Elgin Travel Class celebrates 120 years

Every Monday afternoon starting in 1896, a group of women would gather in an Elgin home to socialize over tea. They would discuss topics related to travel and give presentations on subjects they researched extensively: various cultures, cities, pieces of literature, historical events.

They called themselves the Elgin Travel Class, a prestigious organization of women who wanted to expand their knowledge of the world.

Those invited were socialites of their time and wealthier than most residents in the area, President Sylvia Boeder said. But as women, they couldn't vote, they rarely worked, and they had very few opportunities to travel or receive an education.

So each week, they would educate one another.

More than a century later, women's role in society has changed, as have the means of travel. And still, this last Monday afternoon, more than 30 women donned in gloves and Victorian hats filed into St. James Episcopal Church in West Dundee for an afternoon tea.

They were celebrating the anniversary of the Elgin Travel Class - and the opportunities it has offered women in the last 120 years.

"It's a fellowship," said Elgin resident Nancy Rascher, one of several legacy members of the organization. "It enlarges our horizons. It enriches the community profile."

The Elgin Travel Club now has 40 members, all of whom have to be voted in, from Elgin and its surrounding communities.

True to the early days of the club's existence, most presentations given during the group's meetings center around travel. Rascher recalls a member's son speaking of his experience swimming the English Channel. A club member from France presented the Chateaux of the Loire Valley. One guest had taken a cruise around the world with her husband and children.

"We always have interesting speakers who give us a personal outlook on their travels," Rascher said. "It's fascinating."

Though members have maintained some tradition throughout the years, the organization has evolved from having an educational undertaking to more of a social environment, said Boeder, an East Dundee resident. Meetings, for example, are less frequent and fairly casual; the hats and gloves are only brought out on special occasions.

Women historically spent hours scouring the library for information to use in their weekly reports. Members' responsibilities nowadays aren't nearly as intense, said Nancy Wendt of West Dundee, and presentations are often given by guest speakers.

Topics have also broadened to include book reviews, music, theater and other forms of art.

The mission of the organization, however, remains unchanged, Boeder said: "To bring together a group of women for education and enlightenment, and to promote and maintain friendships."

Those relationships are largely the reason Wendt has remained an Elgin Travel Class member for the past 24 years. "It's a very congenial group," she said. "I think everyone feels that way."

For Rascher, the club's devotion to travel and education was what caused her to join in 2002, when she moved back to the area after living in Europe 30 years. She attended her first meeting with her mother, Virginia Umberger, who has been involved since the 1950s and is still an associate member at age 107.

Traveling and living abroad may be more common today than in 1896, Rascher said, but many members don't have such opportunities. The Elgin Travel Class appeals to anyone with an appetite for learning more about the world.

"It's great that we have the opportunity to do that," Rascher said. "That's why we've been around 120 years. It's a gateway to other portals."