Rockford Monday & Tuesday Clubs

History of the Rockford Monday Club The charter members, Mrs. Janette Van Deusen, Mrs. Mary Van Deusen,  Mrs. Whipple, Mrs. Mary Moe and Mrs. Mildred Fisher, originally formed  this literary society at a quilting party at the home of Mrs. Janette Van  Deusen in 1898. The name Jericho Ladies Club was selected and  membership was limited to residents of the west side of the river. Their motto  of "Mutual Improvement" has remained unchanged. However, in a few years  it was decided to withdraw the boundary line and to rename the  organization the Rockford Monday Club, since it had met on alternate Mondays  from September to May from its inception. The club has maintained an active  membership of about twenty-five and continues to meet bi-weekly with a  definitely arranged program which provides topics and discussions of  worthwhile interests. History of the Rockford Tuesday Club Several women composed the Thimble Club, a needle-work organization  when Rockford was yet young. To Mrs. Ida Bailey, one member, came the  thought of making this a literary group. The idea grew and finally took  form, in 1895, when the Hypatia Club was organized by Mrs. Bailey, who was  immediately elected the first president of the new club. There were originally fifteen members of which five were the officers.  The club name was soon changed to Tuesday Club, as it has remained to  date. In 1905, the Tuesday Club became part of the Kent County  Federation of Women's Clubs. Mrs. Emma Hessler is the only surviving charter member who is still  active in the club. The active membership list for 1939 totals  forty-three, associate membership - three, and honorary list - thirteen. Seven officers, seven department chairmen, three committees, and four  division leaders, all co-operate to make the Tuesday Club very  worthwhile. Regular meetings are held on the first and third Tuesday of each  month. One of the outstanding things done by this society, was the raising of  two hundred dollars toward a library. When the question was ballotted on publicly, concerning the founding of  a public library, the Tuesday Club members staged a house to house  canvass of the town, urging each woman to vote in favor. The result was the  establishment of Rockford's first public library. A most enthusiastic woman's organization is the forty-four year old  Tuesday Club in this Rockford's Centennial Year.