Women’s Club Celebrates 130 Years

by Deborah Trefts on August 2, 2019 1.87K views

Clemens Reiss, left, looks on as Auctioneer C. Wesley Cowan, of PBS’s Antiques Roadshow, talks about the pair of miniature portraits he brought to the Tent Sale organized by Chautauqua Women’s Club Friday, July 19, 2019. VISHAKHA GUPTA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
President of the Women's Club, Barbara Brady gives a speech in honor the history of the Chautauqua Women's Club during the 130th anniversary cocktail celebration, on Saturday, July 20, 2019 in the Women's Club House. MHARI SHAW/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
From left, Sam Fletcher, 6, and Annie Fletcher play a lawn game during the Chautauqua Women's Club 130th Anniversary Tent Sale on the Women's Club lawn Sunday July 21, 2019. SARAH YENESEL/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
The Chautuaqua Women's Club held a tent sale to celebrate their 130th Anniversay. Chautauquans had the opportunity to buy jewelry, antiques, and art, as well as enter a raffle to win a Lottery Christmas Tree, which had $50 worth of scratch off tickets on it on July 20, 2019. ALEXANDER WADLEY/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Melanie Coughlan takes a look at one of the paintings for sale during the Chautauqua Women's Club 130th Anniversary Sale where antiques, jewelry, and art could be bought on July 20, 2019. ALEXANDER WADLEY/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

In rain and sunshine, the Chautauqua Women’s Club celebrated its 130th anniversary and largest 2019 fundraiser with four events over the July 19 weekend. Over 33 consecutive years, through 2018, CWC has donated nearly $1.6 million in student scholarship funds to Chautauqua Institution, making them the largest fundraisers among on-grounds, independent organizations. On Friday afternoon, Wes Cowan — a long-time PBS “Antiques Roadshow” appraiser and the week’s Contemporary Issues Forum speaker — evaluated 20 items in a “Roadshow”-like event that concluded with a reception. Saturday and Sunday featured a silent auction of antiques, crafts, jewelry and other donated items. Seventy pies from Westfield’s Portage Pies were added on Sunday, as were activities for children. The 130th Anniversary Cocktail Celebration honoring the CWC’s past, present and future occurred Saturday evening.

The author Deborah Trefts

Deborah Trefts is a policy scientist with extensive United States, Canadian and additional international experience in conservation. She focuses on the resolution of ocean and freshwater-related challenges and the art and science of deciphering and developing public policy at all levels from global to local.