Sponsored by the Quota Club of Glen Innes ,Quota came to Tenterfield in 1957. The charter dinner was held at the Royal Hotel, with 17 foundation members. The cost of the dinner was 15/-. Among the gifts presented to the club was the framing of the Charter by The Tenterfield Apex Club. Tenterfield Rotary   presented the new Club with a portrait of the Queen. Nell Sommerlad was the Charter President; Charter Secretary was Daphne Cuthbert (Struck). In 2016 Daphne still serves as Treasurer. There are two other Charter Members still actively involved with Tenterfield Quota, Elaine Smith has served in many positions as Secretary, President and Treasurer, Ailsa Smith (Quinn) now holds the position of Patron. Membership in Quota offers many things, one of the greatest of which is friendship. A strong club has strong ideals; its members share their talents, their friendship and their obligations. Quote from Bess Sullivan’s History “Encourage youth for enthusiasm: middle age for ideas: Older members for stability:” The success of the club is not in the hands of the leader of the moment, but in the hands of the individual members who make up the club, and the generosity of the people of Tenterfield and District who have supported and helped raise thousands of dollars from 1957 to 2016.Each year something new and interesting is added to the Club’s activities and each year an effort is made to make the year’s programme a good balance between work and fun. Although Tenterfield at the time of its Charter was the youngest Service Club in Tenterfield, it became the first to have a District Governor in its membership. When the Club was only eight years old Charter President Nell Sommerlad, after two years as President, two years as Secretary, in 1965, was installed as District Governor of the 24th District, with Ailsa Smith (Quinn) as her District Secretary Treasurer. The 24th District to which the Tenterfield club belonged came into being in 1958.When Tenterfield Club was first formed their priority was to help, and work for the well being of older folk, and lonely women in our District. The Golden Age Christmas Party held in the Donnelly Hall in December from 1957 to 1976. “Old Friends Meet 1962- formed to encourage companion ship and entertainment for the lonely and senior citizens in our community” celebrated 50 years in 2012, continues on the third Tuesday of each month, afternoon tea and entertainment, provided by community organisations

. In the early 1970’s Captain Dot Jones of the Salvation Army in a stirring address at the Apex Convention in Tenterfield said we were sadly in need of a community centre, Quota along with fellow service clubs got behind the idea. At the 1974 24th District Conference Tenterfield Quota Club was the lucky recipients of the Birthday Draw, receiving $1000, which was duly donated to the Community Centre fund to be established in the former Shire Council Building.

Tenterfield was once again the recipient of the 24th District Birthday Fund in 1988 donating to Millrace Hostel Fund raising appeal.

The School of Arts, in 1960/61 the remodelling of the dressing rooms at the school of arts was undertaken. At a cost of 400 pounds, mirrors ,make up benches, lights, power points, hand basins, sinks, heaters, wardrobe rods and curtains were provided ,the ladies room was doubled in size,. Members of Rotary and Apex assisted with cleaning and painting. The project was completed in readiness for the State Governor’s visit to Tenterfield to reopen the School of Arts as the Sir Henry Parkes Memorial.

1963 the club was working for funds to provide stage curtains at the school of arts:  One fund raiser was a Baby Show, which was described as a “howling” success the winning baby was Judy daughter of Mrs Ron Holley: “Tenterfield Star” quote 27/6/63: “The Quota Club have pioneered the way for the community by their wonderful effort to raise 500 pounds for the new stage curtains, and went on to urge people to “hop in” with community support” Quota arranged for the curtains to be made in the workshop of the Elizabethan Theatre Trust in Sydney . The trust was unable to find a firm able to supply the large quantity of velvet required for the stage setting. Miss Dulcie Hon of Sun Suns located a supplier and the velvet was purchased through the local firm. The Director of the Elizabethan Theatre Trust came to Tenterfield to adjust the hanging  of the heavy duty front hanging curtains ,which were made of rich red velvet, Actual cost was 562 pounds 12shillings and 7pence. On the occasion of the Gala reopening concert the curtains were presented by Quota President June Milne to Mayor Alex Forrest. The Club also donated 10 folding tables, Crockery and cutlery, during this period of School of Arts renovation.

