Home Demonstration Club, Glendale

For four decades the Home Demonstration Club's community building was the social center for the Glendale community. Activities from 1949 through 1989 included wedding receptions, bridal showers, family reunions, club reunions, high school class reunions and junior-senior banquets. It was the regular meeting place for the Kenly Veterans of Foreign Wars, once a labor union met there, and a Kenly Kiwanis Club dinner meeting was held once when the governor of the state, Kerr Scott, was the honored guest. The building, located directly across the road from Glendale High School, was made from concrete blocks. Water was furnished by the school. The large meeting room had a beautiful, working fireplace. There was also a kitchen, coat room and bath rooms. Holding a social event there years ago didn't cost an arm or leg. The building rented for five dollars in the 1950's.

In May 1944 approximately 30 ladies from the Glendale community met in the back yard of Mrs. James W. (Rena) Woodard's home to organize the Glendale Home Demonstration Club. The organization was "to strengthen, promote and help put into practice the extension program of agriculture and home economics designed to carry scientific information to the farm family. "Officers elected that day were Mrs. Cleon (Eula) Boyette, president; Mrs. Mildred Holland, vice president and Mrs. Jesse (Jessie Pearl) Woodard, secretary and treasurer. These officers served the remainder of 1944 and during 1945. History shows that those charter members were the "movers and shakers" of the Glendale community.

Other early club president were Mrs. W. T. (Rena) Boyette, 1946; Mrs. Worth (Ollie) Boyette, 1947; Mrs. Marvin (Nellie) Atkinson, 1948; Mrs. Willie E.(Ethel) Boyette 1949; Mrs. Cleon (Virginia) Woodard, 1950; Mrs. Kermit (Lucille) Stancil, 1951 and Mrs, Worth (Ollie) Boyette, 1952. By 1947 the women decided they needed a community building. A committee composed of Mrs. Nellie Atkinson, Mrs. Rena Boyette, Miss Varneda Woodard and Mrs. Eula Boyette were asked to select plans for the building.

In March 1948 at a call meeting with their husbands as invited guests they made plans for construction of the building. A board of directors was elected. They were Mrs. Nellie Atkinson, Mrs. Ethel Boyette, Mrs. Albert (Nona) Lee, Mrs. Rena Boyette and Mrs. Worth (Irene) Bagley. Mr. J. L. Boyette, Sr., Mr. Marvin Atkinson and Mr. Willie Boyette were elected to serve on the building committee and assist the board of directors. Mr. J. W. Woodard gave 114 acre of land directly across the road from Glendale High School for the building. Mr. Woodard, who owned a concrete block facility in Kenly at that time, gave the concrete blocks to build the building at cost. Men of the community made the blocks without receiving any compensation, and they also gave logs, had the needed timber cut and actually built the building with the exception of the plumbing. Mr. Woodard loaned the club $2,000 so they could finish the building. One thousand was due November 1, 1949 and the other thousand November 1, 1950.

The club held its first meeting in the new club house January 1, 1949. The women began serving dinners to the Kenly Kiwanis Club and Junior-Senior banquets to earn money to repay the loan. They also gave plays, fashion shows, sponsored Halloween carnivals and asked for donations from the patrons of the community and interested friends. Donations consisted of logs, tobacco, hens and money. The note was paid in full April 27, 1950, more than six months before the final payment was due. The club house was officially dedicated and the mortgage burned at the ceremony on May 4, 1952. Club president Ollie Boyette told why they were meeting, Mrs. Lucille Stancil and the building committee burned the mortgage, Mrs. John Ed (Mavis) Pope gave a tribute to the donors and Mrs. Eula Boyette gave the history of the club. Reverend D.S. Blevins gave the devotional.

The community building was torn down in 1996. It could not be used after 1989 since it lost its water supply when the school closed that year. The club is now the Extension Club. It is still active in the community. Some of the current members are daughters of original members. Two charter members are still living in 1997 - Mrs. Eula Boyette and Mrs. Ollie Boyette.