100 Years

On April 24, 2014 the YWCA Lower Cape Fear will celebrate its 100^th birthday. Even though I am going to enjoy being part of this celebration here in Wilmington and have spent almost 35 years associated with this local YWCA in various capacities, it is actually my second YWCA 100^th Birthday Party. Back in 1955 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, I participated in the 100^th Birthday of the YWCA USA (1855-1955). I was 10 years old.

The YWCA'S 100th Birthday bash in Fort Wayne was much different from the the local “black tie” affair that is planned here in Wilmington for Saturday evening May 3^rd. According to my scrapbook enclosure, it was called “WET AND DRY SPOTS IN HISTORY.” Essentially the celebration was a gym and pool recital. We all sang “Happy Birthday” to the YWCA at the beginning and the end of the program. There were diving exhibitions, swimming demonstrations, a swim suit review from over the years (obvious a parade of changing bathing suit styles), dance routines (tap, ballet, slimnastics, social, and rhythmic). I performed in an intermediate tap number.

The Fort Wayne YWCA was founded in 1894.The YWCA building on West Wayne Street in downtown Fort Wayne was built in 1911. The pool was added in the basement in 1924. The old YWCA building was a fascination to me. It was a large building located next door to the downtown library. Besides the pool in the basement, it had a main floor gymnasium that was used for sports and dance. The main floor had a central, grand staircase that led to the 2^nd floor meeting rooms. However, the most interesting area was where the residence space was located. It was considered a “safe place for working women.”

I tried many times to sneak a peek at the residence space, but I never made it. As my neighbors and I waited for our carpool home, we watched the young women check in at the front desk, pick up their mail, and get their room keys. Sometimes we tried to follow them, but they just laughed at us as they slipped behind the big door to the residence space.

A YWCA front desk is an interesting entity, and in my experience, has not really changed much regardless of time or location. Back in 1955 the lady at the Fort Wayne front desk kept an eye on us, checked us in for class, and sold us candy. In 1979 the lady at the front desk of the Wilmington YWCA, Shirley Avery, kept an eye on us, checked us in for class, and sold us candy! The only difference now in 2014 is that the lady at the front desk no longer sells candy!

Even though for many years I took dance classes and swim classes at the Fort Wayne YWCA, it was my time spent in Y-Teens that has been most beneficial to me as an adult. Y-Teens was a high school service club that teenage girls joined at their respective schools, but came together once a month at the central YWCA location. It presented opportunities for leadership, fellowship, community service, and a school “letter.”

Since I was not adept at sports, cheerleading, or music (instrumental or vocal), I had to use what gifts I had to get school letters and “facetime” in the school yearbook. Y-teens was girls only so that knocked off half of the competition. To this day it is generally the rule not to allow men on local YWCA Board of Directors. By my final year at Elmhurst High School (Class of “63), I was the president of our Y-Teen Chapter. I definitely have YWCA training to thank for helping me gain the skills to “lean-in” and “take my seat at the table”(1)

In 1979 when I moved to Wilmington as a “GE trailing spouse,” the YWCA was my gateway into my new community. Susan Manne, a neighbor and another “GE trailing spouse,” invited me to participate at the YWCA. Susan was instrumental in getting me to join the Wilmington YWCA Board of Directors and allowing me to meet Bessie Fay Hunt, a real visionary for the local community.

Bessie Fay Hunt is the person responsible for my many years of involvement with the YWCA (Lower Cape Fear as it is known today). She was a very strong and a very smart woman. To this day I admire her wisdom, foresight, and leadership. Because Bessie Fay Hunt had a problem in 1981 that needed solving, Gayle Busch, a neighbor, and I formed a partnership to create a half day preschool for the YWCA. Eventually Gayle Busch followed her husband to another assignment and I continued with ownership of the Tot Spot until it was sold to the YWCA in March of 2012.

Over the years it has been my pleasure to work in various ways with some very outstanding YWCA Executive Directors, but mostly it has been my privilege to have worked with and known the dedicated, devoted, and hardworking staff of the Tot Spot, LLC. I especially want to highlight the efforts of the team of Nancy Baden, Addie Arato, and Mollie Stanley who joined forces with me in the classrooms for almost 25 years to provide care and nurturing for the four year old preschoolers.

