Category: Uncategorized

By GFWC Florida President Mary Powell

From an address delivered November 17, 2016

As President of the GFWC Florida Federation of Women’s I would like to thank Lynda Randolph, District 11 Director and the clubs in this District that have participated in making this event happen – specifically The Woman’s Club of Coconut Grove, GFWC Woman’s Club of Homestead, the GFWC Miami Springs Woman’s Club, GFWC El Portal Woman’s Club and the Dade County Federation of Women’s Clubs which encompasses all of the clubs in this area. I’m sure that it has taken countless hours and lots of members to make this event such a success – I am very impressed.

When Lynda Randolph first mentioned this project to me and invited me to be part of it, I was so excited and thrilled to receive so much information about Royal Palm Park and the Florida Federation of Women’s Clubs involvement in its beginnings.

In an effort to get a feel for the year 1915-1916, I went back and re-read a book by Patrick D. Smith called “A Land Remembered.” This book is about 3 generations of MacIvey’s and their challenge to survive, to prosper and to thrive in Florida beginning in 1863 until 1968.

On the first page of the book, which begins in 1968 and then jumps back to 1863, it mentions coming to a park bordered by stately Royal Palm trees.

That’s what we are doing today – Remembering this Land and our stately park bordered by Royal Palms and our beautiful State of Florida.

“A Land Remembered” begins in North Florida around Fernandina – and that happens to be where I’m from – Fernandina.  Near that area is also where GFWC Florida Federation of Women’s Clubs began in 1895.  Visionary leaders at the Village Improvement Association of Green Coves Springs called together members from the VIA Orange City Woman’s Club, the Crescent City Woman’s Club, Tarpon Springs Woman’s Club and Fairfield of Jacksonville Woman’s Club to form a Federation of Florida Clubs and to officially become  a part of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs.

Can you imagine traveling across the state from Tarpon Springs to Green Cove Springs or from Orange City.  Many traveled by train and riverboat – VIA of Green Cove Springs is on the St. Johns River just south of Jacksonville.

That’s when our Federation began in Florida and like so many other states, women took up causes and gathered together to form clubs and organize in an effort to have a collective voice for change in their communities.

When we celebrate club anniversaries, I’ve often read that many of our clubs began in an effort to beautify communities and to have some influence over getting the cows and the pigs off the streets.  One club was clever enough to capture the wild pigs that roamed their streets and then sell them back to their owners, often to the husbands of the members – what a great idea for a fundraiser.

Clubwomen of GFWC first began expressing interest in conservation as early as 1896 and advocacy for green spaces rapidly became a central concern.  By 1902 GFWC had created the Forestry Committee, the precursor to today’s Conservation Committee.  Clubwomen across the country became active participants in the fight for national parks.

In 1905-1909 the Governor of Florida, Napolean Bonapart Broward, was all for draining “The Swamp” so that development could continue into this area. Edith Gifford and Mary Barr Munroe had a different idea.  If we destroyed it all, what would be left of the beauty that is this park and South Florida for those who come after us.

In 1906 Edith Gifford introduced a Resolution at the General Federation of Women’s Clubs National Convention to form a Conservation Department, and Mary Belle King Sherman from the Colorado Federation became Chair of that department in 1914, where she advocated for the establishment of the National Park Service.  As President of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs from 1922-1926, she was Nicknamed “The National Park Lady,” and was instrumental in helping to establish six national parks.  Specifically she became a force in lobbying for the creation of Rocky Mountain National Park in 1915, and was involved in the campaign for the Grand Canyon National Park in 1919.  As Conservation Chairman, Sherman threw the full support of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs behind the creation of the National Park Service, which became a reality on August 25, 1916.

In particular we appreciated her involvement with the dedication of Royal Palm Park in 1916 when she said in part:

“It is to the great credit of the Florida women that they had the vision, in these days of commercialism, to save one of their most beautiful natural scenic places for park purposes.  Natural scenery becomes our greatest asset when we use it for recreation – for giving rest and encouragement to the weary and toil worn of this generation and for the development of the boys and girls of today into good citizens of tomorrow.

