By Rhonda Davis
Just one year shy of its 40th anniversary, the Twin Cities Woman’s Club recently voted to dissolve. After the last official luncheon May 25 and upon conclusion of all business responsibilities for the fiscal year 2021-2022, the club will cease to exist.
“Dissolving the woman’s club was not an easy decision,” says Kissy Gordon, current TCWC president. “Many of the members have known each other for years and worked hard to make a difference in our community. Burnout, age, illness, death, relocations and covid paid a toll on the organization.”
The Club was originally part of the Florida Federation of Women’s Clubs. It met April 10, 1983, under the guidance of the Fort Walton Beach Woman’s Club to compose bylaws.
The installation ceremony took place May 6, 1983. Charter officers were installed at a ceremony at the Greenhouse in Bluewater Bay. Charter officers were: president, Dot Rivers; vice president, Jane Neiner; secretary, Virginia Crisafulli, and treasurer, Sue Brown.
Members were Sue Brown, Virginia Crisafulli, Sammie Davis, Helen Fritsch, Sara Harris, Evelyn Hollfelder, Gwen Jones, Charlotte Lane, Jane Neiner, Pat Olesak, Midge Reagan, Dot Rivers, Jean Schuller, Roma Shipley and Patsy Taylor. Sue Brown, Virginia Crisafulli and Sammie Davis are still members.
Since its incorporation, the community may remember these 20 women who served as president, with several serving more than one term: Dot Rivers, Carmelita Neal, Charlotte Lane, Jean Waite, Sue U. Brown, Libby Guzzetta, Lee Johnson, Roma Shipley, Glenda Hudkins, Alyce Katouch, Midge Cook, Jo Ann Dunnam, Annie Fair, Sharron Wade, Barbara Dunn, Dale Fuqua, Lillian Lewis, Lorraine Phillips, Roxanne Anthony and Kissy Gordon.
“The Twin Cities Woman’s Club was such a great group of ladies to work with. We visited the Florida State Capitol and saw politics in action. We attended Woman’s Club Conventions in Orlando. What fun we had,” said Jo Ann Dunnam, longtime member and a former club president.
In 2010, the members chose to leave the Federation in order to devote more time and resources to local community charities.
Throughout their 39 years, the TCWC held many fundraisers such as fashion shows, bake sales, bunco events and poinsettia plant sales. Members also had tables at the annual Methodist Church bazaar where they sold handcrafted items in support of the club’s charitable causes. All this took countless hours of planning and hard work to acquire locations, set-up, door prizes and everything else that goes into creating a productive fundraiser.
“Over the years the favorite charity of the club has always been the TCWC Memorial Scholarship to honor the memory of all deceased TCWC members,” said Dale Fuqua, TCWC treasurer and a former TCWC president. “The scholarship started out in 1989 as assistance to a displaced homemaker with books and tuition at Okaloosa Walton Junior College. Just as the community college grew into Northwest Florida State College, the scholarship fund grew to become the Twin Cities Woman’s Club Scholarship Endowment.” As of 2021, the Club has awarded more than $215,700 to the program. This year, the club plans to contribute another $5,000.
In a 2018 article in the Northwest Florida Daily News, charter member Roma Shipley, also a former TCWC president, reminisced, “Over the years, various interest groups were formed to concentrate on fundraising for special projects or to present fun opportunities for members. Bridge and bunco groups were formed. We had great fun parties at Christmas. We picked up trash on our roads. We decorated and partied and sang with the residents at Twin Cities Pavilion and other care facilities in our community. We entered our arts and crafts in competitions. We participated in Christmas parades. We wrapped presents. We collected items for non-profit organizations. We made things for the girls at Hacienda Girls Ranch. We helped out wherever we were needed.”
Since 2009 club members met every summer to turn and tie ditty bags, which were sewn by Dale Fuqua. Each year more than 700 ditty bags were donated to the Mental Health Association of Okaloosa and Walton Counties. The bags were filled with various personal care and other items, and distributed to clients for Christmas Project Cheer and the Veterans Stand Down.
The Twin Cities Pavilion received particular attention by the club’s special projects committee. Almost every year the committee hosted Christmas tree decoration parties whereby members decorated the Pavilion’s Christmas trees and provided refreshments for the residents. St. Patrick’s Day bingo parties were held every March; and each month a variety of snacks and beverages were donated for residents to enjoy. In addition to these activities, the club made annual monetary donations.
Fuqua said, “A few years ago, I did some research in back records to see how much money the club has donated to nonprofits. In looking through the records to see what needs to be kept with the archives, I found my worksheet again. The grand total on that sheet is $406,626! And if things go as planned the amount should increase by at least $6,000 by the end of May.”
“That number only shows the funds that were recorded in our books,” Fuqua continued. “It doesn’t reflect the countless hours of work, the personal funds or the in-kind/sharing cart contributions (such as supplies, food, toys, etc,) made by our members that did not flow through our bookkeeping system. The ‘areas of interest’ section of our yearbook tells some of the story of our contribution to our community over the last 39 years. It tells of the $323,955 raised by our ‘Spirit Award’-winning TCWC Team for the American Cancer Society Relay for Life. That money did not flow through our books. Nor did the contributions raised for many years by our members for the American Heart Association Heart Walk. So, if you think of all that did not go through our books you know that we can really be proud of the support that Twin Cities Woman’s Club has given our community.”
Since its founding, the TCWC has donated to more than 43 national, state and local charities, including A Family’s Future, Alaqua Animal Shelter, American Cancer Society/Relay for Life, American Heart Association/Heart Walk, CALM House in Niceville, Camp Monarch, Canine Companions, Children in Crisis, Covenant Hospice, DVDs 4Vets, Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center, Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge, Fisher House, Habitat for Humanity, Hacienda Girls Ranch, Healing Paws for Warriors, Heritage Museum of Northwest Florida, Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership, Mental Health Association of Okaloosa and Walton Counties, Niceville Children’s Park, Niceville Eagle Band Uniforms, Niceville Fireworks Fund, Niceville Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce Fireworks, Niceville Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce Student, Oasis, Okaloosa County Council on Aging/Meals on Wheels, Operation Paperback for Deployed Military, Project Graduation, Rock Camp, Safe Connections, Salvation Army, Sew Much Comfort, Sharing and Caring of Niceville, Shelter House, Special Olympics, Take Stock in Children, Twin Cities Woman’s Club Scholarship Endowment, Turtle Watch, Twin Cities Honor Choir, Twin Cities Pavilion Assisted Living Facility, USO, Waterfront Mission, and the Youth Symphony.
