My friend said, “I’ve heard of the Woman’s Club of Stuart, I’ve seen the building on SE Ocean Ave, I’ve seen pictures in the Luminaries but what exactly does the Woman’s Club of Stuart do?”  Good question, but it cannot be answered simply because the Woman’s Club of Stuart has always been a busy entity in Martin County. 

The Woman’s Club of Stuart is the oldest, continuous service organization in Martin County beginning in 1913. It may surprise you to know that the Woman’s Club of Stuart started the first free public library in Martin County. Last year the Martin County Library honored the Woman’s Club of Stuart by including them in their 50th anniversary plans. The Woman’s Club of Stuart hosted the anniversary party at the Blake Library where ‘Book to the Future,’ a movie about the history of the library, was viewed. And, you guessed it; the Woman’s Club of Stuart played a starring role. “Wow”, my friend commented, “I had no idea that the Woman’s Club of Stuart had such a great history.”

You know the statue in Haney’s Circle in downtown historical Stuart called ‘Abundance?  “Not the Woman’s Club of Stuart again!,” guessed my friend. The one and only. In 1961 the Woman’s Club of Stuart presented Abundance to the City of Stuart and it was finally placed in Haney Circle in 1991.

“That’s a great history, but I still don’t exactly know what it is you do, said my friend.  “Are you ready?” Since 1950 we have been giving scholarships to Martin County High School young women. Every year we raise money through our various fundraisers, most notably our fabulous fashion show. For 44 years we provided a Christmas party for the families served by Helping People Succeed, Inc. (HPS) with gift bags for the children handed out by Santa Claus. 2008 was a sad year for us since our clubhouse was not able to accommodate the large number of families HPS now serves. However, we did provide HPS with 200 gift bags for the children.  At our monthly meetings we collect food for a local food pantry, books for the library, items for our troops, toys for Toys for Tots, plus supplies for M.I.S.S. Each Thanksgiving we pass a basket for a needy family. We have raised money for Heifer International, Canine Companions, Environmental Studies Council, Hacienda Girls Ranch, and Hope Rural School. Over its many years of service the Woman’s Club of Stuart has helped countless causes. Our members are always coming up with new ways to help our community. We support these activities by our various activities like a holiday boutique, a psychic fair, a flea market, a garage sale, card/game parties and, of course, our fabulous, not-to-be missed fashion show. 

“I’m exhausted by all the work you do,” my friend said. “Well, we have fun, too!” Our monthly luncheon meetings from September to May include a speaker and every month we have a literary club, an antiques club and bridge games. Dues are currently $80 which includes $15 for seven luncheons. “All right, all right, enough. Where do I sign up for the Woman’s Club of Stuart?”

In 2009 the Woman’s Club of Stuart welcomed ‘The Woman’s Club of Stuart Girlfriends Committee. This auxiliary group of working women meets when it is convenient for these busy gals. They are dynamic and bring a new excitement to our club. Dues for the Girlfriends Committe are currently $65. Women of Martin County now have two choices when joining our club.

Jackie Lester, Membership Chairman – 772-600-6058 

Woman’s Club of Stuart, 729 SE Ocean Blvd., Stuart, Fl 34994