“I know of no other state which is doing such good work in conservation along so many lines as the Florida Federation of Women’s Clubs, and in addition you have the distinction of being the only state federation to have secured a state park.

“People build monuments of costly structure to perpetuate the memory of themselves to somebody else, but none of these is as worthy of praise as the setting aside of one of the God given beauty spots for the enjoyment of the men, women and children of the land.

“Florida is rich in its natural resources, and doubly rich in having men and women who appreciate the beauty of the state and recognize the need of saving it.”  End quote.

Procurement of Royal Palm Park would not have been accomplished without the lobbying work done by the 1914-1917 Florida Federation of Women’s Clubs President, May Mann Jennings.  It was a unique time for Florida Federation because of the history May Mann Jennings had with the Florida Legislature, having served as Florida’s First Lady during the 1901-1905 Governorship of her husband, William S. Jennings, and serving as hostess for her father, Austin Mann, while he served in the late 1800’s in the Florida Legislature.

It was interesting that during that time while living in Tallahassee she married William S. Jennings on May 12, 1891, and was escorted down the aisle by the full legislative membership – she definitely had some influence over them.

With this background and her boundless energy she was more than qualified to lead the fight to stop exploitation and to save Royal Palm Hammock.

The last day of the Legislative Session for 1915 was about to occur and they would not meet again for two years.  But on June 2nd, the house passed the Royal Palm Park Bill and on June 5, 1915, Governor “Park” Trammell approved and signed into law the first and only State Park created by a Legislative Act.  By this law, the Florida Federation of Women’s Clubs became the only Federation in the United States to own a State Park.  Soon after the law was passed Mary Lily Kenan Flagler donates 960 acres as an endowment thus increasing the park to 1,920 acres.

By 1921, 2080 more acres are donated by the state, making Royal Palm a 4,000 acre state park.

And the rest of this story of “A Land Remembered” is that the Florida Federation of Women’s Clubs took charge of the park, hired a ranger, built a lodge, cut roads and maintained the park in perpetuity until it was deeded to the National Park Service and became part of the Everglades National Park in 1947.

The women of the Florida Federation of Women’s Clubs met the challenge, they accomplished their goals, they rose above the idea of failure, they did it!

May Mann Jennings said in her dedication of the Park in 1916 and as President of the GFWC Florida Federation of Women’s Clubs, I too state: “With the power in me vested as President of the Florida Federation of Women’s Clubs, I hereby re-dedicate this Royal Palm Park to the people of Florida and their children forever.” Thank you.

The season of giving is upon us. What might your GFWC gift be?

When we think of the word gift, immediately our thoughts jump to birthday, wedding, anniversary, and other holidays, but there is a broader, more substantive kind of gift that we can give.

Customarily, we approach gift selection with the recipient in mind, such as their likes, personal collections, decorative, useful, entertaining, commemorative, etc.

However, there is another gift consideration that we all too often overlook, which can be everlasting.

Philanthropic gift giving can be just that. The word philanthropy, according to Webster’s Dictionary, is an act or gift done or made for humanitarian purposes. Our GFWC Campaign for the Future is a philanthropic “gift” to GFWC volunteerism – past, present, and future. While GFWC is indeed the recipient, more importantly, consider the far-reaching impact it has on society through our untold projects and programs that impact each and every member club community through volunteer service.

Your opportunity to contribute to the future is by giving in the present and the GFWC Campaign for the Future is the vehicle.  Our Campaign for the Future is a meaningful way in which to give back to the “house” that built us. This is a gift, unlike any other, which has been “gifted” from our early founders. Your contribution to this eight-year Campaign will serve as your legacy to those generations of GFWC members that will subsequently follow, the intent being to perpetuate support for GFWC Headquarters and future programming of GFWC.

The best part is that this “gift” can be given by an individual, club, district, state, region, GFWC national club, or any combination thereof. It can be a one-time payment, pledge (payable in installments), or naming opportunity of specifically identified items at GFWC Headquarters.

