Soroptimist International of Chico was chartered in 1930. The economy influenced club activities during this decade. Soroptimist service focused on helping needy women and children. Club programs focused more on international issues and world affairs. Membership increased steadily and included several women who would serve the club for 50 years to come. Chartered Red Bluff Soroptimist Club

SERVICE: Prepared Christmas baskets for the needy | Adopted a needy family every Christmas | Sewed dresses for needy children | Made monthly contributions to the Health Center | Provided eyeglasses and dental care on an emergency basis | Established a loan fund at Chico Normal School (now Chico State University, Chico) | Pledged $5 to the Community Chest v Supported Campfire Girls v Established a fund to send girls to Every Girls Camp at Camp Lassen | Milk fund subsidy for Rosedale School | Initial sponsorship of the Cedars playground

FUNDRAISERS: Annual Bridge Parties | Fashion Shows | Progressive Dinners | Rummage Sale | Easter Bonnet Auction | May Dance | Talent Show v Contributed cost of one lunch per month to the club’s treasury

In this decade, it was the war that determined the club’s focus. Chico Soroptimists participated in the larger war effort with programs about first aid, rationing, health issues and preservation of garden produce. The club also raised $400 to purchase a mural, painted by Albert Lichty, of a P-38 landing at Chico Army Airport and donated it to the City of Chico. (It is currently housed at the Chico Airport.) Chartered Willows and Paradise Soroptimist Clubs

SERVICE: Local & International Air Watch activities | Helped with seven War Bond drives | Helped establish first Blood Bank USO activities | Contributed to the purchase of collapsible wheelchairs | Sponsored Fantasia Youth Center | Organized Venture Club for young working women | Raised money for an Iron Lung | Contributed to the Russian relief fund | Donated to the TB ward of the county hospital | Awarded a scholarship to CSU | Purchased an oil painting of the Chico Army Airport and donated to the City of Chico | Donation toward purchase of a military ambulance

FUNDRAISERS: Annual Fashion Show | Purchase of Manuel Tolegian’s painting for resale | Annual Rummage Sale | Founder’s Day Pennies (contribution of one penny for each year of the age of the club for each member)

In this post-war decade, Soroptimists focused on Chico’s children. From Brownie Troops to college tuition, the Chico Soroptimists supported expanded opportunities for young women.

SERVICE: Sponsored a Brownie Troop and two groups of Campfire Girls | Supported a student at Berkeley School for the Blind | Purchased two amplifiers for children with hearing problems | Began Regional Fellowship Program with Founder’s Day Pennies | Assisted two college women with tuition | Contributed $1,000 for flood relief in Yuba City and Marysville | Purchased a wheelchair for a polio patient | Staffed the Blood Bank Canteen (annually) | Began annual placement of a Christmas scene on the City Plaza | Supplied uniforms for three student nurses | Supported UNICEF v Initiated a drive to donate corneas to the eye bank | Provided Christmas food baskets for the needy | Collected items for Red Cross Christmas packages for servicemen overseas | Participated in Second Horizons Project, a senior citizens group | Supported Girls’ Citizenship Award Project to high school girls | Contributed to flood relief in Holland and earthquake victims in Peru and Guatemala | Donated funds to purchase books for the Mental Hygiene Clinic circulating library

FUNDRAISERS: Founder’s Day Pennies | Decorated car in Veteran’s Day Parade | Annual Rummage Sale | Scholarship Tea | Fashion Show and Tea

his decade emphasized communication—across cultures with Chico Soroptimists supporting American Field Service (AFS) and across generations with Teen Talk on KHSL and facilitating Bingo games for residents at Beverly Manor. (This service continued without missing a Friday until the late 1990s). It was also the beginning of our long-standing relationship with the Work Training Center. This service project took three years to make a significant contribution in matching funds, equipment purchase and building renovation

