Jo-Ann Boepple: Join the club
Published 12:38 pm Sunday, February 27, 2011
Over the years, the museum has collected papers and documents from some of the clubs and organizations that have been a part of Edwardsburg. Many of the papers and documents are piled in boxes and need some sorting and organization.
It was the thought of the museum to become the caretakers of these items to preserve them for the present and the future. While examining the boxes the museum realized how many clubs and organizations have been a part of Edwardsburg history. But the collection is incomplete because there are many groups that the museum has no information of.
The museum is asking the community to dig into their closets and basement or attics and find us the neglected items that are an example of these clubs and organizations.
The clubs of Edwardsburg that have been identified are The Monday Evening Club, Lions and Lioness Club, Edwardsburg Service Club, Golden Age Club, Edwardsburg Business and Professional Women’s Club, 4-H, Optimist Club, Modern Woodmen of America, Independent Order of Oddfellows, Veterans of Foreign Wars, PEP Club (Promote Edwardsburg Pride), Edwardsburg Chamber of Commerce, Royal Neighbors of America, Edwardsburg Men’s Club, Boys and Girl Scouts, Campfire Girls, Dollars and Sense Club and the Masonic Lodge, Four Lake Country Club, the Eagle Lake Yacht Club and the Athletic Boosters Club.
If there are others, please let the museum know of their existence. The museum is interested in the clubs that were officially organized and had officers, which leaves out bridge clubs, of which there were and are many.
Items of interest are charter papers, anything with the club name on it such as stationery, mementos, etc. Lists of officers are also valuable.
All of these papers and documents will be cataloged and stored in the basement of the museum for anyone who interested in seeing them.
Different members of the museum volunteers are assigned to take responsibility for organizing the papers.
In addition to keep records of the clubs and organizations, the museum is keeping files of community members with information about their accomplishments. These files can serve as help to anyone during a search of their ancestors or working on their family genealogy.
To help with this record keeping the museum is in need of volunteers who can help with the organization of these materials. An offer of help would be greatly appreciated.
Contact the museum which has their office open for the winter on Wednesday mornings.