Other more substantial ways in which to contribute are via stock from privately held corporations, gifts of appreciated property, such as publicly traded securities or real property, or a bargain sale, which allows the seller to convert an asset to cash-gifting proceeds.

Long-term planned gifts can be in the form of bequests, charitable gift annuities, life insurance, a percentage of an IRA, 401(k) or other qualified retirement plan.

The best part is it can be gifted from home! It requires no gift wrap, fancy bow, or gift tag…..merely a check or pledge card, envelope, and postage stamp! And YES, it is tax-deductible as GFWC is a 501C(3) charitable organization.

There are a host of other ways in which your annual gift giving can support GFWC endeavors, such as the 1734 Society, Endowment Fund, Friends of WHRC (Women’s History & Resource Center), GFWC Signature Program Fund (Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention), and Disaster and Relief Funds.

“Real generosity towards the future lies in giving all to the present.” – Albert Camus

Tis the Season of giving…..your generous contribution to The Campaign for the Future will ensure your footprint on our GFWC Pathway to Success!

By Deb Allen, GFWC Juniors’ Special Program: Advocates for Children Chairman

Let’s turn the world purple and reach out to families touched by premature births while celebrating the lives of children everywhere.  November 17 is World Prematurity Day, but you can mark Prematurity Awareness Month throughout the rest of November.

March of Dimes provides GFWC clubwomen with many ideas and opportunities to support families whose lives have been touched by birth defects and premature births.

Know the Facts: 

• According to marchofdimes.org, a premature baby is one born too early, before 37 weeks.
• Birth spacing of less than 18 months is a risk factor for preterm birth.
• In 2010, Somalia, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, and Cuba had better estimated national rates of preterm births than the United States (Ranked 54^th).
• In 2015, the U.S. preterm birth rate increased in the U.S. for the first time in eight years. The United States currently has a preterm birth rate of 9.6. March of Dimes has set its goal to reach 8.1 percent by the year 2020 and 5.5 percent by 2030. (Check your state’s report card: http://www.marchofdimes.org/mission/prematurity-reportcard.aspx)
• In 2015, March of Dimes announced the establishment of its 5th Prematurity Research Center. One center is developing a pacemaker to control contractions of the uterus.

What can you do?

• Paint your town purple: Light your clubhouse, place of business, or home purple to bring attention to Prematurity Awareness Month. Wear purple to show your support for families whose babies are in the fight of their life.
• Send words of encouragement: Go to http://www.marchofdimes.org/give-them-tomorrow.aspx to send your message of hope. March of Dimes will deliver your card to a family whose baby is in a Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) letting them know they are not in this fight alone.
• Become a March of Dimes Advocate: Visit http://actioncenter.marchofdimes.org to sign up to become a March of Dimes Advocate, similar to our GFWC Legislative Action Center. March of Dimes is currently asking for help to encourage states to increase funding for smoking prevention programs.
• Spread the word through Social Media: Go to http://twibbon.com/Support/world-prematurity-day-9 to change your Facebook or Twitter profile picture to show your support for March of Dimes.
• Celebrate the babies in your life: Post your baby’s first moments using the hashtags #babysfirst and #givethemtomorrow to celebrate milestones and give hope to others. Feel free to include a picture even if your baby is grown! Show off those firsts no matter how long ago they happened.
• Dust off your walking shoes: Start planning your events and forming your teams for the upcoming March for Babies. Visit marchforbabies.org for information and tools. Be sure to let others know that you are raising funds to help babies by including your March of Dimes fundraising badge in your email signature, website, or blog.

Take pictures of your members promoting Prematurity Awareness Month. Share those with Deb Allen, Juniors’ Special Program:  Advocates for Children Chairman by emailing debgfwc@charter.net.

We’d love to share your purple with March of Dimes and their families!

