Members of the Muncy Business and Professional Women's Club assembled for a group photo after last Monday's meeting.

MUNCY – For nearly nine decades now, members of the Muncy Business and Professional Women’s club have been meeting and servicing the needs of the local community. With gratifying thanks to the 16 Charter members who met on January 30, 1922, the organization is now the oldest service club in Muncy. Their first project was to help build a playground and a tennis court for the children in the Muncy community. They hired a full time playground supervisor, Miss Arline Long, to supervise the playground every morning for six days a week.

In 1950, the club furnished a room in the newly built Muncy Valley Hospital. To this day, they aid with the hospital’s annual Lawn Party and Lights of Love.

Presently, members of today’s Professional Women’s Club are still serving the community helping to secure modern equipment for the playgrounds in the area among many other projects such as student scholarships, obtaining financial assistance for dental work, medical treatments, eyeglasses for school children and treatment for crippled children.

They support programs like the Muncy Youth Center, the Muncy Public Library, the Pennsdale Needlework Guild, the Muncy Fire Company, the Muncy Historical Society, the Patrizio Pool and the Muncy Community Action Program.

This month the ladies are organizing a public sandwich sale, and will be delivering sandwiches on October 28. Orders can be given to club treasurer, Betsy Lepley at Muncy Bank and Trust. The money raised will go towards making Thanksgiving baskets to be given to needy children and families in Muncy. “We work with the school district to see where to send them,” explained Sandy Putney, Chapter President. “We also get help from the Son Light House,” she added. “Almost every cent taken in goes back to the community.”

Committees are formed to handle the monthly socials, program speakers and service projects each month. Future projects include a white elephant sale in May and a senior scholarship award in June. The BPW established their first scholarship fund in 1954.

There are close to 50 members and they welcome anyone from the Muncy, Hughesville or Montgomery and surrounding areas who is interested in becoming a member. They meet the second Monday of the month from September through June at the First United Methodist Church on S. Market Street in Muncy. They do not meet in January or February.

The original officers in 1922 were Edna Lilly, President and Martha Stolz as Vice-President. Secretary was Merle Bastian and Hazel Varner served as Treasurer. Although deceased, they are not forgotten. “I remember when we used to meet at the Elva Tea Room,” said Pearl Rathmell fondly and is the longest active member today. “We would meet at Elva’s Snyder’s on the corner of Market and Penn Streets. We used to have card parties and fashion shows.” As the memberships grew, the ladies relocated several times before coming to the First United Methodist Church on S. Main Street. One of their former meeting places was at the Episcopal Parish House.