Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on February 10, 1951.
Miss Rockhill Gives Home Ec Club History
CHESTERTON, Feb. 9 ー Mabel Rockhill explained the home economic programs and how they are sponsored to the members present at the Chesterton Woman’s Club meeting Monday afternoon, Feb. 5.
Miss Rockhill, home demonstration agent and graduate of home economics, gave the members a brief history of the organization, giving 1785 as the beginning year when it was a study of agriculture, the society spreading through the states and developing into a research program of problems and continuing until the present day home economics extension clubs.
LaPorte county in 1912 was first in Indiana to have a county agent. In 1914 an act passed by the government to have a government fund provided through taxes sponsor the program. The federal government allocates funds to each state.
Porter county has 31 organized groups of women, about 630 members, besides the 4-H work. Certain trends are noticeable, such as the interest shown by more urban women than formerly. There are two of these organizations in Chesterton, the Duneland and Westchester Homemakers, one meeting in the afternoon and the other in the evening, each with a membership of 16 or 18. The trend is now towards public affairs instead of skills in food preservation.
Each group sends three leaders for program training. Special interest groups study such subjects as tailoring, brighter wash days and plastics. The county council, composed of the presidents of the 31 groups, is given training school to set up programs for the coming year. The council lists topics requested by members, which topics are fully discussed by the council. When the club decides to have training in tailoring all sewing is done at home by assignment. The time of meeting is used for demonstration of correct sizing with pattern fitting.
Each member pays 50 cents a year dues to the organization for expenses of the clubs and makes contributions. Miss Rockhill recalled there were 16 clubs when she first came to Porter county in 1942. Now she is able to visit each club only twice a year and is assisted by a junior or senior girl from Purdue university for six or eight weeks during the 4-H activities.
During the business meeting Mrs. Roy Neelands, president, called members’ attention to the March 19 meeting with Mrs. Charles Dolk speaker on floral arrangements, which had been omitted from the year book. She announced a girl scout tea to be given Sunday afternoon, Feb. 25, in the Lions building. The Woman’s club being sponsors of the girl scouts, members were asked for donations of homemade cookies.
Mrs. A.B. Guernsey, Mrs. Leland Scheets and Mrs. Harold Bartels, members of the nominating committee, took the members, by secret vote, slate of officers and will have the slate prepared for the next meeting.