By Vicki Weber
GFWC Membership Committee Member

How many times have you heard or said that GFWC is the best kept secret out there? It’s time to let the secret out. What are you doing as a club or as a clubwoman to spread the word? To attract new members, most clubs use various marketing strategies such as social media, web pages, newspapers, and the like to publicize who we are and what we do as members of GFWC. Have you thought about putting together a Community Impact Statement for your club to retain and gain membership? This statement is a valuable marketing tool that shows current and prospective members your club’s impact in
your community. You can incorporate your Community Impact Statement into your social media, web pages and other means you use to spread the word about GFWC. Or use it as a one-sheet, stand-alone piece.

Let your community know about the projects you do and the charities you support. What should you include in your Community Impact Statement? It should contain specific information about your club’s work and should be updated yearly, or as needed, to reflect the most current information about your projects, donations, and volunteer hours.

Let your community know about the projects you do and the charities you support. Share whatever activities your club is spearheading in your community. Some examples: How many pounds of food did you distribute at your local food bank? How many books have you read to classes; how many trees have you planted? Don’t be afraid to share your good work, and be specific!

Include your volunteer hours. Tracking and sharing your hours, via paper or through free online resources such as www.signup.com, can really put your club’s community activities into perspective. The estimated value of volunteer time for 2015 is $23.56 per hour! Collecting and calculating your volunteer hours really quantifies the enormous value volunteers provide to their communities.

Donations and partnerships are vital to helping us provide additional support in our towns and cities. Don’t be afraid to let your community know where your and their dollars go. Promote the organizations with which we partner, both through GFWC and your local groups.

Be sure to share your story or the story of someone who has been impacted by your club’s good work in your Community
Impact Statement. A brief interview, quote, or statement can be very relatable to others.

If you search for examples of Community Impact Statements online, you will find many charities, businesses and even
municipalities have one. Tailoring yours to fit what you want your community to know about your club and GFWC can go a long way to bridge that gap and bring awareness to what it is that we as volunteers and members of GFWC do. Let’s give them something to talk about, ladies!

Children without quality shoes, women without professional attire for job interviews, homeless veterans without sufficient clothing to survive the winter—they have all been aided by the work of GFWC clubwomen through both national and local charities.

Among the national organizations contributed to by clubwomen are Goodwill Industries, Salvation Army, and Dress for Success. A not-for-profit organization supported by Mesquite Club (Nevada), Dress for Success empowers women to achieve financial independence by providing a network of support, appropriate attire, and development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. The organization operates in over 140 U.S. cities and has helped more than 900,000 women achieve self-sufficiency.

GFWC/IFC Progress Club of South Bend (Indiana) is one of the many clubs supporting Goodwill Industries. Goodwill provides job training, employment placement services, and other community-based programs for people who have barriers preventing them from otherwise entering the work force. Through profits earned at their thrift stores, Goodwill provides more than six million people around the globe with job training and community services each year.

Another option for clothing donations is to keep it local. GFWC Women’s Club of Hollister (California) assists the Small Steps San Benito County program each year. The program provides children in need with warm jackets and new shoes. Club members contribute financially and act as chaperones during shopping trips when children select their new clothing. GFWC Crystal River Woman’s Club (Florida) contributes coats to Cayla’s Coat Project, a charity begun in memory of a Cayla Barnes who lost her life in a drowning accident. GFWC Federation Guild (Delaware) is celebrating their third year of donations to Clothing Women in Transition, which aids women and children moving out of shelters.

Thank you to all of the clubs listed and the numerous others improving communities through clothing drives and donations.

By Cimi Douglass, GFWC Atlanta Woman’s Club President
Judy Reece, Atlanta Woman’s Club Communications Chair
Britton Rogers, Atlanta Woman’s Club Social Media Chair

The mission of the Atlanta Woman’s Club is to encourage our members to become interested and involved citizens of the community by engaging in charitable activities that benefit the community as a whole. Our mission statement answers three basic but incredibly important questions that make our club work more meaningful—what are we doing, why are we doing it, and who we are doing it for?

When we move forward on anything, whether it’s supporting a charity or writing our social media posts, we consistently keep these questions in mind.  The common phrase “Actions speak louder than words” reminds us of the importance of living out our mission on social media and to show the public what we are doing, why we are doing it, and who we are doing it for.

