HANCEVILLE – Culture Club, to a child of the ‘80s, is a band whose male lead singer had long hair and looked very much like a woman. However, to many people in the Hanceville area, Culture Club means something entirely different.
The Hanceville Culture Club came into being when Mrs. Herman Thomas and Mrs. John Latta put their heads together and designed a club for the area’s young married women.
After many days of plotting and planning, a group of ladies met at the home of Mrs. Latta and began organizing the club on December 16, 1930.
Plans were made to affiliate the new club with the State Federation of Women’s Club, which then occurred on April 12, 1931.
After that, a committee was selected and a constitution drawn up.
With a few meetings under their belt, the ladies adopted the rose as their flower and red and white as their colors.
Their motto was “Let Us Study Together With An Open Mind” as their aim was to promote literacy, be social and to promote the welfare of others.
Soon the group’s custom was to give a grocery shower to needy families on Christmas and Thanksgiving. They also contributed to the Crippled Children’s Clinic and the State Illiteracy Fund.
The Club hosted a book shower for the nearby school library in 1939. They planted numerous trees on the school grounds and donated money to the band.
To top it off, the ladies voted to give a scholarship to a high school girl in need on a yearly basis.
Although the names and faces are different, the Hanceville Culture Club is running strong after nearly 85 years. These fine ladies continue to dedicate their time and energy to the betterment of the community around them and they plan to continue their good works for many years to come.
“We meet at the Hanceville Library every first Monday in the month except Labor Day, we meet the 2nd Monday,” said Joann Walls, club member.
“We are open for membership at the moment. Our bylaws allow only 25 ladies into membership. At the moment we have 17 members,” she smiled.