SERVICE: Made annual contributions to American Field Service program | Increased amount of college scholarships | Sponsored Annual Women of Achievement Award | Matched granting funds for Work Training Center | Furnished a room in the new wing of Enloe Hospital | Initiated weekly Bingo for residents at Beverly Manor Convalescent Home | Chartered and supported an “S” Club (service) for high school girls | Contributed to the Community Drug Alert Council | Sponsored Annual UNICEF card sales | Loaned two bequeathed wheelchairs to local citizens as needed | Participated in Second Horizons Project, a senior citizens group | Helped staff Annual Blood Bank Canteen | Purchased benches for Caper Acres Playground | Funded emergency dental work for high school students | Purchased wild flower seed for Oroville Dam and City Dump | Awarded camperships to Girl Scouts, Campfire Girls and Salvation Army | Participated in Foundation Awards to Chico High School staff | Planted trees for Pleasant Valley High School | Served annual turkey dinner at Work Training Center | Sponsored a Chico Study on Aging | Founder’s Day Pennies | Contributed to Soroptimist International’s effort to shelter refugees around the world | Donated to Sheriff’s Christmas Toys Project | Sponsored weekly “Strictly Teen People” on KHSL Radio

FUNDRAISERS: Annual Rummage Sale | Fashion Shows | Bazaars | Fun Fair | Monthly raffles | Sponsored Fiesta Rancho Chico Square Dance Jamboree | Sold 50-star American flags | Baked good sales at SS Hope Festival | December Gift Bazaar | Club cookbook sales | Community baseball pool | Coupon clipping | Founder’s Day Pennies

The Soroptimists focused their attention on their local history. They supported Bidwell Mansion and Stansbury House and launched the concept to create the Chico Museum in order to reflect important and historic events in the life of the City of Chico. Proposed as the Club’s 50th Anniversary Project, it was immediately embraced and the Carnegie Library was targeted as its location.

SERVICE: Donated funds for the preservation of Bidwell Mansion and Stansbury House | Supported “Teen Talk,” a weekly KHSL-TV Public Service program | Donated funds to refurbish Laxson Auditorium | Raised funds for Life Pack V Support System for Chico Rescue unit | Contributed to Solway House for alcoholic women | Served annual turkey dinner at the Work Training Center | Contributed to the Soroptimist International of the Americas 1971 Pasadena Rose Parade float | Helped women prisoners program, “Circle of Concern” | Supported work training needs for women in the Training Award Program | Sponsored Youth Citizenship Awards | Sponsored a Defensive Driving Course | Sponsored Annual Women Helping Women Award | Supported “S” clubs at both high schools | Contributed to Council on Aging/Meals on Wheel | Contributed to an Emergency Loan Fund at Butte College | Staffed the gift wrapping booth at the Mall for ARC | Sold See’s Candies for the American Cancer Society | Rang bells for the Salvation Army | Staffed flu vaccine program, Butte County Health Department | Read for the Blind

FUNDRAISERS: Christmas Bazaar and Luncheon | Fashion Shows | Orient & Flume Easter Egg Hunt in Annie’s Glen | Bake Sales | Fun Nite Dinner and Games | Fall Bingo Party | Annual Rummage Sale | Money Tree | Outdoor Sale | Bicentennial Quilt Raffle | Baseball Pool | Founder’s Day Pennies | Theater Party | Disneyland Raffle

More ambitious fundraising projects, more support of education for women and greater participation by club members in Soroptimist’s global activities. The big service project for this decade was the first annual Home and Garden Show. The members began a major restructuring of the Chico club to build membership. Through facilitated discussion, meetings and workshops, a new vision and an action plan was developed to attract working women in the community. This process required many gradual steps and took several years to implement. Chartered three Soroptimist Clubs—in Colusa, in Orland and a second club in Chico, Bidwell Rancho.

