The Woman’s Club of Matawan continues to assist the community

Helping residents with various projects has been the trademark of The Woman’s Club of Matawan for more than 100 years.

The Woman’s Club of Matawan is a non-profit organization and one of the 195 clubs who are members of the New Jersey State Federation of Women’s Clubs (NJSFWC) throughout the state. The club’s mission continues to be community service, according to the club’s House and Grounds Chairwoman Ann Quinn.

Quinn was the president of The Woman’s Club of Matawan for 13 years and was the NJSFWC state president from 2002 to 2004.

Quinn reviewed the history of the club.

“The call to form a federated woman’s club in Matawan was made by NJSFWC board member and Newark lawyer Beatrice Stern. On Oct. 9, 1915, Stern welcomed six ladies to her home on Morganville Road. A committee was appointed to prepare a constitution and bylaws, the object ‘to found and maintain an organized center of cooperation among the women of Matawan,'” Quinn said.

Quinn said at the Oct. 16, 1915, organization meeting, attended by 30 ladies, the bylaws were accepted and a nominating committee was appointed. The adjourned organization meeting continued at the home of Elizabeth Bruce, on Nov. 1, 1915, at which time the nominating committee reported. Florine Van Wickle was elected the first president and speakers were invited to give suggestions for improvements to the town.

“Motions to print a club yearbook at a cost of $10 per 100 and to join the state federation with 39 charter members were adopted on Nov. 8, 1915. The Woman’s Club was federated January of 1916. At the end of the first year, the club had a membership of 123 active members. Motto chosen was: ‘Love, Loyalty, Cooperation,'” Quinn said.

Members meet every first and third Monday during the months of September through May, excluding official holidays, at the clubhouse located at 199 Jackson St. in Matawan. The meeting is proceeded with a luncheon at 11:30 a.m. with the meeting at 12.30 p.m., according to Quinn.

The club’s historic clubhouse was the lecture hall of the first Presbyterian church, which was built in 1876. Dinners, teas, special programs, theatre trips and rentals are the main source of income and maintenance for the house today, according to Quinn.

“In the summer of 2005, the meeting room was given a new, fresh look thanks to an Eagle Scout project and in 2006 as part of their Gold Award project, five Girl Scouts had the parking lot gravelled,” Quinn said. “Several community groups and many members have also donated items and money to help restore the building.”

The club’s national organization is the General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC), which was founded in 1890, according to Quinn. 

“The original founder was a pioneer newspaper woman, Jane Cunningham Croly, who wrote under the name Jenny June. She was the first woman reporter employed by a metropolitan newspaper to write in the office on a daily basis and the first to serve as a regular correspondent for an out-of-town daily paper,” Quinn said.