the state, through Senator Aiken, to ban  billboards in Vermont; the  resulting law became a  model for other states and has kept I-91 and I-89  free. First “Better Used Clothing Sale.”  $100 given for first Marion Cross Scholarship Fund. 

 

1970’s Maps of Norwich sold to raise funds for community projects.  Replacing the 60’s version, “A-Go-Go Sale” (clothes, games, food),  with first “Nearly New Sale” which  netted $600. First Marjorie Yule Butler Scholarship for future teachers awarded.

 

1980’s Music scholarships began.  First “Floribunda.”    Funded new fence around the Norwich Green.

 

1991  NWC received Governor's Award for Outstanding Community Service.  Renovated bandstand.  Funded video history of Norwich.

 

1994  NWC given a share of the Woodworth Trust for the Marion Cross Scholarship Fund.

 

1995 Tracy Hall landscaping and median plantings.

 

1996 Benches at the School and Huntley Meadow.

 

1997  First Summer Band Concert on the Green

 

1998  New stage for Marion Cross School. Projection equipment for the Norwich Library.

 

1999  New landscaping for Norwich Senior Housing. Donated funds for bird and animal mounts for the  Montshire Museum’s education program.

             

2000  Refurbished Town bulletin board and laid paving stones under benches on Main Street.

 

2001  First Computer Database of members created. First Groundhog Day Luncheon is a sell-out! The triangle flowers were contributed by Killdeer  Farm in memory of NWC member Nancy Clark.

 

2002  $45,000 Awarded in Scholarship.  $15,000 spent on  Community Projects.  NWC float in the town’s Old  Home Day Parade.  Hat, white gloves, and best dress definitely not required!  Annual dues increased from $10 to $15.

 

2003 The Club gets a website.  Fabulously successful summer band concerts.  Floribunda achieved record revenue for the Community Projects Fund thanks to the beautiful exhibits, the excellent lectures and the exciting raffle.

 

2004 Programs were a hit.  The fall brought a hike in the woods at Liz Russell’s farm in Norwich and in the spring came a bus trip to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.  NWC contributed to the refurbishing of the Lewis House, the new home of the Norwich Historical Society.

 

2005 Marion Cross School serves as new venue for Floribunda.  Spring Nearly New moves to May.  The Club archives move to the Norwich Historical Society.  Trip to Peabody Museum in Salem, MA and Luncheon at Quail Hollow.  $40,000 in scholarships awarded from record breaking profits at Nearly New Sale.

 

2006 Ski outing to Okemo Mountain.  Groundhog Day Author’s Luncheon.  Planning underway for the 100th Anniversary Year of the Founding of the NWC to occur in 2007.

 

A Short History

The Norwich Women’s Club

Community work since 1907