By Sarrah Peters
News Editor
The Gadsden Music Club is celebrating 100 years of supporting Gadsden’s musical community.
The Club is hosting a reception at the Temple Beth Israel, located at 761 Chestnut Street in Gadsden, on April 26 from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. The entertainment for the reception will be music from club members and the club’s scholarship recipients. There will also be food. The entire community is welcome to come to the event.
At the March 31 Gadsden City Council meeting, Gadsden Music Club President Carol Larkins handed out personal invitations to Gadsden City Council members for the event. She also commended the council members on their efforts to keep music programs in Gadsden schools.
The Gadsden Music Club was founded in 1915. In 1916, the club joined the National Federation of Music Clubs, which was founded in 1898. The NFMC is one of only three music organizations chartered by the U.S. Congress. The NFMC is the only music organization that is a member of the United Nations. In 1992, the NFMC honored the Gadsden Music Club with an award for being the “most outstanding senior club in the Southeast.” Nationally, there are 6,000 NFMC related music clubs and orginizations.
According to Larkins, the club’s main purpose is to provide scholarships to students. They provide one to two scholarships to students pursuing a musical education every year. They have been providing scholarships since 1927.
The Gadsden Music Club members have made it a goal to support young musicians. The club has six Junior Clubs.
Members also support other music organizations such as the Etowah Youth Orchestra, Gadsden Symphony Orchestra and the Gadsden Community Chorus. Many members provide musical services to their respective churches.
Gadsden Music Club meetings are held the second Wednesday of each month from September to May at 10 a.m. at the Music Center at Temple Beth Israel. Each meeting includes a coffee or luncheon, a club business meeting and a musical program.
“People think that they need to play an instrument to join, but all they have to do is love music,” said Judy Hicks the Gadsden Music Club’s media contact.