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Lititz
Women of Today
HISTORY OF THE ORGANIZATION
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In October of 1959, wives of Jaycee members were
invited to attend a Jaycee Wives Institute in Allentown,
Pennsylvania. The Reading and Fleetwood Jaycee Wives hosted the
institute the next year. With the number of groups in attendance
increasing each year, the institute was held in 1961, 1962 and
1963.
In 1963, the institute was opened to all Jaycee
auxiliary groups in the state. The possibility of the institute
becoming a statewide organization of Jaycee Wives chapters was
considered. A temporary board of directors was established and
by-laws were to be prepared for the 1964 institute.
The statewide organization was formed on May 16,
1964. By-laws were adopted and the charter officers were elected.
There were 26 charter chapters with 499 members. The official
installation took place in Lancaster on May 16, 1965.
LOCAL CHAPTER HISTORY
The Lititz chapter was chartered by the Lancaster
Jaycee Auxiliary on August 4, 1978, as the Lititz Area Jaycettes. Our
charter president and organizer of our chapter was Kris Kenna. On
June 9, 1983, we changed our name to the Lititz Jaycee Women in
compliance to a statewide by-law change requiring a uniform name for
all chapters. Up to this point in time, the names varied from chapter
to chapter.
In 1985, the US Supreme court ordered the US
Jaycees to admit women into their membership. As a result of this
decision, the Jaycees chose to change their by-laws, effectively
dissolving their auxiliaries. Our chapter was faced with a decision.
We could continue to work as a group but as part of the local
Jaycees, dissolve, or stay an all women's organization but change our
name. We would be violating copyright laws if we continued to use the
word Jaycee in our name.
We chose to become the Lititz Women of Today and
remain a separate organization. On October 5, 1985, we officially
became part of the state and national Women of Today organization.
Our principle goals have changed very little over the course of our
history. We still exist to better our community and
ourselves.
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