Plains Woman's Club celebrates 90th birthday

PLAINS – The Plains Woman’s Club took a break from serving the community on Tuesday night and celebrated a new milestone for the club – their 90th birthday.

Just ten years shy of a century, the ladies organized their club in February of 1923. Since that date, the women involved in the club have added countless volunteer hours on hundreds of different projects, all of which were aimed at improving the community.

“I think all of us, as Woman’s Club members, can be really proud to know that all this volunteerism happening in the community has contributed to the lives of everyone in the area,” explained member Debbie Heckman.

All the cake and ice cream could not stop the ladies from improving their community – a cause they hold very dear to their hearts. The ladies continued with work as usual and held their monthly meeting, although they kept it short and sweet because there was fun to be had.

A history of the club was provided and a vision of what they strive for was shared.

The motto for the club remains to be, “women working together, sharing time and talents to enhance our community.”

As the meeting continued, Sanders County Coalition for Families and the Plains Woman’s Club will ban together to help bring stockings to needy families in the area.

The ladies will come together after their November meeting to sew at least 40 stockings. Last year the ladies sewed 60 stockings.

Sandy Lane, president-elect of the club, also proposed a 2013 Christmas Lighting Contest in Plains and Paradise.

The residential contest is aimed to keep the spirit of Christmas alive through friendly competition.

Lane said she would help fundraise at local businesses and the ladies approved the new project.

The date for the Christmas Party was also set for December 10 at 6 p.m. at the Paradise Methodist Clubhouse.

Once the business was completed, the ladies did not hesitate to have some fun. After numerous prizes were raffled off, the games begun.

The first game involved teamwork and coordination as two ladies pressed a balloon between their bodies and raced towards the finish line. In a series of frustration, hilarity and cooperation, the ladies one by one crossed the finish line. As the games continued, the telephone game was played as well as a game where a blindfolded participant had to guess who they were touching with wooden spoons.

With laughter in the air, it was certain the ladies enjoyed celebrating their club’s 90th anniversary.

The unity the club had was apparent, as each worked together. Not only can this be seen at the birthday celebration, but this can also be seen on any of the projects the ladies continue to work on.

“I had no idea when I joined a little tiny Plains Woman’s Club that really we do make a difference,” said Lane during the meeting. “There are significant things we’ve done in the past.”

And that work will continue as the ladies help improve their community one project at a time.