Our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram followers increase every month. Our Facebook posts give the public a glimpse of our members and demonstrate how we are fulfilling our mission. The Atlanta Woman’s Club Facebook page is linked to our Twitter and Instagram feeds for individuals and other nonprofits to follow and learn more about what we are doing within the club and our community. All of our social media platforms use the hashtag #atlwomansclub to connect public conversations into a single stream.

In addition to social media buttons on our club website, each year we create a “Members in Action” video highlighting a few of our activities. The video shows our members out in the community and spotlights a few of the charities we support. This video is posted on Vimeo, which gives the viewer a general sense of what we do set to inspiring music. The club also has a profile on LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Instagram.

Without engaging and inspiring content, social media is meaningless. Without social media, nobody will know who we are, what we are doing, and why we are doing it. There are three main components to any successful social media strategy—type of content, time of posting, and frequency of posting. We consistently keep these in mind. We also realize that every action we take on social media networks should be a part of a larger social media marketing strategy. That means every post, reply, like, and comment should all be guided by a plan that is helping us meet our mission and charitable goals.

We want to have a presence on any platform that will allow us to share information about our club, whether that means Facebook for all demographics, Twitter for mass exposure, Instagram for visual content, LinkedIn for professionals, or Pinterest for the leisurely hobbyist. We feel it is key to stay relevant with technology and to participate in social media. By doing so, the message of the Atlanta Woman’s Club will reach a wider audience and we will fulfill our mission.

To view the social media accounts of the Atlanta Woman’s Club, visit www.atlwc.org and scroll to the bottom of the page.

Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday. During this time of the year, many GFWC clubs and clubwomen begin to consider their own holiday and end-of-year charitable donations. Here are just a few of the ways GFWC clubs can get involved in Giving Tuesday this year.

Donate to GFWC Partners

GFWC currently partners with thirteen 501(c)3 charitable organizations that reflect GFWC’s mission of community improvement through enhancing the lives of others. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Operation Smile, Heifer International, and all of our Partners offer assistance and hope to women and children around the globe. Find the best fit for your club and make a donation for Giving Tuesday! Click here to view the complete list of GFWC’s Partners.

Donate to GFWC

Clubs can also make a donation to GFWC Headquarters for Giving Tuesday. Donations enable GFWC to fund grants and awards, maintain GFWC Headquarters as a National Historic Landmark, support the GFWC Women’s History and Resource Center, and meet community needs in times of disaster. Here are a few ways to donate to GFWC!

1734 Society

Campaign for the Future

Disaster and Relief Fund– Library Replenishment

Endowment Fund

Friends of WHRC

GFWC Signature Program Fund

Gifts to Headquarters

Complete a Local Service Project

Participating in Giving Tuesday does not require your club to cut a check! Your club can create its own service project to benefit your local community. Your club can collaborate with local businesses to fundraise for a charitable cause or spend time volunteering at an area charity. Click here to view a list of ideas that could help your club!

Social Media

Promote and participate in Giving Tuesday via social media. Tell everyone you know about this day of giving by using the hashtag #GivingTuesday. For the full planning tool-kit and sample social media messaging, click here.

This week, GFWC is celebrating the 17^th anniversary of the Juniors’ Special Program: Advocates for Children. Although the program itself is fairly new in the scope of GFWC’s 126-year history, advocating for youth and supporting children all over the world is a core part of GFWC values and tradition. A push for improved public schools, the establishment of kindergartens, and public libraries were among the very first civic missions of GFWC in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries.

During the 1896 GFWC Convention in Denver, Colorado, members focused on solving problems affecting women and children that had been exasperated due to rapid urbanization and industrialization. In Denver, clubwomen unanimously resolved that no child under the age of 14 should be employed in a hazardous setting, and that proper sanitation and safe working conditions must always be provided. This resolution would become the cornerstone of legislation preventing child labor. Clubwomen such as Jane Addams led the way in advocating for children by heading GFWC’s Child Labor Committee in 1901. GFWC is proud of our history of supporting children and providing a voice to those without one.

