While some women's clubs in Mercer County have disbanded, the Woman's Club of West Middlesex is still going strong after 49 years.

The club -- which has 50 members and is still growing -- started its round of fall activities last week with a tureen dinner.

President Cheryl DuMars credited the organization's success with leaving the national federation. All women's clubs were federated, but the national organization kept raising dues and required each chapter to send the president to a convention each year, Mrs. DuMars said.

The Woman's Club of West Middlesex dropped out of the federation, kept dues low, membership up and has continued to do a lot of volunteer work in the community, including maintaining flower boxes around town.

"The good Lord helped us this summer. We didn't have to water much," Sandy Hummel said. Mrs. Hummel joined the club in 1988 after a member invited her to a meeting. After learning about all of the volunteer work the organization does, she decided to join.

Mrs. DuMars said the organization supports the West Middlesex and Shenango Township volunteer fire departments, local playgrounds, the school library, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, the West Middlesex High School yearbook, Prince of Peace Center in Farrell, Community Food Warehouse of the Shenango Valley in Farrell, the town's Santa committee, special-needs groups and local churches.

The club holds various fund-raisers throughout the year, including a card party and Chinese auction -- this year on Nov. 15, a prayer breakfast, a salad bar luncheon and an Easter bunny luncheon. Mrs. DuMars said the club also sponsors a gerontology lunch for senior citizens three times a year.

The club makes care packages for military personnel and college students. As an annual service project, the women give tags with bus numbers on them to the kindergarten and first-grade students at Luther Low Elementary and escort the youngsters to their classrooms.

"We have really good workers here," Mrs. DuMars said. She joined the club 12 years ago after a neighbor invited her to attend a meeting. "The ladies were all nice and friendly and they had a good cause," she said.

"They do so much for the community, and they do have a great group of women," former member Louise Salatine said. "It's really a dying premise."

Sarah Hewitt Allison joined the club about 15 years ago. "I always wanted to (join) but I was working. I just never had time ... You get to mingle with people. I like to help. It's just a nice time. We do things for the community."

Mrs. DuMars said members really want the community to know the club is still in existence and that women from West Middlesex and the surrounding community may join.

You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Kristen Garrett at
kgarrett@sharonherald.com

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