GOSHEN — The Goshen Women’s Club, which has been providing fellowship and camaraderie to women in town for more than a century, is officially a century old.
The club’s constitution was signed on Nov. 28, 1921, during the time period when former Northampton mayor Calvin Coolidge was vice president of the United States. In the winter of 1921 to 1922 one of the members gave frequent talks on China, and the club was given its first name: the Wha Sha Shieu Yuie Club.
In 1933 the club changed its name to the Goshen Women’s Club but the Chinese phrase that made up its original name, which the group says translates to “Seasonal Rain, Timely Shower,” became its motto.
While a 100th-anniversary celebration was originally planned for this time of year, it has been pushed back to the spring due to concerns around the COVID-19 pandemic.
Evelyn Culver joined the social club around 1974, and has been its secretary for more than 20 years. She’s stayed involved for so long because it’s a “fun club” whose members don’t take themselves to seriously.
“If your mom was in it you just kind of joined at the time,” she said.
Another member, Nancy Wood, who joined in 2007, said the group typically meets monthly eight times a year, from September through December and March through June. Typically these meetings take place at Town Hall, and two to three members are in charge of determining the meeting’s program.
“They’re usually a fun time,” Culver said.
The meeting could involve hosting a speaker, doing a craft project, playing games, play performances and poetry events.
“We just hang out together,” said Suzanne Krebs, the club’s president.
The group also does charitable activities, such as making holiday decorations for seniors and collecting for the food pantry.
While the organization was originally set up by young married women, Wood said that membership is currently on the older side, with most members over the age of 50.
Krebs said that she’s the only non-retired member of the club, and she’s retiring next year. She joined the club when she moved to Goshen from California to get to know people in town, and that the camaraderie and women there have kept her in it.
“They’re just sweet ladies,” she said.
Asked about some of her favorite memories with the club, Culver said that the club used to have an event where members would have hors d’oeuvres at one house, a meal at another, and dessert at a third.
“That was always a fun evening,” she said.
Wood said that the current membership of the club is around 25, and that membership requires a small annual fee.
“You don’t have to live in Goshen,” Wood said, with current members living in Easthampton and Chesterfield.
The COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on the club’s activities. After the group met in March of 2020, it did not meet again until a brief meeting this September, though it did hold its annual banquet in October at the First Congregational Church of Chesterfield.
Culver said the club has not yet determined what the celebration for the 100th will be, but some of the women want to do an old-fashioned tea party.
Both Wood and Krebs said that they wanted to see the group continue on.
“We just have to figure out how to get more members,” Krebs said.
Those interested in joining the club can reach out to Krebs at chiperoo38@verizon.net
Bera Dunau can be reached at bdunau@gazettenet.com.