Z 2100.000 Little Fortnightly Club (Meridian, Miss.) Records

Z 2100.000
LITTLE FORTNIGHTLY CLUB (MERIDIAN, MISS.) RECORDS

Founded in Meridian, Mississippi, in 1890, the original membership of the Little Fortnightly Club consisted of Ione Kimbrough (later Mrs. Creed Walker), Sara R. Marks, Aimee Reed, and Maude Rothenberg (later Mrs. Henry J. Meyer). They wished to emulate the activities of the adult members of the Fortnightly Club of Meridian. These seven- and eight-year-old girls assumed as their alter egos the characters of Amy, Beth, Jo, and Meg from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. The club met (in character) every other Saturday to produce dramatic, historical, literary, and musical programs. They expanded their membership to twelve in 1891, and the new members assumed as their alter egos various characters from Little Men and Jos Boys by Alcott. The club briefly included a young boy, Louis Threefoot, so that he could play a male role in one of their productions. They drafted and adopted a constitution and bylaws and kept minutes of meetings and records of programs. The club was affiliated with the Mississippi Federation of Womens Clubs in 1903, and it was affiliated with the General (later International) Federation of Womens Clubs in 1909.

As members attained adulthood, the agenda of the club was expanded to include a variety of civic, educational, health, philanthropic, service, and social programs and projects. The club was also active on the home front during World Wars I and II.

This collection contains photocopies of the constitution, bylaws, minutes, program notes, and literary manuscripts from the Little Fortnightly Club of Meridian, Mississippi. It also contains brief histories of club activities from 1890 through 1955. The collection provides an unusual view of the organization, development, proliferation, and impact of womens clubs in Mississippi during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, as well as historical source material on Meridian.

1. Constitutions, Bylaws, and Minutes. 1891-1899; 1915-1925; n.d. 6 folders.

This series contains photocopies of material from six notebooks, including constitutions, bylaws, and minutes of club meetings during the years indicated. The majority of the minutes are handwritten, but one 1921 budget is typewritten.

2. Fireside Club Stories. 1892-1893; n.d. 2 folders.

This series contains photocopies of handwritten stories presented at meetings of the Fireside Club, a forerunner of the Little Fortnightly Club. The "Fireside Weekly" stories actually resemble a newsletter, with topics such as fiction, humor, literary figures, and local news.

3. Programs. 1899-1900; n.d. 1 folder.

This series contains photocopies of typewritten programs of club meetings from October 7, 1899, through May 17, 1900. William Shakespeare was the subject of the programs.

4. Histories. 1941; 1948; n.d. 1 folder.

This series contains photocopies of several different club histories, both handwritten and typewritten. The club histories include lists of officers and members, program notes, and service activities.

5. Scrapbook. [1948]. 1 folder.

This series contains photocopies of a series of eight sketches of fashions worn by club members from 1890 through 1948.

6. Skit. [1955]. 1 folder.

This series includes photocopies of a four-character skit written by Lucile (Mrs. I. A.) Rosenbaum celebrating the origins and progress of the club.