The Six and Twenty Club was established in 1898 and celebrated its 125th anniversary at the Clinton County History Center on Friday, Oct. 27 at noon.

Tanya Day welcomed all as they entered for the celebration. A group photo of the active members in attendance was taken on the steps of the entrance foyer by photographer Hal Allen.

The community room was decorated as a tea party with white tablecloths, silver and white table settings, and fresh white hydrangeas, chrysanthemums, and alstroemeria arranged in unique vintage teapots. Flowers filled elegant silver pedestal vases on the buffet and display tables. The table favors were paper-art teapots made by the committee. Mrs. King and Ms. Wagstaff made small hand-crafted albums as favors titled, “Sharing together is our Special-Tea!”

Members can add their own memories to the album. Three vintage teapots owned by deceased members of the club, Mary Caroline Casey, Mary Louise Foland, and Harriet Shrieves, were on display along with the historical scrapbooks that Mrs. King and Ms. Wagstaff prepared for this anniversary celebration and for the club archives.

President Cook welcomed all members and past club members, Mary Alexander, Louanne Blumberg, Kim Vandervort, and Dawn Victor-Herring. Mrs. McMullen presented opening remarks, with a nod to the tradition of the club being started for self-improvement and making a variety of books available to women back in 1898. She invited all to the abundant tea table, provided by Shoelaces Catering. The menu consisted of chicken salad croissants, vegetable wraps, a fruit and cheese platter, quinoa salad, brownies, pecan tarts, and pumpkin cheesecake, along with hot coffee and tea.

After the lunch, Wagstaff read a reflection that she had written and presented in 1998 at a meeting before the 100th anniversary. It was so admired that she was asked to present it for this anniversary.

A musical number was performed by Barbara Leeds on the piano and singers Mary Ann Raizk and Mary Alexander to a rendition of “We are Family.” The lyrics were revised by Mrs. Leeds to reflect Six and Twenty events. The group joined in on the refrain “We are family, I got all my sisters with me…” Much fun was had by the sisterhood in this musical performance.

Ms. Buckley provided historical musings along the 125-year journey of the club. The name of this group comes from the original club having 26 members, a tradition that is continued today. It was started from an outgrowth of interest in promoting civic and cultural development in communities. Carrying on with the family theme, Buckley stated that Six and Twenty members have always been drawn close by their common interests and goals, but also in reality, because some of the founding members were related. Four founding members were Lacys, four were Brownings, and several members were Shrieves and Walkers. The term family is also loosely applied to community folks or husbands of members in giving programs or providing spaces for meetings. Buckley ended her remarks by giving highlights of past anniversary celebrations that the club has enjoyed over the years.

Thinking of the club’s history, Theresa Rembert reminded the group of members that have passed away since the 100th anniversary of the club. She read their names while Leeds played “Romance by Schumann” on the piano. Ruth Ann Faris ended the program by asking the members and guests to share their favorite memories of the Six and Twenty Club. Everyone participated in this delightful walk through time, which stirred up laughter, tears, funny anecdotes and a couple of hosting disasters. They also confirmed how these experiences and the programs given at each meeting have brought the diverse club members closer together as a sisterhood, in essence a family.