Group marks 125 years of study, service and friendship
Ingleside Club’s example should inspire more local involvement
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An unfortunate fact of recent years is that membership in civic groups, clubs and even churches is dwindling. Some of those organizations have even folded due to a lack of members.
Something remarkable happened in Fort Dodge recently which defies that trend.
The Ingleside Club celebrated 125 years of study, service to the community and friendship among the generations of women who have been members.
The club was established in 1901.
Its name comes from the word for a nook next to a fireplace, which is a good place to read.
"The women who started this were amazing women," Judy Shimkat, a 20-year-member of the club, told The Messenger following the group's 125th anniversary celebration.
The group was started with the goal of having the members study anything related to literature, poetry, art, and current events, among other topics. The club also had a service aspect. Its members helped start a visiting nurse program in Fort Dodge. They also worked to support returning service members after World War II.
Today, the group has a more literary focus, with book reports and discussions at each meeting.
We want to congratulate the members of the club for carrying on the remarkable legacy established by those founding women 125 years ago.
We also want to challenge everyone in the community to find their niche in a club, civic group or church. Those institutions are essential to the fabric of our community and to American society as a whole. Having them fizzle out due to a lack of membership would be an irreparable loss.
But getting involved should not feel like a heavy burden. There are all kinds of groups in Fort Dodge and Webster County that would welcome more members. All the rest of us have to do is find one of them that matches our skills and interests. When that match is made, both the group and the individual benefit.
The group has the strength to achieve its goals, while the individual benefits from connecting with others and being part of something greater than them.
While we celebrate the Ingleside Club's storied history, we encourage everyone to get involved in something.