SERVICE: Founded the Chico Museum as the club’s 50th anniversary project | Established a Fellowship at CSU Chico to benefit a business major | Donated to Handi-Riders | Donated lumber for picnic tables and benches to Chico Nature Center | Hosted St. Albans club as 1st Friendship Link | Purchased a drinking fountain and playground equipment for 20th St. Community Park | Chartered a Sigma Club, California State University, Chico (student Soroptimist club) | Donated to the drilling of a well in Senegal

FUNDRAISERS: Home and Garden Show (using a small portion of the fairgrounds) | Sold cooperative cookbooks (recipes from the Chico club and their friendship link in England) | “Tables Unique,” an innovative luncheon and fashion show | Artist Studio Tour | Country by the Lake | Annual Rummage Sale | Fashion Show

Club restructuring successfully completed with increased membership. This decade noted significant increase in the size of the contributions to community needs and service connections to needs beyond Chico. SI Chico grew to have local activities support global solutions.

SERVICE: Donated to Salvation Army’s emergency mobile canteen —60th Anniversary Projec | Donated to State Adoption Services for purchase of video camera | Contributed to purchase of van for Peg Taylor Center patients | Established an International Goodwill and Understanding Fellowship at California State University, Chico | Filled suitcase with items for Habitat worker to take to children in Nicaragua | Sponsored and supported Women’s Health Fair, Catalyst Center, Baja Women & Children’s Health Clinic and Reading program in a local school | Filled Christmas baskets and stockings for seniors, Catalyst residents and families with special needsvRaised funds for and presented a “Steps Without Fear” program for school children to bring awareness of Land Mine Removal | Provided funds and manpower to keep the Chico Branch of the Butte County Library doors open on Saturdays —“Soroptimist Saturdays” a two year project

FUNDRAISERS: Home, Garden and Antique Show (expanded use of the fairgrounds) | Bunco Night | Historic Chico Quilt Raffle

The Chico club is the largest it’s ever been, with membership well over one hundred. The club demographics show a most diverse representation of professions and an age span in its membership that ranges from mid-twenties to mid-nineties. The effect of instant global communications and worldwide travel has helped determine some of the Soroptimist service activities from the local level to the international theater—the Chico club is directly involved in supporting humanitarian efforts in Nepal, Zambia, Afghanistan, Nicaragua and Tanzania.

SERVICE: Donated to the Sacramento River Preservation Trust for completion of a mural on a sound barrier wall in Chico | Helped Las Plumas High School to purchase recycling containers to be used in environmental education program | Purchased seedling trees in logged and bare area through the Penny Pines Reforestation Project | Purchased benches in Bidwell Park | Helped sponsor the Chico High School Science Fair | Donated to Chico Friends of the Library for bilingual Asian/English children’s books | Sponsored Seeds of Learning Project Scholarship for a child in Nicaragua | Donated to Little Chico Creek School to develop book collection in school library | Provided Namaste House orphans with scholarships | Sponsored five groups of Chico Unified School District students to attend performances at California State University, Chico | Donated a Power Point projector to a junior high school | Donated to Butte County Independent Living Program to aid foster youth | Provided scholarships for Sunshine Kids Bicycle Camp | Donated to Salvation Army Food Pantry | Provided Christmas Baskets for the elderly and homebound in Chico | Supported North Valley Catholic Social Services “Adopt a Family” program and their “Pregnant and Parenting Teens” programs | Donated to Salvation Army’s new drug treatment and rehabilitation center in Chico | Supported international projects in Nara, Japan; St. Albans, England; and Makati, Phillipines | Supported a facility for orphans and the elderly in Zambia | Purchased foot pumps for irrigation and for safflower oil presses allowing women to Zambia to start their own businesses | Supported an AIDS orphanage in Tanzania | Helped refurbish rooms for Chico’s Catalyst safe house for women | Purchased Chico Clipper bus passes for Peg Taylor Center | Provided Camperships to the Ronald McDonald House for children with catastrophic illnesses | Donated to Butte County Search and Rescue for rescue equipment in vehicles | Provided money for Newborn Baby Caps at Enloe Hospital | Donated to Passages Respite Program to pay cost of respite care hours for caregivers | Supported the American Heart Association | Provided money for medical and dental care for children in orphanages in Tanzania and in Nepa

FUNDRAISERS: Home, Garden and Antique Show—using nearly the entire fairgrounds | Bunco Night