BALDWINSVILLE — In 1896, a group of women gathered together in Baldwinsville not just to socialize but to discuss their need for intellectual stimulation. After some deliberation, the group decided to spend some time studying two Shakespearean plays. They pooled their resources and hired a female professor from Syracuse for $3 to speak to the group and called themselves the “University Extension Center of Baldwinsville.” The name was soon changed to the “Shakespeare Group,” and the women were so excited to have such a fun intellectual challenge that the membership within a month was 55.
After two years of studying Shakespeare, the focus changed to foreign countries and the name of the group was changed to the “Travelers’ Club,” which it still remains today. The women’s goal was to learn all they could to increase their knowledge of the world around them. Most of the members had little or no opportunity to travel, so this group became a wonderful resource for information about places and ideas to help them grow in knowledge and learn about places and people new to them. The meetings consisted of a presentation by a member followed by tea and refreshments.
That tradition still exists today and the Baldwinsville Travelers’ Club meets one Friday afternoon each month at the Baldwinsville Public Library. Each year the group decides on a topic of study, and the presentations for the year reflect some aspect of that topic. Sometimes it is a country, sometimes it may be a region of the world, and sometimes it may be a group of people. What it is not is an opportunity to simply talk about a trip one may have taken! The object of the group is to continue learning and growing.
Members are asked to volunteer to choose a topic on which to present which relates to the overall topic of the year, or volunteer to serve refreshments to the club. Since many members have been asked about the club, we felt that we ought to remind the women in Baldwinsville both of its existence and of our eagerness to welcome and share with any other women who may want to join us.
Please feel free to join us for our next meeting, which takes place at 1:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 10, at the Baldwinsville Public Library. Learn more about the group and enjoy a harp duo playing special holiday musical selections.
If you are unable to join us Dec. 10, please call Millie Sauter, the current president, at 315-752-3061 for more information. This group is truly a hidden gem in our community, and the members are delighted to offer you the opportunity to explore what the club has to offer.
–Submitted by Pam Fallesen
