20-30 Women & Fashion

The women auxiliary clubs and some current clubs have held fashion shows through the years. They have offered these shows as part of the women’s events during conventions, or as part of fundraising events that the men’s clubs were hosting, or as their own events.

“Balcony Scene at Brookdale lodge yesterday during the 20-30 Anns’ fashion show-luncheon features Mrs. William Martine modeling a pink and white checked tissue gingham frock from Rittenhouse’s. Interested spectators are (l-r) Mesdames Dolly Thornton of the Albuquerque, N. Mex., “Thunderbirds,” Dina Madison, Nancy Arno and Opel Napolitano of the Coronado “Beachcombers.” Nearly 100 of the 20-30 convention delegates’ wives attended the mid-day event, arranged for their entertainment by the Santa Cruz 20-30 Anns headed by Mrs. Dick Hackbarth. Miss Susan Bronson, reigning Miss California, was a special guest, accompanied by her mother, Mrs. Ray Bronson of San Lorenzo. Tomorrow the 20-30 wives are invited on a sightseeing bus tour and in the evening will return to Brookdale lodge with their husbands for the closing installation of officers and dinner-dance beginning at 7 o’clock.”

“20-30 Anns Looks At Fashion”. Santa Cruz Sentinel, 23 June 1960, Newspapers.com. Accessed 21 July 2021.

Pin It On Tuesday – Indianapolis #1036

Today, we are showing off a pin from the Indianapolis #1036 club. I asked Trena Roudebush (past National President & past Club President) about the project this pin represented.

“We started Beers & Bears after hearing that many local police officers carried stuffed animals in the trunks of their car, often buying them out of their own pockets. They often distribute the stuffed animals when they encounter a child experiencing trauma – a car accident, removal from an unsafe home, etc.

We held, essentially, a stuffed-animal drive and NFL watch party at a local Indianapolis Colts-themed bar. We worked with the bar to do drink specials and give a beer to attendees who donated a stuffed animal. Guests could also make a $10 (or more) donation instead of a stuffie. We used that money to purchase more stuffies.”
Thanks Trena.

Sounds like an easy fundraiser clubs could copy.

There are A LOT of pins, so we are also going to have a weekly feature showing them off here. Let us know of any pins you would like to share, the story behind the pin, if you know the year, how you got it (any fun trade stories), or other memory you connect to that pin (for example, it’s a pin that represents your term as club president or going past active). Even if it’s just a neat pin you like, please share.

Pin It On Tuesday – Brentwood #1037

You might have noticed a “Pin It Corner” section in the most recent Active 20-30 issue. This month featured a pin from the Brentwood #1037 club. They hold an annual fundraiser boat party.

We’ve had a tradition of creating pins to represent our clubs or conventions. They could be president themes, features located in the town of the club, when a member goes past active or passes away, or regarding a social or fundraising event.

There are A LOT of pins, so we are also going to have a weekly feature showing them off here. Let us know of any pins you would like to share, the story behind the pin, if you know the year, how you got it (any fun trade stories), or other memory you connect to that pin (for example, it’s a pin that represents your term as club president or going past active). Even if it’s just a neat pin you like, please share.

Origins of a Tradition: Pennies A Day

Penny-A-Day Cans Sent to Clubs

Most of you are asking yourself “What is Penny-A-Day?” Recently we sent each club a new” Penny-

A-Day can for use at your meetings. That’s all you do with the can – pass it around the room and the members deposit any loose change. This money is then presented to the delegates at the National Convention to be placed in a restricted account at the National level for charity purposes.

But first, let me tell you how it all began. In the 1950’s, when the organization was still Active 20-30 International, with no National associations, the funds from the clubs went to fight Rheumatic Fever and funds were deposited into the International Rheumatic Fever Foundation.

At the 1965 International Convention, the delegates voted to change their support to children who were deaf. They set up the Active 20-30 International Charity Foundation, Inc. and the project was known as “Project Deaf”. The cans appeared on the scene in 1968.

In 1974, the International organization changed their emphasis to the “Foster Parents Program”. (Throughout the organization’s history they have assisted Aid to Scouting, General Child Welfare and a program working with the FBI fighting juvenile delinquency with the “Keys in the Car” project.)

In 1981, the association created National Associations, The Active 20-30/U.S. & Canada, Inc. was created. The International Charity did nothing for sometime, so in 1989 our National association created the “Active 20-30 Foundation, Inc.”

We do not support any particular charity on the National level except for maybe the National Association for the Prevention of Child Abuse.

So to re-educate all the members (and I’m sure many of our clubs have never seen the Can), we have sent new cans for your use. “That’s all we ask – a penny-a-day for the kids”. Assign the responsibility of passing the can to your Sgt-of-Arms.

Your National Board of Trustees for the Foundation has made it a goal to collect enough funds to equal the amount of members we have in the association. That could amount to about $6,000. In the history of our association, we have yet to achieve that goal. Wouldn’t it be a great testimony to have that amount collected at the National Convention?

The funds received go into a restricted account in the Active 20-30 Foundation. These funds are not used for general operating expenses. Our intent is to build up enough money to live off the interest. Thereby, we could begin distributing funds to child welfare projects on a national basis or even to our clubs as a matching grant program.

So, get to work! Past that can! We hope every club is sending a delegate to the National Convention in Portland where each club will make a presentation of funds at the General Meeting.

Yes, we pay dues. Yes, we pay for meals at our meetings. And, yes, we give our sweat to making our projects successful but this is a way for each member to directly give to charity – for just $3.65 for the year. Here is one tradition that binds all of our clubs together.

(The Active Twenty-Thirtian, 1992, p3)