Celebrating Black History: Club was Roberson’s dream

The Blythewood Ladies Club hosts an annual Christmas luncheon every December. Lining up for desserts are: Luester Roberson, left, whose mother-in-law Alice Roberson founded the club and donated the land for the Clubhouse; Naomi Waden, Maxine Canzater, Virginia Johnson, Frances Sims and Myrtle Young.

BLYTHEWOOD – The Blythewood Ladies Club was established in 1996 by Alice Roberson who had a building constructed for the club’s meeting place on land she donated off Sandfield Road.

The Good Aim Missionary Baptist Church pastor’s wife, Roberson was devoted to serving others in her church and in her community. So it was that she called together ladies from Good Aim, Macedonia Baptist, Bethel Baptist, Mt. Zion and Calvary Baptist to form a club to promote a spiritual and social fellowship among the ladies in the community.

Members meet at the club the first Friday of each month. Special breakfast meetings are held quarterly. There’s a Christmas dinner and an August picnic.

In a throwback to days when neighbors took genuine interest in the welfare of their friends and neighbors, the club’s Sick Committee reports all sickness known among its members and their immediate families. Cards are sent and, if the member is hospitalized or has surgery, she will receive from $10 to $20 from the club. Flowers or meals are sent to the families of members who die.

The group also offers birthday and Christmas savings accounts.

Meetings include singing, prayer and a devotional and are organized around themed activities such as exercise and bingo.

Current officers include Dorothy (Dot) Griffin, president; Francis Davis, secretary; Charlesse Spencer, treasurer and Naomi Waden, treasurer.

While many of the inaugural members have passed on, including Roberson, her dream lives, the first Friday of every month, in the songs, scripture readings and in the spiritual and social fellowship the club promotes among the ladies in the community.

Contact us: (803) 767-5711 | P.O. Box 675, Blythewood, SC 29016 | [email protected]