Woman’s Citizenship Club celebrates 95th

President Linda Cozart, left, and GFWC Colorado State President Theresa Rudder read the acknowledgement from GFWC International President Mary Ellen Brock congratulating the club on their 95th anniversary./Courtesy photo

ALAMOSA — On December 14, 2018, members and guests of the GFWC Woman’s Citizenship club (WCC) gathered together to celebrate a special birthday.  The club has been in existence for 95 years and has been living the volunteer spirit for all this time!

Originally known as the Woman’s National Foundation which formed in February 1922, the name was later changed to the Woman’s Citizenship club  and on January 24, 1923 the club joined the Colorado Federation of Women’s Clubs and General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC).

The motto of GFWC is “Living the Volunteer Spirit” which the national organization has done since the 1800’s. Known as the oldest volunteer organization in existence, members have been working to better their communities through community service projects like arts, conservation, public issues, international outreach and domestic violence awareness and prevention.

Locally, from the very beginning the purpose of the club was to raise the standard of women’s citizenship.  To accomplish this purpose, national, state and county topics formed the basis of regular programs.  Good citizenship extended to meetings for later that same year, a system of fines was created in which members would be charged .05 for tardiness, .10 for an unexcused absence and .25 for failure to prepare her paper!

In the following years, programs and projects stressed good citizenship, current world, state and local concerns and public issues of many kinds. 

GFWC adopted domestic violence prevention and awareness as their signature project nationally and the club began a strong partnership with Tu Casa that exists to this day.

Some of the many accomplishments of the club have included: Starting the Friends of the Library group, developing scholarships for nursing students at ASU and TSJC, purchasing an Ark from Heifer International, renovating a living space for victims of domestic violence so individuals would not have to go to hotels, supporting the development of the Children’s Advocacy Center through the Pinwheels for Prevention project, helping education efforts through the Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership program for high School sophomores and volunteering at Alamosa Elementary.  Partnering with Hospice del Valle through the Tree of Memories project. Supporting La Puente and the Food Bank Network of the SLV and many more!

Membership has increased this past year and Club President Linda Cozart encourages anyone interested in volunteering to join.  Meetings are held the second Friday at 12 p.m. noon at the First United Methodist Church in Alamosa.  She can be reached at 719-587-0769.

Information about GFWC can be seen on their website at gfwc.org.

In 2018, Theresa Rudder, member of WCC, was installed as the 62nd GFWC Colorado State President.  She will be welcoming club members from throughout the state at the annual Colorado conference which will be held in Alamosa in May of this year.

This dynamic group of women are going strong and will continue to meet the challenges that exist in local communities in the years to come!