Marcia Albertson Clubhouse Dedicated in Pasquotank, 1953

From the January, 1953, issue of the NC Federation of Home Demonstration Clubs’ Newsletter, available online at http://repository.lib.ncsu.edu/collections/bitstream/1840.6/13/1/0001_NorthCarolinaFederationofHomeDemonstrati.pdf

Marcia Albertson Club House Dedication

Tribute to Miss Marcia Albertson, first home agent of Pasquotank County who will be 96 years old this month, was paid Sunday afternoon, July 27, when the Marcia Albertson Club House was dedicated to service of the home, the family and community by members of the club.

Paying tribute to Miss Albertson and charter club members, in behalf of the club, Mrs. Vernon James, chairman of the club building committee, who gave a resume of the life work of Miss Marcia and described her as always having an "open mind and willing hands and good will at the center of all she has done giving a life of service to the people of Pasquotank County."

Mrs. James explained that the Marcia Albertson Home Demonstration Club was the oldest club in the county, being an outgrowth of the Dry Ridge Club, organized in April 1917, and the Newbegun Club, organized in October 1917, and consolidated into one club in the early 1930s. She recognized as charter members of the club Mrs. John Palmer, Mrs. Maude Keaton, Mrs. Wilson Scott, Mrs. C. L. Ball, Mrs. Mae Commander, Mrs. J. W. Hobbs, Sr., Mrs. Sam Wilson, Mrs. J. M. Wilson, Mrs. W. T. Jackson, Sr., and Mrs. Heywood Morris. Two charter members of the Newbegun Club, Mrs. W. J. Meads and Mrs. H. C. Meads, were recognized.

Mrs. J. L. Shipley, niece of Miss Marcia, brought a message from the first home agent who was unable to be present, expressing happiness at the honor paid her and emphasizing that she "would rather have her name on the club house than on any great monument."

The act of dedication was conducted by Mrs. Charles Saunders, chairman of the club community service, who dedicated the building to the use of the community, family and home and pledged greater service of the club members.

Called upon to receive the building as representatives of the community were George Halstead, Chairman of the County Commissioners, who responded to the dedication; W. C. Morrisette, Weeksville Principal; Mrs. Julian Saunders, PTA President; H. C. Meads, Superintendent of Newbegun Methodist Church; W. B. Saunders, Superintendent of Union Church; Lloyd Halstead, Superintendent of Salem Sunday School; William James, President of the Weeksville Lions Club; Vernon James, President of the Weeksville Vegetable Growers; Mrs. J. H. Stone, President of the Maude Hodges Home Demonstration Club; Mrs. W. P. Eves, President of the Salem Home Demonstration Club; Mrs. Carol Jackson, President of the County Council of Home Demonstration Clubs; Sara Melvin, County Home Agent; Eleanor Wrae Cartwright, representing 4-H Clubs; and Vernon Grant James, representing

Future Farmers of America.

Prayer of dedication was given by the Rev. Ambrose Burgess, retired minister, and concluding the prayer, Mrs. Glenn Pendleton sang as a solo, “Bless This House.”

Preceding the dedication, Mrs. P. P. Gregory, of Shawboro, past President of the State Federation of Home Demonstration Clubs, spoke briefly and urged the club members to go forward in greater service pointing out that the real ideal for any club is "where the fatherhood of God is recognized in the brotherhood of neighbor." She urged that the community building be used for recreation for all ages with emphasis placed on providing youth with supervised play; that it be used as a reading room for increase in knowledge; that music appreciation be stimulated in the youth and adult groups and that cooperation and unity feature all the activities of the community. Mrs. Gregory presented the club with two bronze plates as a house warming gift.

Mrs. Vernon J. Langford, District Home Agent, complimented the club for its success in the building project and said that no other clubs in the States are more active than those in the Albemarle section.

The concluding address of the evening was made by Dr. F. H. Jeter, Editor of Extension Service, who also paid tribute to Miss Marcia and pointed to a greater expansion in agriculture in North Carolina. He pointed out that there is inherent in every community some spark of greatness, which can be found everywhere one goes in North Carolina. He said that throughout his travels in the State he has visited nearly every community and that he found the rural people speaking a common language and undivided by some "ism." Dr. Jeter pointed to North Carolina's high ranking place in production of farm crops, in the value of crops and the farm population which is the highest in the nation. He said that in all phases of agriculture North Carolina is going forward, in crops, in livestock and in forest and feed crops and predicted that within a few years North Carolina will be lifted to heights never dreamed of before. He said that many goals have already been passed and pointed to newer goals of the future, and urged his audience to join in the work of making North Carolina greater.