Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-12-04
Musical Club
One OF Oldest
II Grand Forks

August q. 1893. an Informal meet
ing OF 4 few women interested IN
Musical matters was held In the home
of Mrs. w. a. Gordon"-so begins the
first hit OF record concerning the
present Thursday Musical club of
Grand Forks which has been func-
tioning in this city for the past "a
years. and it's history from that time
TO this has been most interesting from
the standpoint Of accomplishments.
As indicated above. the organization
meeting Of the Thursday Musical club
was held in 1898. and ut that time.
there were 80 women who went down
in the record pages of the society az
the charter members. the pioneers In
the musical life OF Grand Forks. OF
this list, many are now dead: stu
Others are living at distant points; and
vet a few are Of the present day local
citizenship. The charter membership
included these: Mrs. W. A. Gordon.
Mrs. John Cochrane. Mrs. NJ. A. Bran
non. Mrs. ]. D.. Bacon. Mrs. c. T.
Kittredge, Mrs. ]. H. Bosard, Mrs. w.
W. Remington. Mrs. Charles Bronson.
Mrs. W A. Currie. Mrs. r. B. Foster.
Mrs. F. s.. Sargent. Mrs. ]. Nelson
Kelly. Mrs. George A. Thomas, Mrs. j.
F.. Cooley, Mrs. r. B. Holmes. Miss
Minnie Mix (now Mrs. w. e. Fuller).,
Mics Jeanette Freehafer (Mrs. W. IL.
Shulze). Miss Virginia Booker (Mrs.
Frank DeCamp). Miss Christine
Roller. Miss Florence Bosard (Mrs.
Sidle Lawrence). Miss Mabel Richard
son. Miss Marie deBryn Hops (Mrs.
Ralph Turner). Miss Frances Calvert
tMrs. W. H. Thompson), Mrs. James
Elton. Mrs. Carrie K. Lewis, Mrs. f.
D. Allen, Mrs. 8. s. Titus, Mr.. E. T.
Lander, Mrs. Frank Ellis. Mrs. II.
Bendeke, Mrs. Nellie Fritsche, and
. Mrs. E. NJ. Epson. OF these. there
are but three who still hold member
ships in the club. these being Mrs. w,
e. Fuller. Mrs. j. Nelson Kelly and
Mrs. E. J.'Lander. !
Purpose.
The Thursday Musical club was or
! ganized for the purpose of giving the
members ar opportunity to study the
/! history Of music and to lear tho
standard symphonies. and in the con-
stltution which was framed some time
later. the object was set forth thus:
The object Of this club shall be to
promote the knowledge and enjoy
ment Of good music"
AT the first meeting. Mrs. c. T. KIT
redge was elected to head the society.
and Mrs. w. A. Gordon was named
vice president. Miss Florence H.
Bosard was elected secretary-treas-
AfcI. lNVSe "Ilo pdTLlCtpaleO III lFe
: nHst regular program were: Mrs.
Kelly. Mrs. Foster, Miss Calvert, Mrs.
Lewis. Mrs. Kfttredge. Miss Booker.
Miss Bosard, and Mrs. Gordon.
Joins City Federation. -
perhaps the next epoch in the
history of the club was marked by the
Joining Of the Grand Forks city feder-
alton Of clubs in the year 1899, and
from that time forth, the organization
nIQved along. giving and hearing ex-
ce1lent programs, and learning much
concerning old artists and the more
recent ones. Copies Of the programs
given while the club was very young
indicate tina a great deal Of work was
done by the members in preparation
for the programs for they selected the
most difficult compositions to be had
for study and presentation. An in
teresting custom esta hlished at that
line was the n of holding exchange
meetings with Fargo which meant
h a once each year the Fargo club
came to Grand Forks to stage a pro-
gram. and vice versa. Much prepara-
ton preceded these programs, for
there Was rivalry bewteen the two or
g~anizatfons.
IT was in November, 1899 that the
nrst mention. was made Of organizing
either a student membership or q
junior branch of the club, but nothing
developed at that time, and since then,
nothing has been don in the direc-
ton. However, when Mrs. Cecil
Frankel of Los Angeles spoke here re-
Gently. h again raised a similar sug-
Eestion, which makes it possible that
action on this matter may be taken in
the. future.
Tho National Federation.
In 1918. the first year of the presi-
dency Of Mrs. ]. A.. Poppler, the local
club sent the late Miss Adelaide c.
Okell tt the biennial of the National
Federation Of Music Clubs held in
Peterboro. and Miss Okell was at thai
time instrumental in having the Grand
Forks club become federated with the
national organization.
Notable also. is the fact tha the
North Dakota Federation Of Music
Clubs was formed while Mrs. Popplel
was president. and the organization
meeting at which the formation of. the
federation took place was held ir
Grand Forks when eight towns in the
state sent representatives here to take
part in the meeting
The first annual convention Of tn.
North Dakota federation was held IL
October. 1920. and at this time, Mrs
ia. Jard1ne was named president ani
Mrs. Poppler was elected vice presi
dent. Two young ome members o
the Thursday Musical club of Gram
Forks, the Misses Elizabeth Kelly ant
Marie Sattler. appeared on the fedora
ton program that year, and sine
then, Grand Forks has taken a promi
nent part in musical meetings in tn
stale. h club aided materially fl
making a success Of the Music hesriva
held in Grand Forks last May unde
tho auspices Of the North Dakot;
federation.
Membership. !,
I'm the year 1921. the Thursda;
Musical club had a total :membershi
e 100. and at the close OF, this month
It I'm believed llkaly that the enroll
,left will have reached the same fs
Hreswhich means that there has bee
4 growth Of more than 800 tper Ger
within h period OF the clubs life
tins Mrs. E, j. Lander is a TIL
E2 fir1e the club president, and with lie
fheGshoficers are serving: Mrs. Pal
ARARRaaa naaAaa0A