Past president of the Tenterfield Arts and Crafts Society Carol Schiffmann said she’s been involved in a lot of community groups in her time but she found the society one of the nicest and friendliest, and that may speak for its longevity.
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Last Thursday the society celebrated exactly 50 years since its inception, on April 21, 1966. Past members joined with current ones to mark the occasion with a special display of memorability and a spectacular celebration cake iced by Nancy Pitkin.
Current president Fran Bulmer said that a not-for-profit group of people doing their craft and still doing it 50 years later reflects the values of the people who’ve been involved over the years.
There was reminiscing about meeting in the old Scout Hall that used to stand where the Visitor Information Centre carpark is now. Meetings were later held in members’ homes when the hall was demolished to make room for the new VIC, and the extra room was added at the back of the centre to accommodate the displaced society.
The minutes from the original meeting read like a census of old Tenterfield names, with Barbara Fraser recognising her mother-in-law’s name at the top of the list. Over the years the society included china painting and embroidery groups under its umbrella, along with the Horticultural Society for a while.
These days the society continues its social and comm-unity activities, distributing its quilts to the needy (328 to date, with another 45 nearing completion) and playing a roles in every Oracles of the Bush festival.
“It keeps everyone’s fingers busy, as well as their tongues,” Mrs Bulmer said.
“There’s always a lot of chatting.”
