GENEALOGY: ARE YOU A DESCENDANT of the United Woman's Club of Concord? Check out the members in the 1910-11 club yearbook.

The United Woman’s Club of Concord (UWCC) is steeped in a long and rich tradition of women who were ahead of their time. The Concord Woman’s Club (http://www.concordlibrary.org/scollect/Fin_Aids/CWC.htm) was formed in 1895 with the West Concord Woman’s Club following in 1902 (http://www.concordlibrary.org/scollect/fin_aids/OH_Texts/womens_club.html)

The original members of the two organizations had the ingenuity to create opportunities for women to share information, enjoy good fellowship, and learn about world affairs. These were amazing and intelligent ladies who would be -- and are--leaders in the community. Many descendants of the clubs founders and members continue to live in Concord and contribute meaningfully to the betterment of life in Concord.

The philanthropic focus of the Woman’s Club today (photo above) is raising funds for three to four scholarships presented to Concord-Carlisle High School students each spring. The funds are generated by the annual Fourth of July spectacular Jewelry Sale at Picnic in the Park and again at the early December Scholarship Fair held every year at the Harvey Wheeler Community Center. Funds are also raised with a used-book corner at Crosby’s Market. Members of the group also create handcrafted teddy bears to be presented to young patients at Emerson Hospital.

The United Woman’s Club of Concord began a new season on Sept. 17 at noon at the West Concord Union Church with an informative talk and gala fashion show of the Downton Abbey era, from the turn of the century till the 1920s. Kathy Booth, Concord Players costume diva, will has showcase the slow but steady liberation of women as the decades went on. Kathy Booth, Anne Bantly, Carol Antos and Liz Bishop modeled the fabulous fashion from that era.

The most important event of the season is the UWCC Fundraising Scholarship Fair, which is also an opportunity for visitors to do holiday shopping. It consists of five tables full of costume and high end jewelry, hand-made American Doll clothes, hand-crafted hostess linens and textiles, hand-made holiday ornaments, hand-knitted mittens, ahnd-made gift tags and stocking stuffers, gift baskets, home-made sweets and treats, attic treasure, clocks and more.

Upcoming UWCC events include:

Oct. 15
Historic New England is the oldest, largest, and most comprehensive regional heritage organization in the nation. It was founded in 1910 to preserve and present the cultural and architectural heritage of New England, from historic properties to humble necessities, from art and artifacts to gardens and furniture. NEH speaker Wendy Hubbard will take guests on Adorning New England’s jewelry collection armchair tour through Historic New England’s jewelry collection with a brief introduction to the major developments in the history of American adornment through an overview of the jewelry pieces in the collection.

Nov. 19
During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), a prosperous merchant surnamed Huang built a stately 16-bedroom house in China’s southeastern Huizhou region, calling his home Yin Yu Tang. Among the many literary interpretations of this name is the desire for the home to shelter generations of descendants. Yin Yu Tang was home to the Huang family for more than 200 years until 1982 when the last descendants moved from the village. It was dismantled in China and re-erected at the Peabody Essex Museum. PEM’s docent, Roberta Neuman, will tell the story.

Dec. 5
UWCC Fundraising Scholarship Fair. 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m., Harvey Wheeler Community Center.

Dec. 17
Elaine Crane of the Greater Worcester Opera Company will put the group in the holiday spirit with a Christmas sing-a-long.

Jan. 21, 2016
National and regional award recipient Kathie Ragsdale, editor of The Concord Journal, will talk about being the editor. Her background includes: adjunct professor of journalism, experience with multi-media journalism and articles about forgotten segments of society from older children awaiting placement in foster homes to villagers in a remote section of Haiti struggling for survival, articles on subjects ranging from New Hampshire’s export industry to the presidential candidates’ positions on health care for Business NH magazine; a travel story for The Boston Globe.

March 17
Kelly Cobble, curator of the Adams National Historical Park, will present a program featuring images of portraits from AMHP collection. The talk will feature the four generations of Adamses that lived in the “Old House” entitled “The Stories Objects Tell: Discover the Adams family through the museum objects, highlight facts and interesting stories from their lives and how objects they lived with reflect their travels, occupations and personal interests.” The program honors a New England family that sent two Presidents to the White House.

Anyone interested in learning more about their club ancesters should to contact lisamankitafay@yahoo.com.

Lisa Mankita Fay is program and publicity chair for the club’s 2015-16 season.