Dial Study Club Charter members, Billiefae Sellers, front row, and
Rosemary Bailey, back left, were joined by Helen Mann, the third
president of Dial Study Club, who is the oldest former president,
on Sunday at the celebration tea.

 

Dial Study Club Marks
60th Anniversary With Tea, Sunday

 

by: Bobby McDonald

 

Current Dial Study Club President, Leslie Gregg Harred, conducts the
60th Anniversary Business Meeting and introduces special guests.

 

"Just how few organizations can say they have been making a positive impact in a community for 60 years?" expressed local historian John Sellers, as he addressed the members of the Sulphur Springs Dial Study Club, on Sunday afternoon, as they celebrated their 60th Anniversary milestone. "This organization began as a 'sister club' of the Junior Waverly Club in Sulphur Springs and has an outstanding history of service in our community."

 

John Sellers, local historian, traces the 60 year history of the Dial Study Club, at Sunday's
Anniversary Tea, hosted in the parlor of First United Methodist Church.

 

The Dial Study Club, formed in 1952 began with the following charter members: Mrs. Malcolm Bailey (Rosemary Tucker), Mrs. Lawrence Bergin (Betty Fulmer), Mrs. John D. Bloodsworth (Rose Jean Biggerstaff), Mrs. Lynn Chapman (Mary Jane Wherry), Miss Barbara Craddock, Mrs. William Donahue, Mrs. Troy Jolley (Mary Lynne Hurley Dickerson),
Mrs. John (Janell) Jordan, Mrs. A.D. Kroger (Jean Williams), Mrs. Bill LaRue (Betty Banks), Mrs. Harry Mayer (Nancy Myers), Mrs. Carlton McAnear (Martha Lou Ponder), Mrs. Hugh J. McClendon (Sybil McDonald), Mrs. G.C. McElyea (Mary Lou), Mrs. Wayne McGrady (Alice Mourgos), Mrs. Drew Palmer (Ina Holloway), Mrs. Robert Patterson, Mrs. Frank Pearce (Mary Thornton), Mrs. Charles Sellers (Billiefae Vaden), Mrs. Henry G. Sellers (Veda Underwood), and Mrs. R.H. Vick.

 

 

 

 

Past Presidents of the Organization include: Mrs. Harry Mayer, Mrs. Carlton McAnear, Mrs. Helen Mann, Mrs. Mary Gray, Mrs. Rosemary Baiey, Mrs. Mary Jane Chapman, Mrs. Janell Jordan, Mrs. Mary Caldwell. Mrs. Jeanette Doss, Mrs. Jane House, Mrs. Lena Lou Cherry, Mrs. Judy Gilreath, Mrs. Janice Thomas, Mrs. Essie Pearson, Mrs. Sue Walker, Mrs. Carolyn Keys Stewart, Mrs. Rena Johnson, Mrs. Carol Bridges, Mrs. Ruth Mary Hall, Mrs. Sidney Burgin, Mrs. Patsy Johnson, Mrs. Pam Kennedy, Mrs. Bobbie Phillips, Mrs.Dee Elliott, Mrs. Janette Watson, Mrs. Barbara McKenzie, Mrs. Karen Kelty Partain, Mrs. Linda Eddins, Mrs. Betty Chapman, Mrs. Mary Jane Teetes, Mrs. Lou Ellen Cromer, Mrs. Janie Crump, Mrs. Nancy Rooks, Mrs. Carol Gee, Mrs. Lydia Bryant, Mrs. Deborah Wright, Mrs. Wendy Wolfe, Mrs. Linda Burgin, Mrs. Trish Sellers, Mrs. Carol Worsham, Mrs. Kathy Payne, Mrs. Suzanne Bauer, Mrs. Ann Glaess, Mrs. Charlotte McLeroy, Mrs. Mona Daniel, Mrs. Denise McDonald, Mrs. Sharon Burney, Mrs. Susan Kennon, Mrs. Charlotte Cox, Mrs. Gina Law, Mrs. Suzy Rost, Mrs. Terry Morris, Mrs. Deirdre Cannon, Mrs. Michelle Blackmon, Mrs. Mindy Bell, Mrs. Michelle Wallace, Mrs. Miki Koon, Mrs. Carrie Crowson, Mrs. Suzannah Price, Mrs. Jennifer Carter, and the current president is Mrs. Leslie Harred.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sellers outlined that the organization adopted the motto: "Life without Literature is Death," which was the Waverly Club's theme. Mrs. Joan Longino was the president of the Junior Waverly Club, when they sponsored the Dial Study Club. It was named in honor of Mrs. Gretchen Smith Dial. Members of the sponsoring committee from Jr. Waverly were, Mrs. Christine McCorkle, Mrs. Ruby Jo Craver, Mrs. Frances Thornton, and Mrs. Gwyn Johnson.

