Community Service
Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness and Prevention Signature Program
Juniors’ Special Program:
ADVOCATES FOR CHILDREN
Arts and Culture
Civic Engagement and Outreach Community Service Program
Education and
Libraries
Environment
Health and Wellness
2022-2024 GFWC-WI President's Special Program
Arts LIVE!
The President’s emphasis is “Arts LIVE!” This program is a collaboration between GFWC-WI and each club to encourage the support of non-professional performing arts. What a marvelous way to intertwine our passion for service, to share the GFWC name and mission in our communities, and to utilize a portion of GFWC-WI resources and directed donations in direct support of our communities.
Music, dance, humor, and performance all enhance our lives and raise our quality of life. I encourage our clubs to think of creative ways to support performance in each of our towns and cities. It will bring joy and purpose to our neighbors and to the work we do. I genuinely look forward to reading your reports for non-professional performing arts. What a joy we will be to our towns!
Nancy Dickman, 2022-2024 GFWC-Wisconsin State President
Sue Bessert, State Chairwoman
For ARTS LIVE Fact Sheet and Reimbursement Form, click here.
For additional resources for the program, please click here.
CLUB'S INTERESTS
Princeton Public Library
The Women’s Club organized the first Princeton Public Library on March 11, 1933, with 110 books borrowed from the Wisconsin Free Library Commission and a few books donated by club members and other citizens.
Mrs. Olive Doyle, a Women’s Club member, was the first librarian
and served for many years, donating her services.
The first year the library was located in the upper rooms of the
Nickodem building (now 545 Water Street). Later, it was moved to more
spacious quarters in the upper story of the Dr. A.F. Giese building (now 427 Water
Street). The rooms were redecorated, and interested people made shelves,
and donated drapes, chairs, and tables.
With added costs of utilities for the larger place, the city began
contributing in 1935.
In 1947, we had a Tag Day which netted $128.00 for the library.
In March 1948, the library moved to the downtown Stern building,
which Mrs. Adeline Stern donated to the City in 1965 as a memorial to her
late husband, Hugo, and herself.
That location served many years until in 1985 funds were raised to build a newer, larger, and more modern library.
The Women’s Club still includes the library in its annual budget for a cash donation.
Senior Health Scholarship
In 1950, we offered an educational scholarship of $25 to a senior girl furthering her education, preferably in nursing. Presently we give a $500 scholarship to a senior who is going on to a career in the health field.
Princeton Chamber of Commerce
Princeton Women’s Club is a member of the Princeton Chamber of Commerce and hosts the food booth at Princeton Flea Market .
Domestic Abuse Services
The Princeton Women's Club helps support the Christine Ann Center in Oshkosh, WI by holding a supply drive in October in support of domestic abuse awareness.
THE DISTRICT & STATE LEVEL
Helen Farnsworth Mears Art Contest
The Helen Farnsworth Mears Art Contest is implemented at the club, district, and state levels. This is an annual art contest for 7th and 8th-grade students - public, private, and home-schooled - is unique to GFWC-WI. It was begun in 1927 to honor the memory of sculptor Helen Farnsworth Mears, born in Wisconsin, to encourage artistic talent, and to recognize the achievement of student artists.
Local art contests are held in February/March. Winners' submissions are then taken to the Spring District Conventions for judging. Winning artwork from the District judging (1st, 2nd, 3rd place) proceed to the third level of judging at the GFWC-WI State Convention. The winners whose artwork placed first, second, or third in the state final are exhibited at the Oshkosh Public Museum for the summer exhibit and will be packed and sent to the winners’ homes by the museum’s curator. Some of the winners have also had their work shown in the offices of their state senators/representatives.
WISCONSIN'S OWN LIBRARY
This library is a special collection of books (hard and softcover) and pamphlets each written, edited, or compiled by a Wisconsinite, either born in the state or who has established residency in the state at some time in his or her life.
In 1949, Mrs. Oscar Rennebohm, wife of the state’s 32nd Governor, thought it would be a great idea to collect books written by Wisconsin authors. She started the collection in the Executive Mansion. When the collection outgrew this location, she persuaded the Wisconsin Federation of Women’s Clubs to become the contributing sponsor. The library has been a project of our organization since 1950.
The Wisconsin Federation of Women’s Clubs moved the collection to the 2nd floor of the Humanities Room of the then-new Memorial Library at UW-Madison. When it became too large for the facility, it was housed at the State Historical Society in Madison where it remained from 1967 to1980. It was moved to UW-Milwaukee to the Resource Center Library of Information and Science. However, it was not housed properly there, as the room had steam heat and no controlled humidity. Therefore, it was moved to the beautiful Colonel Robert H. Morse Library on the campus of Beloit College in Beloit, Wisconsin.
“Wisconsin’s Own Library” stayed at Beloit College until they asked our Club to find a new home, as their own collections needed the space our collection used. Once again GF-Wisconsin Federation of Women’s Clubs searched for a new home. The Federation was very pleased that Lane Library at Ripon College in Ripon, WI was interested in housing our collection.
The collection is open to the public and these books can be checked out for your enjoyment. As members of GFWC-WI, we all have a stake in keeping this collection going and expanding the books in the collection.
Link to Wisconsin's Own Library
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
GEORGE WASHINGTON MEMORIAL FOREST GFWC-WI
"Trees for Tomorrow"
In 1932, the government agreed to set aside 270 acres in the Argonne National Forest, now a part of the Nicolet, as a reforestation project. The U.S. Forest Service provided the site, seedlings, and protection on the condition that GFWC-WI (then known as WFWC) finance the planting and continue the maintenance of the forest. The money would be raised through the clubs. A sign was erected and the George Washington Memorial Forest was dedicated to the Wisconsin Federation of Women’s Clubs (now known as GFWC-Wisconsin).