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San Fernando Women's Club Collection
URB.SFWC
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Contributing Institution:
Special Collections & Archives
Title: San Fernando Women's Club Collection
Creator:
San Fernando Women's Club
Identifier/Call Number: URB.SFWC
Extent:
8.56 linear feet
Date (inclusive): 1917-1981
Abstract: The San Fernando Women's Club was
formed as a non-profit organization in 1929, following the combination of several women's
groups, including the Elective Study Club and the San Fernando Ebell Club. The collection
provides insight into women's social and civic lives in the San Fernando Valley during the
twentieth century. The social and charitable activities of the club and its Junior
membership branch are documented through meeting minutes, membership data, reports, press
clippings, and financial records.
Language of Material: English
The San Fernando Women's Club was initially established after the merger of local women's
clubs in 1926, including the Elective Study Club, founded in 1907. The Club became the San
Fernando Cosmos Club after its 1929 merger with the San Fernando Ebell Club, and retained
this title until 1959 when members voted to change the club's name back to the San Fernando
Women's Club. The Junior branch of the club, founded in 1930, followed the pattern of its
parent organization. It was known as the San Fernando Junior Cosmos Club until it altered
its name to the San Fernando Junior Women's Club in 1959.
These clubs were founded with the intention of providing members with intellectual and
social improvement, while also offering opportunities for members to become actively engaged
with their community. Club activities included volunteering and fundraising for the American
Red Cross, the American Cancer Society, the Young Women's Christian Association, and their
own Toy Loan Library. The San Fernando Women's Club is a member of the Sierra-Cahuenga
District of the California Federation of Women's Clubs, part of the national General
Federation of Women's Clubs.
The
San Fernando Women's Club Collection documents the Club's
activities, which largely pertained to drama, literature, and music. The Club underwent a
number of name changes and mergers, and these are clearly documented through minutes of club
meetings and by-laws that indicate the goals of each new club incarnation. The collection
includes newspaper clippings, meeting minutes, financial records, a scrapbook, reports of
club officers, membership lists, yearbooks, and guest books. The collection is divided into
four major series:
Pre-San Fernando Women's Club History
(1917-1929),
Administrative Records (1928-1981),
Financial Records (1946-1970), and
Junior
Women's Club Administrative Records
(1930-1968).
Series I,
Pre-San Fernando Women's Club History, documents
events leading to the formation of the San Fernando Women's Club. The Elective Study Club is
represented by lists of members, applications, a minute book, newspaper clippings, and
reports. The Elective Study Club briefly revived as the San Fernando Women's Club before
combining with the Ebell Club to form the San Fernando Cosmos Club in 1929. Minutes and
resolutions document these changes, as well as the club's meetings and social work. Files
are arranged chronologically by originating club, and then alphabetically.
Series II,
Administrative Records, documents the activities of
the San Fernando Women's Club. This series is divided into two subseries. Subseries A,
San Fernando Cosmos Club (1928-1979) documents the activities of the
San Fernando Women's Club while it was named the San Fernando Cosmos Club. Minutes document
the vote to change the club's name in 1959, as well as the Club's community engagement
activities. Newspaper clippings, a guest book, scrapbook, membership applications, yearly
officers' reports, and yearbooks reveal the club's administration. Subseries B,
San Fernando Women's Club (1950-1981) continues the organization's
administrative records after the club changed its name to the San Fernando Woman's Club.
Files are arranged alphabetically and then chronologically.
Series III,
Financial Records, contains five volumes of
financial information and year-end summaries. This includes ledgers containing records of
donations, expenses, and collected membership dues. The books are filed in chronological
order.
Series IV,
Junior Women's Club Administrative Records,
documents the activities of the San Fernando Junior Cosmos Club, which became the San
Fernando Junior Women's Club in 1959. This series contains by-laws, and largely consists of
yearly reports of the group's participation in "Build a Better Community," an effort to
enhance life in the City of San Fernando. Minute books document the organization's meetings.
The records documenting the Junior Women's Club consist of reports on topics such as
finance, civil defense, conservation, and health. In 1968 the Club filed written
notification regarding the Junior branch's termination. This series contains two subseries,
Subseries A,
San Fernando Junior Cosmos (1930-1959), and
Subseries B,
San Fernando Junior Women's Club (1955-1968).
Folders are arranged alphabetically and then chronologically.
Series I: Pre-San Fernando Women's Club History, 1917-1929
Series II: Administrative Records, 1928-1981
Subseries A: San Fernando Cosmos Club, 1928-1979
Subseries B: San Fernando Women's Club, 1950-1981
Series III: Financial Records, 1946-1970
Series IV: Junior Women's Club Administrative Records, 1930-1968
Subseries A: San Fernando Junior Cosmos Club, 1930-1959
Subseries B: San Fernando Junior Women's Club, 1955-1968
Digital reproductions of selected items in this collection are available electronically as
a part of the
San Fernando Valley History Digital Library
.
Other Information:
The
San Fernando Women's Club Collection was processed in
part through a grant from the National Endowment of the Humanities.
The collection is open for research use.
Copyright for unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of
this collection has been transferred to California State University, Northridge.
Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.)
beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners.
Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the
copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
San Fernando Women's Club, 04/04/1981
For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style
manual, or see the
Citing Archival
Materials
guide.
Michael Kohl and Teena Stern
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Documents
Photographs
Scrapbooks