On December 6, 1925 fifty-four Carmel women met at the Pine Inn and signed their names as Charter Members of the Carmel Woman’s Club.  In the ensuing nine decades, events that followed and continue today reflect the living history and adherence to the organization’s by-laws’ stated goals of “. . . mutual help, intellectual advancement, social enjoyment, and united effort for the welfare of the community.”

Memories of “Our Story.”

> In the early 1900s, various groups that developed into the formation of the Carmel Woman’s Club assumed responsibility for naming streets, maintaining town cleanliness and building an artistic watering trough for horses at San Carlos and Ocean which stands today as a World War I Memorial.

> In 1926 plans for an Institute of World Affairs are developed under the auspices of the Carmel Woman’s Club (CWC) bringing nationally recognized leaders and renowned speakers to the area.

> In 1928 the CWC leads a successful protest of objectionable signs on highways and buildings in and around Carmel: ordinance is passed by City Council.

> CWC raises money and “with hoe and rake” plants a garden in front of Harrison Library.

> During the 1929 Depression, CWC uses unemployed men to beautify Carmel streets beginning at Casanova, planting native shrubs and trees block by block.

> In 1931 CWC works with City Council and Pine Cone to clean beach and sand dunes and help keep them orderly by supplying trash containers and signs.

> In 1932, donations by friends in the CWC produce the sundial that stands in the Harrison Library garden today as a memorial for one of its members.

> As the Great Depression continues in 1932, CWC raises funds toward the building of municipal tennis courts, providing work for the unemployed, and contributes to the Fund for Unemployment Relief.

> In 1934 with plants and shrubs, CWC members beautify the grounds of the Carmel Art Association’s new permanent gallery on Dolores.

> In 1937 CWC contributes trees and shrubs to the Golden Gate Bridge Toll Plaza and receives grateful acknowledgement from the Golden Gate Bridge and Highway District.

> In 1938 CWC provides funds for Chinese refugees in the Sino-Japanese war zone and is thanked by the Chinese Consul General in San Francisco.

> Early in 1941 donations to the British Relief Fund and Bundles-For-Britain parties raised enough money to pay for an ambulance as gift to the British people from the women of Carmel

> Following World War II, CWC erects the large stone memorial in Devendorf Park honoring the lives of Carmel servicemen lost in the conflict.

> As the CWC’s activities and expanding community services grow, the need for a Permanent home came to fruition with the purchase of two lots at the corner of San Carlos and Ninth Streets and construction of the clubhouse begins in June of 1948.

> Owing to the devoted efforts of its members, the building’s mortgage was burned ten years later in June 1958.

>From the 1960s through today, CWC’s extensive outreach programs grew rapidly with significantly expanded commitments to the betterment of the life of the Monterey Peninsula.

Beneficiaries of CWC’s Charitable Giving Program

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• Alliance On Aging
• American Red Cross
• Big Sur Land Trust
• Blind and Visually Impaired Center
• Boys and Girls Club of Seaside
• Carmel Art Association
• Carmel Fire Department
• Carmel Garden Club
• Carmel Foundation
• Carmel Youth Center
• Friends of Carmel Unified Schools
• Gateway Center
• Girl Scouts of America
• Handicapped Activities Unlimited
• Harrison Memorial Library
• Hidden Valley Music Seminars
• Hospice of Monterey Peninsula
• Josephine Kernes Memorial Pool
• Legal Services for the Aging
• Meals on Wheels
• Monterey Museum of Art
• Monterey Peninsula Symphony
• Monterey Peninsula Volunteer Services
• Multiple Sclerosis Society
• Pacific Repertory Theater
• Peninsula Outreach
• Pt. Lobos Foundaion
• SPCA
• The Salvation Army
• Visiting Nurses Association
• YWCA of Monterey Peninsula
• YWCA Shelter for Battered Women

In 2012 CWC partnered with the Community Foundation of Monterey County to create the Carmel Woman’s Club Endowment Fund. We again partnered in 2017 to create the Carmel Woman’s Club Scholarship Endowment Fund.

As the Carmel Woman’s Club looks ahead to continuing its tradition of community service, a brief look back since its establishment in 1925 shows a history of approximately 3,000 meetings, all of which were open to the public; the welcoming of more than 10,000 members over the years, and making the lovely clubhouse and its facilities available for over 1,000 non-profit rentals.

The club established Carmel Woman’s Club Scholarship, offering scholarships to women Monterey Peninsula College students who are the primary wage-earners entering or returning to college.

And in a spirit of inclusiveness, CWC has welcomed to its membership men, among who are former Carmel mayor Ken White, internationally renowned author Jeffrey Deaver and education consultant and race car driver Terry McHenry.

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We proudly share “Our Story” of 97 years as it continues on with its mission of vibrant service to the community and to the betterment of the life of the Monterey Peninsula. We continue to be stewards in preserving our clubhouse in Carmel.

President, Donna Jett
Vice President, Heidi Mozingo
Secretary, Loreen Kinney
Treasurer, Tina DeMaria
Previous Past President, Georganne Thurston
Parliamentarian, Debbie Lent
Historian, Heidi Mozingo
Communications Chairperson, Vicki McMillan
Community Outreach, Tonya Antle
Fundraising Chairperson, Deb Aitchison
Membership Chairperson, Paula Hazdovac Russey
Philanthropy Chairperson, Jackie Craghead
Programs Chair, Flo Snyder-Speck
Reception Chair, Tina Jackson
Rentals Chair, Nancy Twomey

501©3 non-profit Corporation
Tax ID: 94-1295376
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