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V B4 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, November CFUW-OaMIk marks50years By W ilm a Blokhuis BEAVER FOCUS EDITOR Betty Tough finds its hard to believe it's been 50 years since she joined the Canadian Federation o f University Women. Known as the Oakville University W omen's Club at the time, she remains one of two charter mem bers. The other is Isobel Winnett. At its founding meeting on Oct. 11, 1949, she was sworn in as secretary. Tough rose through the ranks and served as club president in 1955-1956. In her first hand-written minute book, 62 members were listed, along with their universities, year of gradua tion, and occupation. O f that number, 42 were housewives, six unmarried teachers, one secretary, a stenographer, a piano teacher, a matron at Appleby College, a Red Cross supervisor, a librarian, and one doctor-anesthetist. The remainder left their occupation blank. Things have changed over the years, says Tough, who cut the 50th anniver sary cake at its October meeting. "A lot more women have careers and work outside the home these days." Over the years, she got involved with the bridge, gourmet lunch, jaunters, book, play readers, antique, and French conversation groups. "As things changed, so have the groups," she continued, adding the investment group came later, while oth ers have disappeared. "A lot of groups have gone from day to evening meet ings, but not the Gourmet Luncheon group. Currently, the club's 24 study and interest groups include Arts Quest, Baby Boomers, Beyond Bloomsbury, a book exchange, Book Beat, five bridge groups, crafts, six gourmet groups, International Affairs, Junior Jaunters, Movie Club, plus music and theatre appreciation groups. The club plans to revive its mentor group for helping high school students. Tough, a retired teacher, winters in Florida, "so I'm not around that much when the club meets." CFUW meets from September to June. She was a high school French teacher, initially as a supply teacher for about 20 years, and then full time for another 10. She taught at White Oaks Secondary School, T. A. Blakelock High School, Oakville Trafalgar High School (OTHS) and at the former G. E. Perdue High School - named after her father Gordon Perdue. She retired 19 years ago. She raised three children, all of them graduates of OTHS. Born and educated in Oakville, Tough earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1944 and her Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto (U of T) in 1945. "I really enjoyed working with peo ple and with the students," said Tough o f her career. She was among 14 women who went to a coffee party at the home of the late Jean Malcolm Smith where the seed for CFUW Oakville was planted. "Our membership grew to 65 very quickly, with women coming from Clarkson and Port Credit." Currently, it has 250 members, and during the early 1970s, membership peaked at over 300. In an article written for the November edition of the club's newsletter, In Touch, Tough remembers that a Dr. Martha Law, treasurer of CFUW Toronto, came to speak about forming a University Women's Club in Oakville. "Here's a personal aside," she writes. "My mother, Jennie Perdue, had left North Bay in 1907 with her best friend Elizabeth Stewart to attend U of T (I am Elizabeth's namesake.) After graduating in medicine, Dr. Elizabeth Stewart became head of radiology at Women's College Hospital. Her best friend in the Professional Women's Club was an up-and-coming dentist, Dr. Martha Law." Dr. Law conducted the first election of officers of CFUW Oakville, and was back in town in 1974 at the club's 25th anniversary. For its 25th anniversary, the club published a book titled Our First 25 Years. Membership in its inaugural year was $1, but jumped to $3 in 1950 to cover $1.50 in Federation dues, recalls Tough, adding it was also decided to pay guest speakers that year. Currently membership is $65 a year, of which $27 goes to the CFUW, $25 covers expenses including newsletter, speakers and meeting costs, and $10 goes into the club's scholarship fund. Coins dropped into the club's `penny box' also go into its scholarship fund. CFUW, which is celebrating its 80th THURSDAY ONLY ! TAKE AN EXTRA The low est ticketed price 20 p E T I T e s OFF Laura Laura Laura II O A K V ILLE Photo by Ron Kuzyk Cutting the cake celebrating the 50th anniversary o f the Oakville chapter of the Canadian Federation o f University Women are, from left, Christel Call, vice-president; Nancy Williams, president; and charter mem ber Betty Tough, founding secretary, as members applaud in the background. anniversary, has a membership of over Touch, "mainly about the state of clean 10,000 women in 130 clubs across liness - the members would have to go Canada. Members are active in public in and scrub the washrooms before affairs, work towards raising the social, their meetings. However, it's claim to economic and legal status of women, fame was the dance floor. . . and well as improving education, the `T h e frustration with the Hall and environment, human rights, justice and the lack of funds resulted in the deci peace. The national organization moni sion to meet in members' homes and tors and responds to government poli that continued for a number of years, cies on education and the status of with chairs loaned by the funeral direc women, with particular emphasis on tor Stan Russell, who received a box of issues impacting women and children. cigars at Christmas for his kindness." CFUW-Oakville awards $5,000 The club meets monthly, third annually in scholarships to five gradu Monday o f each month from ating high school students, plus one Septem ber to May, at Oakville deserving mature student. A `Past Trafalgar High School, 1460 Devon President's Scholarship' will be award Rd., at 7 p.m. ed this year in honour of the club's 50th Speakers this year include Judith anniversary. Finlayson, author o f Trailblazers: "As first secretary I had the onerous Women Talk About Changing Canada, but fun task - is that an oxymoron - of Nov. 15th (Guest Night), historical researching the validity of the degrees fashion curator Jonathan Walford, 50 of our 50 would-be members," she Years o f Women's Fashion, Jan. 17, writes. `T hey had to be from accredit 2000; Elizabeth Carmichael, cultural ed universities. Canadian degrees interpreter and translator, Ethnic ranged from Dalhousie, Ste. Francis women o f Halton - Their Issues and Xavier through McGill, Queen's, U of Evolution, March 6th; and the Globe T, Western, Saskatchewan and Alberta. and Mail's Jan Wong, Lunch With . . . The club's first meeting place was columnist, and author of Jan Wong' s Victoria Hall, where the Oakville China, April 17th. Curling Club is today. The club's 50th anniversary dinner`T he tales about Victoria Hall are dance is planned for May 13, 2000. legion," writes the club's archivist, For information, call membership Ruth Schatz, in the October issue of In convenor Ann Pajunen, 849-3962. F a ll Sale t JK ^ X' G/m /H'A A K V ,^ up to c ^ S 'V M A S .N O % off kS C o f S a j / i i f /io U 'S C 'S and K S ( n d r e iu & ( S /u z /d i i (/ l a/*e i/eco/Hitei/fot* f/te ^ytt/efu/c Saturday, December 4,1999 9:30 a.m to 4:00 p.m. Tickets $20.00 Available at: Downtown Oakville (East) Raym ar Lighting Upstairs Downstairs Tea Room M ary's Keepsakes Bookers Cove Classics (formerly Added Touch, Pine Room) Oakville West Flippance & Carr Abbey Health Foods (Hopedale M all) Our entire Fall Collection Oakville North U pper Oakville Card Shop (U pper M iddle) Glen A bbey Fram ing (Oakville Town Centre, Dorval) Peach Tree Wall Covering (Glen A bbey) * th e lo w e s t tic k e te d p ric e M ichael's Hairdressing (M aple Grove Village) Oakville Place Mall English Butler For m ore information call Colleen at 905-849-4632