by Syble Solomon
Bitterroot Women’s Club has been making a positive impact for the greater good since the first club in the Valley was established in 1903. By the mid 1900’s, nearly every town in the Valley had a women’s club chartered by the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, a national organization with many notable past accomplishments. They sold enough war bonds during World War II to purchase 431 planes, advocated for seat belts, and supported the Women’s Suffrage Movement. More recent projects include advocating for the Family Leave Act, funding libraries for Native Americans, and raising awareness of human trafficking and domestic violence.
Members of the Ravalli County clubs were wives, shopkeepers, and “fine ladies.” Each of the 12 clubs in the Valley had its own focus, but initially the mission was generally related to beautifying their communities or providing a forum to discuss literature, art and current events. However, these dynamic, visionary and strong women also wanted to make a difference. They supported the national projects and collaborated on larger local projects with amazing results.
They successfully demanded that a county nurse be hired by demonstrating at the Ravalli County Courthouse steps. They spearheaded efforts to improve sanitation and healthcare in the Valley and were instrumental in establishing the first community health clinic to provide essential services to underserved populations.
They played a crucial role in establishing the Carnegie Library in Hamilton in 1910 and sponsored book drives and literacy programs throughout the Valley. In addition, they began awarding college scholarships to deserving local students.
In 1979, one unique fundraiser for scholarships by the Corvallis club was selling a self-made map (for $1.50) that could be used by mail carriers and firefighters. Members literally drove on every road in the town to provide accurate names and addresses of every business and home.
In 2009, the GFWC Corvallis Women’s Club was the only remaining club and became the GFWC Bitterroot Women’s Club, representing all the towns in the Valley. As past president Sarah Fry stated, “We want to work with everyone and also maintain the history of the Corvallis Club. Any woman with a passion can find a place in our club. She may join an established project or we will work with her to best use her passion to help others, raise money, or enrich our club in other ways. Every woman is welcome. Many hands make light work, and it’s a place where everyone can make friends.”
Many club traditions have stood the test of time and have been adapted as needed. They still take great pride in beautifying Corvallis with eye-catching seasonal planters. They also support environmental projects like river clean-up efforts, tree planting campaigns and educational programs on sustainability and conservation. Their initial efforts to impact health have endured with projects related to mammogram awareness and participation in health fairs, vaccination drives and wellness programs. The scholarship initiative now awards $1,000 each to seven graduates of the county high schools and the interest in education and literacy now extends to babies. By collaborating with the Bitterroot Public Library and Bitterroot Health, they provide a packet to parents of all newborns with a baby book, important parenting information and registration information for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library so babies can begin receiving free books every month starting at birth.
For more than 100 years, the club has started the Corvallis school year by welcoming the teachers back. Initially, they hosted a tea for the 12 teachers and today they provide homemade desserts for over 200 teachers.
During both World Wars, members played critical roles in supporting the war effort, from organizing Red Cross activities to hosting bond drives. Now they support vets and service members by honoring them at the Corvallis Memorial Day Parade and use that as a fund-raising opportunity by selling plants and pies.
Today’s club continues to add new projects initiated by members’ own interests and requests from the community. One example was donating used mascara wands to an organization rescuing birds after an oil spill. Another was to deliver handmade valentines from Sula to Florence to all essential workers in the community and the Bitterroot Health system to thank them for their contribution.
Samples of other activities include volunteering at the ministerial community dinners and donating food to Haven House, blankets for the animals at the Humane Shelter, materials for children’s programs at the Darby Library, decorated pumpkins to residents in assisted living and diapers to food banks. Their donated baked goods and crafts and volunteer time help support many community events. This past year, they raised money for Loads of Laundry, to give homeless and low-income neighbors the opportunity to have clean laundry and receive shower vouchers without having to sacrifice other necessities.
The Bitterroot Valley is fortunate to have their endless energy and support. Interested in collaborating on a project, donating, becoming a member and having a great time while making a difference in the community? Visit their website at gfwcbitterrootwomansclub.com or call Sarah Fry at 406-544-9269 for more information. Meetings are the second Saturday of the month at the Presbyterian Church in Hamilton.