Proper hygiene for children, as well as nutrition and care for infants, also became a rallying point for clubwomen throughout the 20^th century. When President Franklin Delano Roosevelt established the March of Dimes in 1938, clubwomen immediately found an ally in the fight for proper health care and hygiene for mothers and their children. Today, GFWC continues to partner with March of Dimes through our Juniors’ Special Program. Clubs like the Junior Woman’s Club of Loudoun in Virginia support March of Dimes by hosting fundraising events such as a wine and chocolate pairing fundraiser, and participating in the March for Babies Walk. The GFWC Boulder Valley Woman’s Club (Colorado) has collected loose change at their meetings to benefit March of Dimes. Whether hosting an event, participating in a walk, or collecting spare change, clubs are dedicated to helping March of Dimes in its mission to end premature birth and infant mortality.

At the 2015 Annual Convention in Memphis, Tennessee, GFWC was proud to begin a partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, giving clubs another way to support the Juniors’ Special Program: Advocates for Children. GFWC has demonstrated our commitment to ending childhood cancer by bringing all hands on deck for the St. Jude Run/Walk to End Cancer. Members have created 31 teams in 19 markets, collected 422 donations, and raised more than $27,000.

Advocates for Children Week, which takes place this year from October 23 to October 29, gives members the perfect opportunity to shine a light on all that they do year-round for children. Many clubs, like the Ridgefield Park Woman’s Club EMD in New Jersey, submit proclamations to their local government declaring GFWC Advocates for Children Week in their community. Consider starting a project focusing on children this week. For example, the Pio Pico Woman’s Club in California is collecting stuffed animals and donating them to a local hospital. The GFWC Emerald Coast Junior Woman’s Club in Florida collected juice boxes and held a non-perishable snack drive for the Children’s Advocacy Center’s Sexual Abuse Treatment Program.

What will your club do to celebrate Advocates for Children Week? Stay tuned to the GFWC Facebook page for more historical facts and highlights of club activities, and read the Juniors’ Special Program section of the Club Manual for information on how you can be an advocate for children.

By Deb Allen
GFWC Juniors’ Special Program: Advocates for Children Chairman

GFWC clubwomen will celebrate Juniors’ Special Program: Advocates for Children Week from Sunday, October 23 to Saturday, October 29, but members continue to help children all year long! One of the things that makes me proud to be a clubwoman is the passion our organization has for children. If you are looking for projects to make a difference in your community, consider one of the following:

Invite a local firefighter to bring turnout gear to speak about fire safety.
Have you seen firefighters wearing their full turnout gear? Have you heard their breathing when they wear oxygen masks? Now, imagine encountering this for the first time as a child, in the dark, when your house is on fire. Invite a local firefighter to speak at elementary schools or daycares. Ask them to bring their turnout gear to put on while talking to the children about fire safety. If appropriate, have them put on their oxygen mask so that children can hear what it sounds like. Help the children to recognize the gear that looks and sounds scary is helping to keep the firefighter safe.

Help authorities find victims of child trafficking.
Traffickers post pictures of their victims in hotel rooms as a way to advertise their business. Click here to download the TraffickCam app and then upload pictures of hotel rooms to help authorities find sex trafficking victims. TraffickCam uses these to identify the background in pictures of trafficking victims allowing authorities to identify where the victim might be. Ask your local hotels to allow you to take pictures of their rooms as well as upload pictures while you are on vacation. (Unsure how to download and upload? Ask a Junior or Juniorette to help!)

Help those who are about to age out of foster care.
Children in foster care age out when they are not permanently placed in a home or reconciled with their families before they turn 18. Identify these children and set up classes or workshops to teach them life lessons, such as managing money or cooking to prepare them for life as an independent adult. Help these children develop a plan to finish their education and consider providing scholarships if your state charges for the GED test.

Remember to report what you are doing!
Don’t wait until January to notify me of the good work you are doing. I am often asked to brag about what GFWC is doing as Advocates for Children. I would love to be able to brag about your club, district, state or region.

