Happy Birthday to Assistance League® of Pomona Valley

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Happy Birthday to Assistance League<sup>®</sup> of Pomona Valley

Assistance League of Pomona Valley is celebrating its 70th year of service to the Pomona Valley community as a chapter of Assistance League.  Our organization was installed as a chapter of Assistance League on May 24, 1946 in a ceremony held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.  This was widely reported in the local newspapers at the time.  For a trip down memory lane here is the article and picture from the Progress Bulletin, May 28, 1946 (article transcribed to make it more readable than the actual pages from our scrapbook)

The Progress-Bulletin, Pomona, Calif., Tuesday Evening, May 28, 1946

Assistance League of Pomona Valley Installation (2)

BEFORE THE INSTALLATION -  Members of the Southern California Assistance league and Mrs. Harvey Head, president of the Pomona league are shown in the patio of St. Paul’s Episcopal church before the Pomona club’s installation into the Southern California organization.  Left to right in the front row are Mrs. Ada E. Laughlin, first vice president of the southern California club; Mrs. Head, Pomona’s president; Mrs. John Traenor, 2nd vice president; and Mrs. Helen Jacobs.  Back row, left to right, Mrs. Michael Creamer, Mrs. Carlton Convey and Mrs. Carlton Blaine Lyons, all visiting executives.

Starting with five young women attempting to play bridge, according to a report given by Mrs. Rex Booth, the Pomona Valley JuniorAssistance league, which during the last 13 years has grown to a widely known organization thru its highly successful garden parties, no longer will be known by that name but as the Assistance League of Pomona Valley.

The club on Friday afternoon at St. Paul’s Episcopal church was installed into the Southern California Assistance league by Mrs. John Traenor, second vice-president who acted in the absence of the club’s president Mrs. Hancock Banning.  Mrs. Harvey Head, the Pomona league president accepted the seal of the club from Mrs. Traenor.

Mrs. Booth was called upon following the presentation, to give a brief history of the club for the benefit of guests from Pasadena, Glendale and Santa Monica, who visited here to witness the installation.

She explained that the organizers were five young women just out of college, who were awaiting the time they might enter the Ebell club.  They decided to organize a larger group of young women for a bridge club.  This first group numbered 15.  In later years as the club grew, it was obliged to limit membership to 50. 

The first garden party given by the group netted them $47.  In the spring of 1944 the garden party netted $600.  Starting out with relatives and friends the general guests of the parties, last year about 700 attended and a larger crowd is expected to attend the 13th annual party at the Scripps gardens next month.  It will feature a fashion show, bazaar and awarding of a new Ford convertible coup to a contributor of the club’s philanthropic fund.

If you would like to see the original Progress Bulletin article from our scrap book click HERE

 

Oh, one last thing.  If you have read this far you may have noticed that the new Assistance League of Pomona Valley chapter was planning to hold a Garden Party fundraiser the following month, and that they really knew how to get people to attend.  The gave away a NEW CAR.  It was a 1946 Ford Red Convertible Club Coupe.  Click HERE to see the car and the winner.