Locust Grove resident Jane Lute is following in her mother’s footsteps and, at the same time, fulfilling a promise she made years ago.
Her late mother, a long-time member of the Locust Grove Women’s Club, was always exhorting her daughter to get involved in the civic organization that was founded in 1914.
“I grew up with Mother going to the club,” said Lute. “They always met in the afternoon for a luncheon. She was always telling me I had to join, too, and I said I would when I retired from teaching. I finally did in 2008, the year after Mother died.”
Lute is now the president of the organization that recently marked its 100th anniversary with proclamations from the Henry County board of commissioners, a pronouncement naming the club as the town’s “citizen of the year,” and a prominent spot in the annual Locust Grove Days parade. Both events were reminders to the community that a very special group is still around and looking for new members to join them.
The club was born when the female head of the Locust Grove Institute, the forerunner of the community college concept, brought together women from the town’s two churches to work on civic projects.
“In those days, the women’s suffrage groups were forming, and she saw that women needed to be more out front and active in the community,” said Lute. “The 1920s and ’30s were their heyday, when every woman in town was in the club.”
In the early 1950s, a Locust Grove resident donated land for the club to erect a building that has served as its office and a community center.
“It has been used for many things through the years - parties, wedding receptions, meetings,” said Lute. “I can remember being a Brownie and meeting there.”
At its height, the club had about 70 members; today, that number has dwindled to about 19. Meetings are held on the third Thursday of the month, except in the summer, and always include lunch, a program and an official meeting.
“We have six topics we focus on now: international issues, conservation, education, the arts, public issues and the Tallulah Falls school in north Georgia,” said Lute. “We’ve supported the school since the 1940s. We’re also involved with the Georgia Federation of Women’s Clubs that we joined in 1917. One of our ladies started a garden club at the local elementary schools. And for years, we’ve sponsored a photography contest from middle and high schools in the county.”
Lute, who stepped into the club’s leadership role two years ago, has made recruiting new members one of her major objectives.
“One of the first things we did when I took over was host a Christmas tour of homes that really got the community involved and raised awareness about us,” she said. “We’ve been slowly adding members since. It’s still hard; people are so busy. But I think we’ve come through the slump and are on the upswing now.”
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