Barnette Welfare Workers Extension Club, Boone County, Missouri, Records, 1931-1973 (C3775)

.4 linear feet

INTRODUCTION

Records of a rural Boone County women's club. Minutes and financial accounts of the club are presented in the records. Missing from the documents are record books for 1956 and 1960-1964. Also, there are no separate financial accounts for 1931-1942 and 1971-1973.

DONOR INFORMATION

The Barnette Welfare Workers Records were donated to the University of Missouri by Mary Alice Brown on 15 August 1986 (Accession No. 4731).

ORGANIZATION SKETCH

The Barnette Welfare Workers were organized so that women could meet together to decide how to improve their community. The club was part of a larger network, the Boone County Extension Club group. The club was also called the Barnette Welfare Workers Extension Club, and the Barnette Home Economics Extension Club, and the Barnette Home Economics Club. The club was located in the northwest part of Boone County.

The women met once a month to demonstrate new cooking techniques, new dressmaking designs, and new child-care methods, and to improve community action. The club received instructions (a "loan envelope") for cooking, dressmaking, etc. from their county agent. One woman in the group would then take the envelope home to try the tip out and report to the group what had happened. The envelope was a brochure explaining new procedures; it was returned to the agent so that women in other communities could use it.

The meetings also included roll call, singing, and games. In 1969 the club celebrated its fortieth birthday. At that time there were only four active members. Interesting items to note are that the group gained a clubhouse and that some of the members were involved in the club for over four decades.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The records contain the minutes and financial accounts of the club. Many of the minutes are in pre-printed booklets. The minutes are sketchy and quite formal. Membership lists, arranged chronologically, are included with the minutes. The minutes note events like seed exchanges, holiday dinners, and demonstrations of new techniques for improving family life. The record book format changed with the 1949 issue.

Financial accounts are contained within the minutes or in separate notebooks. These files chronicle the financial transactions of the club. Included are receipts and dues lists. The entries in the financial records do not follow standard bookkeeping procedures. These files are arranged chronologically.

FOLDER LIST

f. 1-7Secretary's Records, 1931-1973 (Record books for 1956 and 1960-1964 are missing)
f. 8-14Financial Records, 1943-1970

INDEX TERMS

These index terms are the subjects, people, places, etc. under which this collection is listed in all available indexes at The State Historical Society of Missouri-Columbia. If you are interested in a specific index term, please contact the reference staff.