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Woman's Club
of Seal Beach
of Seal Beach
Promoting the education & civic life
of our community since 1923
Mission Statement
The Woman’s Club of Seal Beach is committed to supporting and promoting the educational, civic and charitable advancement of our community through volunteer service and fundraising activities while encouraging friendship among our members.
About Us
The Woman's Club of Seal Beach is a philanthropic and service organization which was formed in 1923. We are the oldest continually operating organization in the city and we have earned an honorable place in the life of Seal Beach.While remaining true to the vision of its founding members, the Woman's Club interprets the organization's mission in terms of today's woman as we continue to support the cultural, civic and educational organizations of our community, including but not limited to:
Golden West College
Hopkinson Elementary School
Interval House
Long Beach City College
Los Alamitos High School Grad Night
Mary Wilson Library
Military Families at Seal Beach Weapon's Station
McAuliffe Middle School
McGaugh Elementary School
Oak Middle School
Precious Life
Saint Isidore Historical Center
Seal Beach Animal Care Center
Seal Beach Parks and Recreation (Scholarships)
Veteran's Administration Hospital Garden
We Care
About Us
The Woman's Club of Seal Beach is a philanthropic and service organization which was formed in 1923. We are the oldest continually operating organization in the city and we have earned an honorable place in the life of Seal Beach.While remaining true to the vision of its founding members, the Woman's Club interprets the organization's mission in terms of today's woman as we continue to support the cultural, civic and educational organizations of our community, including but not limited to:
Golden West College
Hopkinson Elementary School
Interval House
Long Beach City College
Los Alamitos High School Grad Night
Mary Wilson Library
Military Families at Seal Beach Weapon's Station
McAuliffe Middle School
McGaugh Elementary School
Oak Middle School
Precious Life
Saint Isidore Historical Center
Seal Beach Animal Care Center
Seal Beach Parks and Recreation (Scholarships)
Veteran's Administration Hospital Garden
We Care
Early History of the Woman’s Club of Seal Beach
AKA Woman’s Improvement Club
AKA Woman’s Improvement Club
When the Woman’s Club was founded, there was a small meeting held in the home of Mrs. Washburn on September 14, 1923. Five officers were nominated and elected. At that meeting there were seven women who became active members.
At one of their meetings held in December, 1923, Mayor Richards came and talked to them on a very important subject of how this is the very thing their Club must work on. They all agreed that Seal Beach being a very small city had borne a very unclean name. They said that Sunday dancing and a great deal of bootlegging had always drawn a disreputable class here in search of recreation. So they planned some way to at least have Sunday dancing prohibited.
A committee was appointed to interview the City Attorney as to the proper way to go about this. After seeing him and by his suggestion, a petition was drawn up and presented to the City Council. The trustees agreed with the Club and directed the City Attorney to draft an ordinance prohibiting all Sunday dancing. As most of the dancing was held in buildings owned by The Bayside Land Co., and as the Woman’s Club were at this time holding their Club meetings in the Sun Parlor located above the dance pavilion while they were waiting for the M. E. Church to finish its Auditorium, the permission to meet there was revoked by the Land Company. But the Auditorium was soon finished and became their meeting place for the time being.
At one of their meetings held in December, 1923, Mayor Richards came and talked to them on a very important subject of how this is the very thing their Club must work on. They all agreed that Seal Beach being a very small city had borne a very unclean name. They said that Sunday dancing and a great deal of bootlegging had always drawn a disreputable class here in search of recreation. So they planned some way to at least have Sunday dancing prohibited.
A committee was appointed to interview the City Attorney as to the proper way to go about this. After seeing him and by his suggestion, a petition was drawn up and presented to the City Council. The trustees agreed with the Club and directed the City Attorney to draft an ordinance prohibiting all Sunday dancing. As most of the dancing was held in buildings owned by The Bayside Land Co., and as the Woman’s Club were at this time holding their Club meetings in the Sun Parlor located above the dance pavilion while they were waiting for the M. E. Church to finish its Auditorium, the permission to meet there was revoked by the Land Company. But the Auditorium was soon finished and became their meeting place for the time being.
This has been the first real big thing the Club undertook and on December 26, 1923, they were not real sure that this will become an actual accomplishment as officials of the Bayside Land Co., including, Isaac Lothian, P. A. Stanton and Jacob Transue felt that the City Trustees should not stop Sunday dancing in the City. It was quoted as said, “they are going to fight us to a finish and if they can’t run this town as it has been run for the last 7 or 8 years, they will close it up tighter than an abandoned mining camp.” The officials of the Bayside Land company in Seal Beach issued an order closing all amusements including the Derby roller coaster and its concessions in its holdings on the next Sunday in the Joy Zone attempting to force the issue and bring about a compromise that dancing be permitted. The ordinance was drawn up and after being introduced and read at a regular meeting of the Board of Trustees on Jan. 3rd 1924 and again was read and adopted at a meeting held Jan 17th 1924, it became a real ordinance regulating public dancing.