Arranged and described by Brenda Howitson Steeves
January 2010

Collection title: Neeburban Club Records
Collection number: MS 361
Dates of collection: 1901-1992
Size of collection: 2 boxes

History

The Neeburban Club, a women’s club in Old Town, Maine, was founded in 1901 to “promote the intellectual growth of its members, and to encourage an interest in the social, civic, and moral questions of the day.” Its name comes from a Penobscot Indian word meaning “Northern Lights.” In 1902 the club was admitted to the Maine Federation of Women’s Clubs. A suggestion by the state federation that women’s clubs become involved in civic affairs led the Neeburban Club to take as an early project the condition and use of the Old Town City Hall. Other projects followed including enlisting support for all-night street lighting, fire escapes on school buildings, a summer camp for needy children, help for a school lunch program, and the planting of trees as memorials for those who had died in World War I. During the 1940’s emphasis turned to support for the war effort; the 1950’s reflected the interest of members in gardening, art, music, etc. For the U.S. Bicentennial, the club collected items for a display and provided financial support for the Old Town Museum; during the 1970’s and 80’s they also recommended bicycle safety legislation, promoted recycling efforts and supported drug education and a shelter for abused women and children.

Scope and Content Note

The collection contains administrative records of the Neeburban Club including minutes of meetings, 1901-1978, a club history, and yearbooks listing names of members and activities at monthly meetings, 1902-1992. Also included are scrapbooks kept by club officers from 1983/1984 to 1991/1992. A few publications from the Maine Federation of Women’s Clubs are also found in the collection reflecting the Neeburban Club’s affiliation with that organization.

Contents of Boxes

Box 1

Folder

1 Constitution and by-laws

2 The Neeburban Club of Old Town, Maine compiled by Barbara Conners, Anna Wareing, Harriet Woodsum, Dec. 1989

3 Annual reports, 1926-1936

4-8 Minutes of meetings, 1901-1953

9 Minutes of meetings, 1968-1978

10 Meeting agendas, 1989, 1990

11 Hospitality Committee, 1959-1960

12-19 Yearbooks, 1902-1992 (with gaps)

20-22 Scrapbooks, 1983/1984-1985/1986

Box 2

1-6 Scrapbooks 1985/1986-1991/1992

7 Memorabilia

8 Newspaper clippings re Neeburban Club, General Federation of Women’s Clubs, Maine Federation of Women’s Clubs

9 Children’s International Summer Villages, 1990, 1991

10 Maine Federation of Women’s Clubs (MFWC) directory, 1989-1990

11 MFWC newsletters, 1989-1992 (with gaps)

12 MFWC convention information, 1989-1991

13 MFWC information packet

14 Prominent Personalities in the Maine Federation of Women’s Clubs, 1962, 1988

15 General Federation of Women’s Clubs. Guidelines for writing club histories