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Written in 1985 by Claire Hayworth and Lois Spierling
1873 Ladies’ Aid Society organized to 1/22/53
1946 Business Women until 1968
Women’s Guild organized 1/22/53
!973 Combined Ladies’ Aid Society, Missionary Society and Mothers’ Club, i.e. all women’s groups, except the Business Women
By 1968 Women’s Guild had changed to UPW. Apparently, it took several years 1966 – 68. In the 1965 Church Annual Report it is “Women’s Guild” and in the 1966 Church Annual Report it is UPW.
Planning the program “The History of Our Rummage Sale” certainly has been fun for Lois and me. We spoke and wrote to several people, checked past Ladies’ Aid Society, Missionary Society, Mothers’ Club, Business Women, Women’s Guild and UPW records… And searched the back of our minds.
Looking back through old minutes was a wonderful, heart-warming experience. These minutes are evidence of planning and hard work in many, many areas of our church’s life. Trying to read ONLY about the rummage sales was difficult. I found a wonderful history of the Ladies’ Aid Society, which began in 1873 signed by Mrs. William B. Mead, which contains a poem, written by Miss Elizabeth Barrett. One line of the poem reads “from aprons and tidies, from ice cream and cakes, from bag sales and rag sales, the shekels she takes.” This poem was a tribute to the Treasurer who served 25 years. Mrs. Mead’s report ends with this paragraph: “I am sure, with me, you will want to give all praise and honor to the dear women of 1873 and the years that have followed, who have worked so nobly with their minds, hands and means in helping to establish and sustain this beautiful Presbyterian Church of Katonah.” (Our church was organized November 17, 1872)
I think bag sales and rag sales must have been rummage sales. Now since we don’t want to be here until supper time, I will jump from the 1870’s to the 1957 Women’s Guild minutes which state, and I quote: “Mrs. Blanche Jones reported that the attic in the Church House had been cleaned (Georgia Jagemann, Secretary).” I don’t think this had anything to do with storing rummage, but it made me laugh when I read it.
In 1958, Mrs. Mueller requested posters for the rummage sale. Miss Marjorie Van Tassell asked that we be sure to remove these ten posters as soon as the occasion is over. (Nothing has changed.) Also in 1958, the Rummage Sale is to be held in the new Fellowship Room. Workers will have free coffee during the sale. Refreshments will be sold to the public.
1959 This year we again tried to keep our money raising projects at a minimum and rely on our voluntary contributions as much as possible – 2 rummage sales and 1 dinner were held.
1960 A motion was made by Mrs. Mueller that workers be allowed to purchase items at price and one half – motion carried 19 in favor and 5 opposed. There were two sales that year with Emily King and Nancy Niles chairing the spring sale, and Mrs. Peter Kopp and Mrs. Robert Hier, the Fall sale. The question was raised “could the sales eventually be dispensed with entirely?”
1961 Betty Tameris, Secretary showed in the minutes that Mrs. Schuyler of Ways & Means reported
$595.38 has been made on the fall Rummage Sale. The committee was Mrs. Schuyler, Mrs. King,
Mrs. Niles, Mrs. Howard. Mrs. Kopp, Mrs. Richey, Mrs. Norem and Mrs. Read.
1962 the Ways & Means chairman brought up the fact that the Presbyterial Meeting to be held at our church on October 1 will conflict with getting ready for the Rummage Sale October 5 & 6. Discussion took place on how best to meet this situation. Mrs. Read started taking names for those to help or act as chairmen for the rummage sale.
About here in my note taking while researching the files I jotted down some words which I had read over many times, words which tugged at the heart…
Plans to purchase a meat slicer, gravy bowls, potato peelers (we must have had big dinners featuring meat and potatoes), prison parties, plans for redoing the Fireside Room and the new Library, cards sent to those we were concerned about, child care, sewing, bazaars, note paper, stationery, hats, jewelry sales, Mission Crafts, cookbook, cards, wrapping paper sales, dishes, silverware, coffee urns, hot plate silver tea service, towels, punch bowl, sewing machines, layettes, World Day of Prayer, personal calls on women asking them to belong to the Guild…..and lots more.
1963 December – the Haworths move to Katonah and attend the Presbyterian Church! Mrs. Grant of Ways & Means reports $850 made on the Rummage Sale of 5/13.
1964 Vicki Normen announced that a committee had been selected and that rummage was already accumulating. The Senior Highs will sell coke, and the possibility of a good sale was discussed.
1966 Joan Boyd chairs the rummage sale and we profit over $1,000. 42 women work
1967 Virginia Young chairs the sale. No bake sale……a photographer comes, but no pictures are published. An urgent request was made for good, clean, reusable items. Mrs. Gaskell distribute material for those wishing to make posters.
1968 ……and I remember it well. Virginia Young, president, asks Claire Haworth to be rummage chairman, saying that it’s not that big a job (WRONG!) and that you have a lot of support (RIGHT!) Kathy Ferguson joins me as co-chairperson….and I begin my life as a junkie…or as Jim says, “the Rummage Queen.”
1969-71 Emily King, Annetta Dunkle and I chair. One of those years I helped chair the sale by remote control from my bed having done terrible things to my back.
1971 Suggestion is made to have men help Sunday before the sale.
1972 Emily King, Lois Spierling and I chair.
About this time since the sale was continuing to grow since 1873, we began to worry about “what if Mr. Veech doesn’t come to take away or leftover rummage?” And one year, the worst happened and in desperation we had to load the leftover rummage into the garbage truck….and in the middle of a downpour. This caused many people, including neighbors, to be very upset. About this time day care is here and we displace them, not only for our rummage sale but for the KVIS rummage sale and a sale another organization held in our Fellowship Hall. This was the end of all sales except for our yearly sale.
1973 Elfriede Ludwig and Ruth Masters and I chair, and about this time Marion Mills makes the suggestion of adopting theme colors to signify rummage – yellow and black are chosen!
1975 Joy, Joy, Joy! The Salvation Army comes to our rescue by taking away our leftover rummage and 1985 marks the 11th year.
The Rummage Sale grows and so does our understanding of why we give so much time and effort to Rummage. We don’t think of rummage as a money-making project……but as a practical and enjoyable way of supporting the mission, making God’s love visible through rummage.
1977 Marily Sanko and Claire are chairpersons
1978 Claire goes it alone! But not really.
1979-83 Claire and Betty Hanway co-chair and make some major changes which make the growing sale easier to manage. In 1983 we add written job descriptions for all the miscellaneous jobs that need to be done.
1984 Claire and the 45 Job Chairmen oversee the rummage sale with the strong support of the Board, the General UPW membership, and the whole church.
Profits are now in the $12,000 range. We have our own tables and racks, and don’t have to borrow from other organizations. We have the use of the office copier to make our advertising signs, we feed our workers, we get appraisals on our finer rummage so we can properly price, we telephone the entire church family asking people to get involved in this wonderful event, and we tell all buyers what our mission concerns are so they know what we do with our income.
To quote Miss Elizabeth Barrett, “I am sure, with me, you will want to give all praise and honor to the dear women of 1873, and the years that have followed, who have worked so nobly with their minds, hands and means” and we would like to add: in the name of Jesus and in His honor and for His Glory. Amen
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