Mighty Women, Misleading Name
The Billings Junior Woman’s Club proves age is just a number — and service never retires
There are few ‘juniors’ in Billings Junior Woman’s Club. But make no mistake—the club’s members rival most any ‘junior’ when it comes to getting things done.
From buying a 12-passenger touring cart for ZooMontana to helping stock MSU-B’s food pantry or promoting the Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings Junior Woman’s Club offers avenues for any member to make a difference in her hometown.
“There is something going on almost every day of the week,” says Florence Diede, former president and current committee chair.
Florence joined the club two decades ago and continues to play an active role. Active with a capital A.
“She doesn’t like to stay home,” quips Marsha Hotchkiss, current club president, who is just as involved.
If they’re not bagging “Books for Babies” — on average, members hand out 2,500 books each year — you might catch one of them flipping pancakes at the Community Crisis Center or preparing kits for members to make blankets for the sheriff’s department to hand out.
“There’s no reason for old people to sit at home, is there?” Florence asks, grinning. “But if you do, there are even things you can do at home.”
The Billings Junior Woman’s Club is not short on volunteer projects to improve the community. Members provide meals for teens at Tumbleweed, and they gather medical supplies and hygiene kits for schools. They assemble packets of basic household necessities for young adults moving into their first apartments, and they’ve made thousands of pillows to comfort women after breast cancer surgery. They lead art projects for disabled adults at Casey’s Dream, award scholarships to high school seniors, advocate for children through CASA, and provide financial support to nine other local non-profits. The list goes on.
During their summer “hiatus,” there are outings and gatherings, too, just for fun. One month it might be a tour at Tippet Rise. Another month it could be a class on baking bread or a workshop for building bird houses.
“We’re trying hard to do more hands-on projects,” Marsha says. “If we want to attract young people, that’s what we need to do.”
There’s even a niche for women who love to snag a bargain. One of their advocates came across coats selling for $4.95 apiece and nabbed 20.
“So, at CASA and the Friendship House, they had 20 coats to hand out,” Florence says.
The club fills needs wherever and whenever they pop up. On last summer’s National Day of Service, several members headed to the Community Crisis Center expecting to make sandwiches. Instead, staff asked if they’d be willing to scan charts into a digital format. They did and they still do. Every Wednesday several of them meet at the Center to stay on top of the paperwork.
“And we all get to chitchat for a couple of hours,” Florence says, smiling.
Regarding the club’s name, both Marsha and Florence chuckle. “We struggle with that,” Florence says. “We are not the ‘Junior League’.”
They joke about the word ‘junior’ in their club’s name, when most members could better be described as ‘mature.’ The bylaws were changed in the 1980s to allow any woman over 18 to join — a good thing since many of the chapters depend on retirees to get things done.
“That (junior) is just in the name,” Florence says, smiling again. “It makes us feel young.”
Even discounting the word ‘junior,’ the group’s official title is a mouthful. The GFWC (General Federation of Women’s Clubs) Billings Junior Woman’s Club is one of nearly 40 chapters throughout Montana, many in small towns like Moore and Culbertson. The international GFWC was established in 1890 and now counts more than 60,000 members around the world. The Billings chapter was organized in 1933, when dues were only 50 cents.
Early on, the Billings club took a firm position in support of public kindergartens and public restrooms in city hall. During the 1940s, the club focused on war efforts. When the 1950s rolled around, they assisted with polio clinics, supported school bonds and even planted trees in city parks.
The foresight of Billings’ early members has proven critical to the club’s current level of activity. As early as 1950, they began raising funds for a “receiving home” for abused and neglected children. By 1962, they were able to purchase their own building, which the club later leased to a daycare business. To this day, that lease continues to fund the club’s work.
“That’s why our building is so important to us,” Marsha says.
During the life of the BJWC, membership has cycled and now counts 40 members – some more active than others – involved in seven key committees ranging from Education and Libraries to Health and Wellness to Environment to Civic Engagement.
Though their list of projects might seem daunting, Marsha and Florence point out that members can pick and choose their level of activity and the projects that interest them. However, Florence grins again as she offers a word of caution to prospective newcomers.
“It’s addicting,” she says.
TO LEARN MORE: The BJWC invites women interested in their group to join them at a meeting at Billings First Presbyterian Church, 2420 13th Street West, every third Tuesday at 6:30 p.m., September through May. For more information, go to www.gfwcbillings.org.