Feel free to share your Advocates for Children history with me as well. Do you have a project that has been ongoing for many years? How did Advocates for Children begin in your club or state? Have you won any community awards for your efforts? Were you part of GFWC’s adoption of the Advocacy for Children’s week?

Remember General, Junior, and Juniorette clubs may report under the Juniors’ Special Program: Advocates for Children category. Start writing your reports now while it is easy to remember the details of your project. Remember to explain your project in detail so that another club may be able to utilize your project in their area.

Thanks for all that you do in the lives of children during Advocates for Children Week and throughout the year! Mark your calendars for our 2017 GFWC Juniors’ Special Program Advocates for Children Week to be held Sunday, October 23 to Saturday, October 28, 2017.

That GFWC has been a powerful force in shaping national politics, legislation, and even moral standards is no secret. However, our role in molding popular culture and entertainment also presents a formidable history. From our founding in 1890, GFWC clubwomen have seen themselves as harbingers of the arts and public education. When the first motion pictures debuted in America, in the early 1900s, clubwomen saw the new medium as an opportunity for education, and as a natural fit into their already established platform for artistic standards.

The first motion picture footage was screened in France in 1895 by the Lumiere brothers. However, GFWC’s history with motion pictures is even older. In 1889, Thomas Edison developed the Kinetoscope. Unlike the cinematograph, which was used in France, the Kinetoscope was a device that only allowed one viewer to observe the film through a small peephole. Only two years later, Edison, whose wife was a clubwoman, demonstrated his invention during GFWC’s second annual Convention. By 1905, the new art form had picked up traffic, and the first Nickelodeon was opened in Pittsburgh. Taking off at a rapid pace, feature films became a major form of entertainment for Americans everywhere by the start of WWI.

Despite reservations about the film industry, GFWC clubwomen primarily regarded the advent of film as a major educational force. Attending movies got people out of the saloons and into the theater, and was seen to have positive potential. However, the early film industry was unregulated, and clubwomen had quandaries about inappropriate materials. In 1916, GFWC President Anna Pennybacker proclaimed that “no question has aroused more interest among the homes of our land than that of the motion picture. We realize that this institution has come to stay… we realize that it can be made into a great educational force. We also realize that the average motion picture tends to degrade rather than uplift the moral status of the spectator…”

Acting on their concerns, GFWC joined forced with the National Board of Review (NBR) in 1916. A Motion Picture Survey Committee was created, and women were sent into their local communities to take stock of and rate the motion pictures which were available there. However, after campaigning across the country with the NBR for censorship of the movies, GFWC clubwomen realized they fundamentally disagreed on the means of censorship and proclaimed that the NBR was using the support of women’s clubs as a way to provide “camouflage to the industry’s evils.” In 1918, GFWC clubwomen were rocketed into a debate about the dangers and necessities of censorship. In a 1918 Clubwomen edition women debated their stances on censorship in personal opinion pieces, and even solicited the opinion of famed director D.W. Griffith.

After a unanimous vote to split with the NBR in 1918, clubwomen continued to campaign for federal censorship of movies on both the local and national levels. Despite its split from the influential NBR, GFWC continued to put pressure on the Motion Picture Industry, and pushed towards a cohesive and unified ratings system. Forming committees, clubwomen regularly screened and reviewed movies, and their recommendations were often printed in the magazine Moving Picture Age. In the 1920s, William Hays, founder of the Moving Picture Association of America, commissioned 10 organizations to sit on the Film Board of National Organizations. Members of the Board, GFWC helped to give recommendations for how to incorporate a unified ratings system. The Hays code, the first national ratings system, was developed to ensure that offensive material was not included in movies.

Under the influence of GFWC, the code remained in place until 1968, when it was replaced with the current ratings system, which granted artists and directors more artistic freedoms. GFWC remained active participants in film review, and in advocacy for educational merit through the 1960s, and its impact is felt daily by the millions of movie-going Americans.