A brief history of the Zonta Club of Boulder County
District 12, Area 3, Club 252
The Zonta Club of Boulder County was chartered on March 30, 1951.
SOM club: Zonta Club of Denver
An Organization Meeting was held at a luncheon in the Boulderado Hotel.
Charter President was Jane Miller.
Images: Charter and List of Founding Members
Meetings: Members met once a month for lunch and once a month for business meetings in the homes. Meetings were switched to evening and are now held on the 3rd Wednesday of each month, except December, and June-August (summer meetings held at member’s homes). Many meetings include a guest speaker. Meeting venues have included The Alps, Blanchard’s Lodge, The Gourmet on Broadway, The University of Colorado Faculty Club, the CU Memorial Building, the Flatiron Country Club, the Boulder Holiday Inn, and currently 95a Bistro.
Club Board and Committees: Generally the Board of the club has comprised: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary and three Directors. Chairs of Committees include Membership, Public Relations, Advocacy, Service and Fund Raising.
Membership: Member numbers reached 44 in 1993 and fell to 17 in 2000. In 2014the club had 16 members.
Advocacy Projects: The club took part in the District 12 “Empty Shoes” domestic violence event. Every year since 2000 the Club hosts the annual Beth Haynes Memorial program in memory of the Boulder Police officer killed in a Domestic Violence call. The club supports a local police officer to attend a national domestic violence conference. In 2001 the Boulder District Attorney’s Office awarded our Club a plaque for our “commitment to end violence against women and children”.Our club helps host the UNA Boulder annual event in October.
Service Projects: Service projects have included literacy by tutoring adults and children in reading and supporting Learning to Read Program at Boulder Public Library, STEM (science, technology engineering and math) projects by judging at the local and state Science Fairs since 1954 and donating an award in memory of Alice McRae (local fair) and Amelia Earhart (state fair);Girls of the Month (honoring exceptional High School girls nominated by school counselors); one member Irene Larson knitted over 100 sweaters for children; dental hygienist student award given in memory of Ethyl Covington, long time member and one of the first dental hygienists in Colorado; supported Boulder Spelling Bee (received Blue Ribbon for Best Cheers);supported Teen Parenting program of Boulder Valley Schools (run by member Gloria Parmerlee-Greiner); Woman of Achievement Award to outstanding women in the community.
Fundraising activities: Fund raisers include card parties (held at the Elk’s Lodge), garage sales, clothing drives, Fashion Shows (Opal Pastore), pamper days, poinsettias and wreath sales (Ellen Tye), popcorn sales (1985 pounds 1987-1992 Charlene Claypool), Sugar Plum Fair (Carole FitzSimmons), silent auctions at Teas, some cocktail parties, auto decal sales, and Nicaraguan bracelets. In 1985 we hosted a Wine & Tea for actress Celeste Holmes.
Area Activities: The club has been represented at all Area Meetings since Charter and hosted District Conference in 1961, 1977, 1994, and 2005, and Area meetings every six years. Several members have served as Area 3 Director, including Sandee Swanson, Carole FitzSimmons (1993-1995) and Debbie Squires (2012-2014).
District Activities: The club has always been represented at District 12 Conference. Two members served as Governor of District 12 (Alice McRae 1960-1962 and Ellen Tye 1982-1984) and one on the International Foundation Board in 1985-1986 (Ellen Tye). Several members served on the Nominating Committee.
District Projects: The club has supported the Empty Shoes project, an art event to help end violence against women (Zonta Says No), CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women) resolution at the Colorado State Capitol, Birthing Kit project, etc.
International activities: The club has been represented at all of the International Conventions. Ellen Tye has served on various international committees and awards boards. For a number of years members and the club maintained links with several Friendship Clubs around the world. More recently, for a number of years our Club supported two young students and a teacher at a Nepali elementary school, and in addition a number of our members also supported students at that school each year. In 1994 Carol Moreman received a Circle of Caring Through Literacy Certificate of Achievement from ZI.
Zonta International Foundation: Each year the club contributes 1/3 of funds raised to Zonta International Foundation. Some members make individual contributions. For many years the club supports the YWPA program by making a local award and by contributing funds to the program.
Prepared by Helen Coffey, October 2014 (792 words). Archival material is held in Longmont by Nancy Dahlgren and available if required. This archive includes a set of Annual Reports, club minutes, and photo albums; it is proposed to scan these to digital form.
