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The first Soroptimist Club was organized by Stuart Morrow, a multi-talented professional organizer, who saw a need for businesswomen to have a service organization. The idea spread from the first club, Soroptimist Club of Alameda County, 1921, to where it is today, around the world as Soroptimist International, bringing professional and business women together internationally. Soroptimist International of Susanville was chartered June 17, 1950, by the Oroville chapter of the club.
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Tillie Brodie was the first president, with 28 charter members. The club has grown to 50 members today, and has developed a reputation in the area as a hard working, reliable source for community service.
The first service project was a resuscitator for the local hospital. During that first year, projects included: Children’s Theater, Safety Patrol uniforms, Health & Safety Survey, Community Service Council, Lassen County Industrial Survey, Little League uniforms, Bluebirds, and a Youth Center, among other projects.
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Charter Member Jesse Hersey - 1955-1956 President of Soroptimist International of Susanville
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Today the club continues to work on such projects as college and high school scholarships, park playground equipment, Camp Ronald McDonald needs, Christmas baskets, and a special long-term project called "Baby Think It Over" (a program established in local high schools to discourage teen pregnancies).
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Soroptimist members join together to share the work on these projects because women and children are the focus of Soroptimist service.
Over the years, such service has been funded by fashion shows, rummage sales, pie sales, beer sales at the county fair, golf tournaments, catering dinners for other organizations, and member and community generosity.
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Over the years, Soroptimist International of Susanville has created friendship links with, and received visitors from, clubs in England, Sweden, Canada and New Zealand. Our members have also visited these clubs and made lasting friendships by attending conferences and conventions that put us in touch with members around the world.
The club also participates in international projects: water development projects in Nepal, funds for clearing land mines and supplying artificial limbs for land mine victims. Recently, Susanville Soroptimists donated funds to send girls to school in Nepal, where passable roads and transportation are almost non-existent for mountain villages.
The history of Soroptimist International of Susanville is one of continuing involvement in our community, and that of service locally and internationally.
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