Valley View Women's Club celebrates 100 years

The Valley View Women's Club (VVWC) will be celebrating 100 years, 1924-2024, with an appreciation dinner and party Saturday, Sept. 14.

Festivities include a free dinner (pig roast, hot dogs, salads and dessert), music, a raffle of a quilt made by Shelley Smith, and a door prize of a quilt by Donna Benson. The celebration begins at 4 p.m. Sept. 4, with dinner at 5 p.m. and music during dinner by DJ by Michael Boucher.

Ice tea, lemonade and water will be available, or guests may bring their beverage of choice. Most importantly, members invite the public “to come and celebrate with us.”

The first meeting of the VVWC was held at Dora Forman's home on Sept. 11, 1924. When the club first organized there were 20 to 30 members.

W.C. Vincent deeded the VVWC one acre of land on which the present clubhouse is located in January of 1939. With money earned from many sources, donations made by many businessmen and women, as well as labor donated by Valley View residents, the hall was opened Nov. 4, 1939, with a dance.

In July 1976, Elmer Stark purchased the property and deeded the land to the VVWC. As Berl Tiskus wrote in an article on Nov. 12, 2014, about our 90-year celebration, "If walls could talk" – so many memories.

Thanks to the generosity of the community and businesses, we’ve made many improvements. These include a handicapped ramp, new windows, insulation in the attic, indoor bathrooms, new paint inside and outside, running water (1996), a propane furnace (1995), and a remodeled kitchen.

All of this was possible because of our fundraising, rummage sales, quilt raffles, rentals of the clubhouse and the generous donations from the community and businesses. We are a nonprofit organization, so all the money we raise is put back into the clubhouse for improvements.

We currently have nine members in our club and welcome new members, who do not need to live in Valley View to join. The VVWC meets once a month September to May, the member hosting the meeting also hosts the potluck for the month.

Our oldest member is Pat Hughes at a spry age of 83. Our club has third and fourth generations who are members. Nora Kelly, Flora Bailey and Lovie Bailey, who have passed away, were members for many years. Donna Benson, a member for 45 years, is a third generation. She’s the granddaughter of Nora and Flora and daughter of Lovie. Donna’s daughter, Shelley Smith, is our fourth-generation member.

Our goals now are to paint the inside of the hall, add window coverings, and work on the parking lot and yard; a new roof would be awesome. Monetary donations are always welcome.

We appreciate everyone who supports our rural Valley View Women's Clubhouse. We wouldn't be able to keep it available without the generosity and the help from the community, businesses and club members (husbands too).

The Valley View Women's Clubhouse is available for rent. Follow us on Facebook at Valley View Clubhouse. Call or text Kelly Bailey for more information at 406-260-6164.