History

WORLD WAR II YEARS

The Monday evening New Wilmington Garden Club was formally established in 1935. The earliest secretary’s notes we have are from May 4, 1942. Let’s take a look at our garden club from 1942 - 1945.

May, 1942 - It’s been almost five months since the bombs were dropped on Pearl Harbor and we entered the war. Franklin Delano Roosevelt is nearing the end of his 12-year presidency. The average wage is $2,000 per year and the price of a gallon of gas is 15 cents. Glenn Miller is making the music that the nation dances to. Americans received their first ration book on the very day of this meeting. Sons and brothers headed off to war, and no one has any idea of how long this all will last.

Garden Club meetings are held in the homes of the members, each hosting as they are able. Attendance is usually between 11 – 19 members, and often guests are present. Dues are 50 cents per year. The cash in the treasury ranges from $3.60 to just under $20. Prospective members names must be submitted by current members and then voted on. Resignation from the club must be made in writing, and is usually accepted with regrets. Roll was called at each meeting and it became a tradition to answer with a suggested topic, such as your favorite rose, ornamental tree, vine, garden book, etc.

As now, the meetings consisted of reports of the various committees, a program of some sort, and refreshments and social hour. Starting in October of 1942 penny collections were taken at each meeting and usually brought in around 60 to 90 cents. Exhibits were often presented, that is, members would bring in flower arrangements to be viewed. Sometimes prizes were awarded for the best arrangement. If you’ve ever read the social pages from old newspapers, you’ll recognize the terms “delicious refreshments were served”, or “a lovely luncheon was enjoyed by all”. These phrases are abundant in the secretary’s notes of this era.

The garden club held a flower show every fall and this seems to be their only fundraiser. Planning for, and discussions about, the flower shows was a topic at almost every meeting.

Common programs consisted, as today, of the growing and care of various plants – roses, peonies, chrysanthemums, and iris, were mentioned., as well as suggestions of useful garden tools and “rabbit prevention”. There was also, at that time, a great interest in foreign gardens. Noted are presentations on English, Bermuda, German, French, and Japanese gardens.

Educational talks were not the only pieces of interest at the meetings. Instead of, or sometimes, in addition to these, there were book or poetry readings, piano playing if the hostess had a piano, stories and talks about travel. The members were excited in May of 1942 when the speaker showed COLOR photos of Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon.

There was a club picnic every summer and December’s meeting was always a Christmas party. The business meeting was usually discarded at these times. The Christmas parties seemed quite nice with the singing of carols, wonderful refreshments, games, and a gift exchange. In November of 1942, the amount of 25 cents was suggested for the exchange that year.

Apparently, New Wilmington was noted for it’s beautiful trees. However, in February of 1943 there was a problem. A quote from that meeting “…some protest should be made with council…concerning the wanton destruction of the trees of New Wilmington…” No other detail is given in the notes. A committee was formed to look into this and to confer with other town clubs. Eventually a horticulturist from Penn State was brought in for consultation. In April of 1945, members were asked to cooperate with a survey of trees in the borough, and a bit later some trees were planted. This committee seems to have been active for quite a long time.

How did the war affect the club? How did they respond?

In July of 1942 “Mrs. Mathews made a motion that flowers be sent during the summer to all mothers who had boys in the service.” This was amended the following month to send flowers only to those mothers living in the borough. Bouquets of flowers would, in turn, be put on the altars of each church in the outlying areas.

A note from February, 1943 – “It was also moved and seconded that our club engage in some regular and definite war work in the form of Red Cross sewing and knitting.”

The first entry in May of 1942 mentions Victory Gardens. Apparently previously, the garden club was going to sponsor a Victory Garden in New Wilmington. That seems to have fallen through and the motion was rescinded at that meeting. Victory Gardens came up again in March of 1943 – and it was decided that “a notice be put in the New Wilmington Globe, urging everyone to have a victory garden if at all possible.”

This was a very generous club. In October of 1943, the $16 that was made from the fall Flower Show was turned over to the local Red Cross. This was repeated in the fall of 1944. In February of 1944 a motion was passed to send $10 of their $17.60 treasury savings to the China Relief fund. In July of 1945 it was determined that the proceeds from the fall Garden Show would be donated to the Deshon Veteran’s Hospital in Butler. It was decided to use the funds to present returning veterans with a booklet entitled “Cheer Up, You’ll Win If You Grin”. Of course, with a card attached saying it was donated by the New Wilmington Garden Club. This was accomplished and the hospital “accepted with gratitude”.