Baker Venture Club
By Phyllis Badgley
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Venture Club members in 1948. Standing: Doris Young, Elizabeth
Bailey, Beverly White, Drucilla Stiff, Mary Jane Warner,
Unidentified |
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained." This was the
motto of Baker Venture Club, chartered in mid-1940's.
Local Soroptimists were advisors. The Venture club consisted of
young business women who were interested in civic projects. Each
prospective member had a Soroptimist mentor. Initiation ceremonies
were in formal attire, most often this candlelight event was held in
the ballroom of the prestigious Baker Hotel. Well-known chefs Wally
Shephard and Claude Taylor prepared an elegant banquet prior to the
ceremony.
Venture Club money-making events helped provide scholarships while
also promoting community projects. Members volunteered as judges
several several times for July 3 Children's parades.
Meetings were held twice monthly, one a business meeting, the other
a social function such as picnics and swim parties. Long remembered
is a waffle bake at the home of a member. With several waffle irons
in service simultaneously, fuses continued to blow. If you've ever
been in a crowd where everyone has a different idea and each
authority talks at the same time, then you can well imagine the
scene that evening!
A memorable picnic found us unable to open the locked car trunk.
Apparently there was a box of foodstuffs lodged against the inside
latch. After lengthy efforts and trial, the lock finally responded.
With relief and sharpened appetites from the delay we enjoyed a hot
dog roast picnic.
Club officers and Baker delegates attended district and conference
meetings at out-of-state locations. The 1947 destination for
delegates Mary Jane Warner, Doris Young and Phyllis May was
Victoria, B. C., where they were housed in the famous Empress Hotel.
A (then) new product on the market, colored film, was expensive so
used sparingly by the delegates. Another Venture Club member,
Christine Gardner, traveled to Butte, Mont., convention.
Invitation holiday dances sponsored by local Venturists were popular
occasions, held in the Baker Hotel ballroom.
The club promoted a musical piano concert by Mr. Rabinoff. We
prepared advertising flyers with caution, making sure Rabinoff's
name was spelled correctly. Because of name similarity, we reasoned
the audience might expect renowned violinist Rubinoff!
Venturists participated in a World War II Bond rally. Handsome
Hollywood star, Victor Mature, appeared in Baker as featured speaker
for this event. I don't recall how many bonds were sold that day,
but I do recall a number of "ooh's" and "aah's" from the crowd that
gathered downtown.
Myrtle Lee, county school superintendent, and a Soroptimist member
initiated a letter-writing project to Baker County servicemen.
Monthly letters were sent to both European and Pacific theaters,
during World War II.
As a community service, Venturists helped mimeograph and address the
correspondence Recently. Baker County veteran Milt Prowell
indicated he still has a "Myrtle Lee" letter. Prowell stated that
while each letter was welcome, best remembered was the arrival of an
envelope saturated with the aroma of sage. Mrs. Lee had enclosed a
sprig of Baker County sagebrush in that letter!
After the war a number of young business women married and moved
away. Venture club membership rolls declined, so after a dozen or
more years of activity, the club dissolved. Some ladies chose to
continue civic involvement, joined (advisor) Soroptimists or local
sorority chapters which were activated in Baker.
My 1946 Venture Club lapel pin lays tucked away in a treasure box.
Still readable blue letters on sterling background clearly state,
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained."
Printed here with permission of Record Courier
