A little history of a club's arts and craft show

Mothers, community residents, club members -- and artists?

That was the case once upon a time, when it came to a popular annual holiday craft bazaar, hosted by what was then the Young Mothers Club of Geneva.

The show is now the Holiday Arts & Craft Show, sponsored by the Mothers Club of Geneva (same group, but with "young" long since expunged from the name).

The 33rd annual show will be from 9 a m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Geneva High School, 416 McKinley Ave. Admission is $4. No strollers are permitted.

Besides beautiful wares, the show features a luncheon, bake sale and two raffles: a 50/50 cash raffle and a traditional raffle for items donated by crafters. Tickets for the 50/50 raffle are $5 each; tickets for the other raffle are $1 each or six for $5.

Club members are a big part of the show, of course. Besides setting up, besides arranging for all the crafters and running the show, members also make a huge variety of goodies for the bake sale, including cookies, breads, cakes and candies.

What many members probably don't know is that once upon a time, club members made not only the food, but also the craft items that were sold.

I learned this several years ago, when writing a column about the show. That year's chair mentioned she'd heard tell of this, calling it an "urban legend." I'd been a club member, once upon a time, and I knew we'd never made the crafts.

So I asked my sister-in-law, Cookie Olson, past president back when the club was still the Young Mothers Club of Geneva.

Let me tell you, it's no urban legend. "We made everything: baked goods, crafts, Christmas items, kids' toys, decorations," she said, laughing at the "legend" designation.

Nearly all the members were stay-at-home mothers, and they all looked forward to their time together spent socializing and making things to sell, she said. "We had a ball doing it" and made lifelong friends to boot.

"It was a lot of fun," agreed former member Bonnie Christensen. She echoed Olson's remark about how they were all stay-at-home mothers, so members really enjoyed the camaraderie of each other's company. "We all got out of the house, and we were all working for something good," she said. "I just remember it as being such a positive experience -- and so much fun. It was a wonderful group of women."

Members collected ideas throughout the year, from all kinds of sources, and then set up shop at these get-togethers. Christensen took tole painting classes, learning the folk art of decorative painting on tin and wooden utensils, objects and furniture. Then she and other women taught other club members.

Former member June Glaser is a whiz at knitting and crocheting, among other talents, and counted items made with her handy needles among her contributions to the bazaar. In fact, she creates to this day. She crochets potholders "in every color you can imagine," she makes afghans, coats, vests, table runners. "I do a little of everything," she said. "Anything I can do with my hands, I just love."

"To me it was such a creative outlet. I loved it," Olson said.

The bazaar was held in those days in the basement of St. Peter Catholic Church. Then, as now, it featured bakery items as well as the booths, and then, as now, was held prior to Christmas. Then, as now, proceeds went to scholarships and other philanthropic activities.

In the late 1970s, members changed the format and decided to have crafters come in to sell their wares. The rest, as they say, is history.

I know if someone told me when I was a club member that I would be spending an evening every week -- for months -- making craft items, I'd have quit. These former members have nothing but fond memories of those days.

"It was so much fun," Olson said, in a remark echoed by Christensen. I asked Glaser the same question -- do you enjoy the memories of those times? "Oh my, yes," she said. "It was always such fun."

Another thing hasn't changed, by the way. "It was very well attended and everybody really looked forward to it," Olson said of the show. That's the case then, and now as well.

The former bazaar, now the Holiday Arts & Craft Show, and still featuring all handmade items, is still a lot of fun.

bbales10@ameritech.net