 

 

 

One of the early projects of the Dial Study Club was purchasing medical equipment in honor of club member, Mrs. Mary Lou McElyea, who had been afflicted with polio. The club raised $400.00 for a polio hot-pack machine, electric suction machine, and a child's wheelchair, all that were donated to the newly opened Hopkins County Memorial Hospital. "I'm happy to report that Mrs. McElyea did recover enough from the disease, to lead a normal life," expressed Sellers.

Sellers also reminded the group that in their original minutes, they limited the membership to 25 members, and had "stiff" fines to encourage members to make certain that they attended meetings. A fine of 25 cents was assessed if you missed without a valid excuse (death of a husband or child) and if you missed as many as three meetings, you were "graciously" asked to forfeit your membership in the club. Equally stiff penalties were assessed if you failed to fulfill your duties on projects and in officer obligations.

 

 

 

Original officers were: Mrs. Harry Mayer, President; Mrs. Robert Patterson, Vice-President; Miss Billiefae Vaden, Secretary; Mrs. John C. Jordan, Treasurer; Mrs. John D. Bloodworth, Reporter; Mrs. Sybil McClendon, Historian; and Mrs. Veda Sellers, Parliamentarian.

 

 

 

 

Sellers also reminded club members that one of the original projects was a Blood Drive, during the Korean War, when they set a goal of collecting 200 pints of blood, and surpassed that goal by collecting 211 pints in the Mobile Blood Unit effort.

 

 

    

Among the "two-generation" members of the club membership present Sunday were, left Peggy Walker
and her mother Sue Paul, left, and Elsianne Horton and her mother Jerri Graves.

 

Sellers also denoted that the first Hopkins County Dairy Festival candidates sponsored by the Dial Study Club, won the pageant, as they were former Queens Mary Ann Prim Salch and Judy Jackson Deaton, who won the title "back to back" in the 1960's.

 

Charter members of the club, present, were presented with red roses, at Sunday afternoon's tea.

 

   

 

 

Former members joined current members in laughing about many, many of the fun times they have all shared during the 60 year history of the club, as some of the highlights included the many, many Dairy Festival floats the group had built, some of the programs they had shared, and others reminded how that in the 1960's the Dial Study Club was "slow" to change, when mini-skirts became popular.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current members of the Dial Study Club include: Leslie Harred, Missy Caddell, Kenya Singleton, Debbie Stinson, and Jennifer Carter, as officers, and Kim Anderson, Susan Berning, Michelle Bolton, Ginger Brooks, Amber Cody, Tracey Cody, Carrie Crowson, Tammy Dougan, Amy Harden, Ashley Holt, Tami Hood, Miki Koon, Cris Hughes, Leslie Lewis, Christie McCullough, Anne-Michelle Penson, Gena Prickette, Susannah Price, Michelle Wallace, and Kimberly Williams.

 

 

 

 

Congratulations, Dial Study Club,
on 60 Years of Service!!!

 

____