Bellingham Woman's Music Club records, 1917-2009

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Bellingham Woman's Music Club
Title
Bellingham Woman's Music Club records
Dates
1917-2009 (inclusive)
Quantity
9.25 linear feet.
Collection Number
XOE_CPNWS0051bwmusic
Summary
The records of the Bellingham Woman’s Music Club, spanning 1917-2009, document its members’ contribution to Bellingham’s cultural development. The collection includes administrative records, financial records, yearbooks, activities records, scrapbooks, and reference materials.
Repository
Western Washington University, Center for Pacific Northwest Studies
Goltz-Murray Archives Building
808 25th St.
Bellingham, WA
98225
Telephone: (360) 650-7534
cpnws@wwu.edu
Access Restrictions

The collection is open to the public.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for preparing this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the Washington State Legislature to the Washington Women's History Consortium. Funding for encoding the finding aid was awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Historical NoteReturn to Top

The Bellingham Woman’s Music Club was organized February 22, 1916. It provided a forum for its members to perform musical selections and it organized performances by its members and professionals from elsewhere for the benefit of the public. The club was composed of both active members, who performed, and associate members, who were permitted to attend the meetings. By 1924 it was federated with the Washington State Federation of Music Clubs and the National Federation of Music Clubs. The club endeavored to involve itself in the community. Some of these efforts included providing concerts, offering scholarships for membership, and a large donation of record albums to the public library with station KVOS and Western Washington College of Education.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The records of the Bellingham Woman’s Music Club, spanning 1917-2009, document its members’ contribution to Bellingham’s cultural development. The collection includes administrative records, financial records, yearbooks, activities records, scrapbooks, and reference materials.

The Administrative Records, spanning from 1916-2006, include minutes, the club constitution, membership information and presidential records. Minutes contain summaries of meetings, musical selections performed by the active members at the meetings, newspaper clippings, correspondence, and printed programs of the performances and activities the club sponsored. The minute books begin in 1917 and end in 2006. The Presidential Records, 1978-2009, contains binders of records collected and maintained by past presidents and treasurers. Include copies of minutes, budget information, club by-law changes, lists of members, program information, etc.

Financial Records, 1940-2004, contains a treasurer's book as well as materials regarding financial and budget information. The yearbooks, 1917-2008, record the officers of the club and include the events planned for the year. Some of the yearbooks are missing, but can be found pasted into either the minute books or the scrapbooks.

The activities records, 1918-2008, document some of the various activities of the Bellingham Woman's Music Club. This includes: programs of events, information regarding National Music week and the Helen Snelling Memorial Award granted by the club.

The scrapbooks. 1941-1988, include printed programs of musical performances and social activities, photographs, newspaper clippings, and correspondence.

Reference Materials, spanning 1948-2007, include various materials collected by the club including newspaper articles about musicians and club member, manuals and handbooks, and mayoral decrees regarding the club.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Preferred Citation

Bellingham Woman's Music Club records, Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Western Libraries Archives & Special Collections, Western Washington University

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The Bellingham Woman's Music Club records are organized in accordance with the following series and subseries arrangement:

  • Series I: Administrative Records, 1917-1968
    • Sub-series 1. Minute Books, 1917-1968
    • Sub-series 2. Club Constitutions, 1923-1950
    • Sub-series 3. Member Sponsorship Cards, 1960-1961
    • Sub-series 4. Presidential Records, 1978-2009
  • Series II: Financial Records, 1940-2004
  • Series III: Yearbooks, 1917-2008
  • Series IV: Activities Records, 1918-2008
  • Series V: Scrapbooks, 1941-1988
  • Series VI: Reference Materials, 1948-2007

Processing Note

About Harmful Language and Content

To learn more about problematic content in our collections, collection description and teaching tools (including how to provide feedback or request dialogue on this topic), see the following Statement About Potentially Harmful Language and Content

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Series I:  Administrative Records, 1916-1968Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Minutes
1916-1968
Box/Folder
1/1
Minute Book
1916-1919
1/2
Minute Book
1919-1920
1/3
Minute Book
1920-1923
1/4
Minute Book
1923-1925
1/5
Minute Book
1925-1927
1/6
Minute Book
1928-1935
1/7
Minute Book
1935-1942
1/8
Minute Book
1942-1949
1/9
Minute Book
1949-1954
1/10
Minute Book
1954-1959
1/11
Minute Book
1959-1964
2/1
Minute Book
1964-1968
2/2
Minute Book
1968-1978
2/3
Minutes
1985-2006
Club Constitutions
1916-1950
Box/Folder
2/4
Constitutions
1916-1950
Member Information
Additional cards may be found in later volumes of the minute books.
1960-1961
Box/Folder
2/5
Membership sponsorship cards
1960-1961
2/6
Membership Lists
1988, 1993, 2004-2005
Presidential Records
1978-2009
Box/Folder
2/7
President's Binder
1978-1992
2/8
President's Binder
May 1992-1997
2/9
President's Binder
August 1997-1998
2/10
President's Binder
September 1998- December 1999
2/11
President's Binder
January 2000-2004
2/12
President's Binder
September 2004 -December 2007
2/13
President's Binder
August 2008-2009
2/14
President's Correspondence
1979-1986

Financial Records, 1940-2004Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
3/1
Treasurer's Book
1940-1966
3/2
Financial Statements and Budget Information
1984-1990
3/3
Bank Account Ledger
1950-1992
3/4
Tax Form and Piano Appraisal
2004

Series II:  Yearbooks, 1917-1972Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
3/5
Yearbooks
1917-1920
3/6
Yearbooks
1920-1930
3/7
Yearbooks
1930-1940
3/8
Yearbooks
1940-1949
3/9
Yearbooks
1950-1961
3/10
Yearbooks
1961-1970
3/11
Yearbooks
1970-1980
3/12
Yearbooks
1980-1990
3/13
Yearbooks
1990-2000
3/14
Yearbooks
2000-2008

Activities, 1918-2008Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
3/15
General
1990s
3/16
Programs
1918-2008
3/17
National Music Week
1978-1990
3/18
Helen Snelling Memorial Award
1986-1990

Series III:  Scrapbooks, 1941-1988Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
4/1
Scrapbooks
1941-1943
4/2
Scrapbooks
1947-1948
5/1
Scrapbooks
1948-1949
5/2
Scrapbooks
1949-1950
5/3
Scrapbooks
1950-1951
6/1
Scrapbooks
1951-1952
6/2
Scrapbooks
1952-1953
6/3
Scrapbooks
1952-1964
7/1
Scrapbooks
1955-1956
7/2
Scrapbooks
1956-1958
7/3
Scrapbooks
1958-1961
7/4
Scrapbooks
1961-1962
7/5
Scrapbooks
1963-1964
8/1
Scrapbooks
1963-1974
9/1
Scrapbooks
1963-1966
9/2
Scrapbooks
1965-1967
9/3
Scrapbooks
1967-1969
9/4
Scrapbooks
1969-1972
9/5
Scrapbooks
1978-1988

Reference Materials, 1948-2007Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
10/1
Manual of the National Federation of Music Clubs
1979-1981
10/2
Handbooks
1960-1979
10/3
Music Clubs Magazine
1987
10/4
Newspaper Clippings
1948-2007
10/5
Mayoral Proclamations
1981-2004

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Music--Washington (State)--Bellingham--Societies, etc.--History--Sources.
  • Scrapbooks--Washington (State).
  • Women--Washington (State)--Bellingham--Societies and clubs--History--Sources.

Corporate Names

  • Bellingham Woman's Music Club - Archives.