(1) LEAN IN Women Work & the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg, Chief Operating Officer, Facebook

NATIONAL TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK / 2013

(LAST TOT SPOT ROSTER UNDER MY SUPERVISION)

ADDIE ARATO / 27 YEARS

EDEN AVERY / 7 YEARS

NANCY BADEN / 29 YEARS

PAT DENTON / 16 YEARS

TAMMY DENTON / 15 YEARS

CAROLINE ENDRESS / 5 YEARS

SANDRA HARRELL / 8 YEARS

VICKIE KONTALONIS / 19 YEARS

STEPHANIE RANKIN / 9 YEARS

JAN RICHARDSON / 17 YEARS

LISA RIVENBARK / 7 YEARS

MARIA SMITH / 4 YEARS

MOLLIE STANLEY / 24 YEARS

PAM TOMLINSON / 10 YEARS

CARRIE WATTS / 5 YEARS

BARBARA WHALEN / 17 YEARS

AND OTHERS TO REMEMBER FROM OVER THE YEARS

FRAN ENDRESS / 20 YEARS

HEATHER FASANO / 7 YEARS

JENNIFER STOGNER / 7 YEARS

JAIME WALTON / 22 YEARS

JENNIFER KNOWLES / 3 YEARS

CRYSTAL KARAFAS / 4 YEARS

COLLEEN TRANCHON / 3 YEARS

RAELYNE MICHEL / 4 YEARS

CYNDI BYRD / 10 YEARS

SUSAN FIELDSTEIN / 10 YEARS

CATHY KADEG / 12 YEARS

LINDA SMITH / 5 YEARS

DARLENE SIEDENTOP / 5 YEARS

AND EVEN OTHERS TO REMEMBER FROM OVER THE MANY YEARS

LAURIE CHRISTENSEN

JANE MAREK

SUSAN McDONALD

KARI BEDSOLE

BARBARA CAVENAUGH

JOYE DEANE

DEBORAH DOUCETT

TRISHA WATTS

KYLE HALL

KATHERINE ANDERSON

TERESA BATSON

SUSAN DUPUIS

REBECCA ROBERTSON

YVETTE TURNER

JACQUELINE EASON

CLAUDIA KEMP

KELLEY LEE

DONNA LEMERY

NORA MORGAN

(VERY FIRST EMPLOYEE HIRED)

PATSY WEBER

EDNA CANADY

KAREN JAMES

MARGARET WHITE

SUSAN STANLEY

AND EVEN MORE TO REMEMBER

JEANNE RIEMAN

ANNALISE MARTIN

BARBARA HALL

BILLIE J. ROSS

ROSE GEMBORYS

ROBIN EBERHART

MICHELE KIGER

JANE CAPPADONA

SHEILA IRRERA

NANCY MAGRUDER

BRENNA WOOLHISER

KATHLEEN WALKER

CATHERINE MERIAM

BARBARA McNEIL

PAMELA HERSEY

MELISSA MOLININI

JENNIFER TILLERY

ALLISON WALKER

JENNIFER JORDAN

DEBORAH HEWITT

MICHELLE MESKERS

JANE BRUNT

MARY JO DONNER

TERI RAKSNIS

REGINA DEGUIDA

VALERIE LAZZARI

KERRIE SMITH

EMMIE EATON

SUZANNE MOORE

MELISSA BERRY

MARJORIE HUGHES

JENNIE GASKELL

JAN TABOR

URSULA BROWN

TAMMY COVIL

CARLA HERRING

KELLY REGAN

TANYA BEECHER

DEBORAH WARNER

SUSAN WAYT

TERRI DEARIE

AMY SCHRIDER

PATRICIA WILLIAMS

TERESA LOKEN

ELIZABETH CORRIGAN

JANA ALBRITTON

NANCY DUFINETZ

NANCY HAUSER

SHIRLEY PEAY

AND THE OTHER 48 SUMMER INTERNS, SUBS, AND MAINTENANCE STAFF EMPLOYED BY THE TOT SPOT LLC SINCE JANUARY, 1981!!!