Facing Tomorrow, Understanding Yesterday, A History of Orange ...

tolavish praise on the Ladies' Aid Society for being "an organization that
neversuspends, dies, or takes leave of absence. It is many things in one:
apastoralreinforcement, a financial treasure chest, a woman's exchange,
arecreation center, a cookery school, a needlework guild, a relief society,
a school of salesmanship, a clearing house for domestic and church
problems,a prayer meeting - each in turn plays many parts."?
The women of Orange Church have followed this tradition. While
constructionon the new church was just getting under way, the ladies of
thechurch met on February 8, 1924, to organize the Ladies' Aid Society
ofOrange Church with thirty-two members. Charter members, as originallylisted,
were Alice Hogan, Novella Hogan, Hattie Hogan, Lillie
Hogan,Pearl Hogan, Ida Hogan, "Miss" Ethel Hogan, Leta Hogan, Mary
Hogan,Lillie Freeland, Lizzie Freeland, Mabel Maddry, Julia Potts,
EmmaPotts, Nellie Hutchins, Minnie Blackwood, Louise Blackwood,
MaryBurch, Margaret N. Burch, Margaret Burch, Alice Craig, Moriah
Collier,Ruth Collier, Pearl Collier, Julia Franklin, Daisy Perkins, Lou
EmelineWeaver, Laura Brockwell, Mrs. M.G. Bishop, and Fannie
Brockwell.Officers elected were: LizzieFreeland, president; Pearl Hogan,
vicepresident; Daisy Perkins, secretary; and Lillie Hogan, treasurer. The
membershipcommittee consisted of Moriah Collier, Margaret N. Burch,
andDaisy Perkins. A membership fee was set at 10 cents per person per
month.
Sincethe church building was under construction, the ladies logically
turnedtheir attention to raising funds for the sanctuary. The means used
wouldbe most familiar to present-day church members, for the women
servedsuppers to the Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs of Chapel Hill,gave plays,
heldbazaars, and made quilts for sale. During 1924, for instance, the
womenraised $800.02. They gave $200 to the building fund, and the
remainderwas used for furnishings of the church, etc.
Still looking for additional sources of revenue, in April 1924, the
Ladies'Aid Society decided it was time to transfer any money that the old
CommunityClub still had in the treasury to the Ladies' Aid Society in
orderto buy a piano for the church. Since the Community Club had
includedmembers who did not attend Orange Church, permission for
sucha transfer had to be obtained from all of the outside members. They
agreedwith the Ladies' Aid Society's plans, and $123.60 was turned over
toSamBrockwell, who had contributed $25 toward the piano's purchase.
Theactual cost of the piano is unknown.
Activities of the Ladies' Aid Society caught the attention of the local
newspaper,and the Chapel Hill Weekly of May 22, 1924, reported that
churchmembers sponsored a play, 'The Awful Aunt," at the Blackwood
Schoolto help retire the building debt. The play was scheduled to coincide
witha bazaar at which the women planned to sell handicraft items. The
marriedladies agreed to make a quilt for the bazaar, and the single ladies
eachdecided to make some kind of fancy work. All proceeds were to go
forthechurch. The play was held outside the school. As with many of the
projectsofthat day, churches cooperated in setting the project in motion.
TheMethodists and the Baptists, for instance, built the stage for the play.
Fivemen - Malcolm C. Blackwood, John H. Maddry, James A. Maddry,
CharlieO. Hogan, and William C. Freeland - were appointed to keep
orderon the outside. Clyde Hogan and Lawrence Blackwood served as
doorkeepers, and Henry Burch, Ernest Turrentine, and Clarence
Blackwoodkept order inside. Lest you think that the audience was unruly,
EugeneBlackwood recalls that the rowdiness was part ofthe play.Among
those performing in the play were Minnie Blackwood, Nell Maddry
Jenkins, Frank Maddry, Foster Tapp, Eugene Blackwood, Louise
Blackwood,Mary Hogan, Pearl Turrentine, Ruth Wright, Jim Wright,
Etoy Byrd, LeRoy Byrd, Ollie Byrd, Lizzie Pendergrass, and Iody
Pendergrass.Admission was 25 cents for adults and 15cents for children.
Membersraised about $140 through that dramatic effort.
FACING TOMORROW, UNDERSTANDING YESTERDAY 21