Palisadian., 1923-09-21
EIGHT women AT FIRST
MEETING OF THE CLUB
CIiffside Park Women'S Club
Always Interested in Edu-
Cational Matters.
BY MRS. GEORGE DONALDSON

dian are almost twins" for the for
mer is IS years old this year, just
year ahead of it's local paper, and the
two have always been close friends,
working together for the interests of
the town.
The organization of the Woman's
Club was the result of the dissatis-
faction and discussion of two women
in Edgewater Heights Park in regard
to over-crowded school conditions and
other discouraging features.
From the first meeting-with eight
women-the numbers and interest
grew, and the keynote, as expressed
in that first meeting and incorporated
in the constitution, was to be "a
knowledge of public instruction and
schools in the state of New Jersey"
the club became Immediately active
in study and school visits, and when
only six months old gave a reception
for the teachers, then when less than
year old accomplished what seems
to have been unique feat, the like of
which has never since been equaled in
our town-it, with the aid of the Town
Improvement Society, put woman on
the Board of Education, and she
proved well worthy of that honor, and
the club was then we'll represented in
school activities with it's members on
the board and the building committee,
another member as the school medical
inspector, and the husband of another
member as the school architect
In committees, we visited the
schools each month, we visited school
sites, became acquainted with the
teachers at little parties which we ar
ranged Tin our educational commit
tee), we exerted our influence for a
new school and our annual reports
stress our influence, direct and indi-
rect, on the improvement of school
conditions
Our annual reception was, for years,
an impressive function, at which our
husbands, the Board of Education, the
teachers and ministers, were our
guests.
A summer school and winter sew
ing classes were held for several
years; two fine pictures have been put
in the schools, one quite recently, and
mothers meetings were established
and held for a number of years,
through the influence of the club.
Prizes were offered in the upper
grades of the several schools for the
best and second best essays on town
improvement. and the winning essays
were published in the Palisadian. the
prizes being books chosen by the win
ners. 1t was through the Town I'M
povement and Public Health Depart
ment that the schools were first open
for free entertainment and meetings,
for four public health lectures with
prominent speakers, musical and lit
erary programs, etc, and a New Year
community service in which all the
church choirs sang selections.
borough relief room was estab-
lished, aid given to poor families,
baby welfare station maintained,
story telling evenings for the children
in Cliffside, and, later, the United
Charities organized, which did such
splendid work for years, and was re-
Gently merged into the Red Cross.
The women of the club met weekly.
with the Cliffside and Fairview
women, and mended garments, do
mated, which were then sold for
nominal sum, and these rummage
sales are still held at times.
Children's gardens, with an exhibit
in the Fall and appropriate prizes.
were feature in town improvement,
and the Sane Fourth celebration was
established with games, races, free
refreshments; then given over to the
town council and maintained for
number of years.
Town Cleaning Week. one of the
valuable features in the borough, was
begun by the clubs Town Improve
ment Department, and the members
did heroic work for years, notifying
every family, getting out circulars,
employing boys, and interesting the
city fathers in the collection, and still
another big work was the enlisting of
the cooperation of the Mosquito Ex-
termination Commission in our town
work, oiling and draining pools by
individual work.
Much effort was put into the
chicken campaign" and the chicken
ordinance was introduced by the club
department, which also. through the
Public Utilities Commission, had the
dangerous trolley tracks put into
proper order, near Hudson Heights.
Rubbish cans were put into streets
and by the post office, at the clubs
expense, and the stone bench for rest
at Columbia avenue and the trolley,
the principal business street, is
lasting club memorial.
In war time, the Red Cross was
largely composed of club members;
Liberty bonds were purchased with
the club house funds, and much work
done for the Tenafiy training camp.
especially for happy Christmas; the
Girls Patriotic League established,
and funds raised for Camp Dix
Hostess House.
The Christmas Seal Drive is, each
year, undertaken by the club. and aid
as asked is given in any enterprise
undertaken by the town or the Citi-
zens' Club, the latest being the sub
stantial sum raised for the Soldiers
Mannrio1 Iacf Fall