P.A.M. HOSPITAL: From the 1960’s the club donated important pieces of equipment to the hospital. Joined with other organisations raising money for a children’s ward: In 1965/66 joined with Rotary and Lions funding a television set to mark the centenary of the Prince Alfred Memorial Hospital: a suction unit for the intensive care unit: and helped towards the cost of Piped Oxygen supply: and a Cardio Pak machine: Quota also serviced the hospital trolley monthly and provided a Washing machine for use in relation to the theatre and maternity block.

March of three Pianos:  Over the years Quota has received as donations two piano’s and led the fund raising for the grand piano in the School of Arts. The Leech’s Gully Hall Committee donated their Piano to Quota. The club had the piano tuned and French polished. The club sought permission of the National Trust committee to use the Piano in the Donnelly Hall, permission was granted and the piano was housed there. The Braid family donated their family piano to Quota in 1977 for use by the community; this piano was housed in the Community centre and later transferred to “Millrace Hostel”. After staging their first Eisteddfod in 1981, the Club was awarded The Sydney Morning Herald service Award, presented to late Member Alma Crook by Sir Roden Cutler, Governor of NSW. Following these events members launched an appeal to purchase a Grand piano for the School of Arts, the Tenterfield Shire Council offered to pay half of the cost of a grand piano and on 23rd of April 1982 President Nell Sommerlad presented ,to the then Shire President Kegga McCowen the Grand Piano, for the people of Tenterfield. This acquisition continues to be a valuable asset to the Community and is favourably commented on by visiting artists. Over many years Festival Queen Candidates have been sponsored by Tenterfield Quota, proceeds from these festivals assisting projects in Tenterfield, to name a few Helen Windridge (Koch), Sheree Parker (Thrift), Elizabeth Hughes (Eyre), Janice Butler(Moore) and Glenda Milne.

 In 1987/88 Quota published for the first time a local callers’ telephone directory, using larger print and offering more detail to the public, this project continues, and has funded Eisteddfods from then to the present day, this project has been handed over to the Tenterfield Eisteddfod Association , the new group elected to carry on the work of Quota.

  In 1984 a local  Boy Michael Harris ( blind from birth)  was presented with” Braille n Print” Machine, at the time, this machine, was a first in NSW and a second in Australia, it  converted Braille to ordinary print, saving time correcting his school work. Michael is now a young man working at our local radio station, with daily programmes of his own. In 2012 Tenterfield Quota installed two Red Cat audio Systems for the classrooms of Drake Public School. Drake is a small community, located 51 kilometres east of Tenterfield, with 30 students from Kindergarten to Year 6. Two of their students   had been identified with severe sensory-neural hearing loss. Quota has also supported Manilla South in the Philippines Equipping a speech and hearing clinic. Two Tenterfield Girls, Jillian Scholes and Jillian Craig have been worthy recipients of the 24th District of Quota International Hearing & Speech Scholarship Awards. Further community projects we are proud to have supported include, Millrace Hostel for the aged, Haddington Nursing Home: Delivery of Meals on Wheels: Tenterfield High School, Sir Henry Parkes Memorial Public School, St Joseph’s School, Tenterfield Show Society, Better Hearing and speech projects, Breast Cancer Pink Ribbon Days, Cancer Biggest Morning Tea Appeal: Care Bears for children in trauma, given to all emergency services:  One of our latest projects has been  working with the Lions and Rotary Clubs, at a Christmas Carnival, raising money for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter, which serves Tenterfield and District on a regular basis.

A FEW FACTS FROM 1957:

Quota Chartered in Tenterfield

·         Robert Menzies was Prime Minister

·         Lieut –Colonel Michael Bruxner was State Member for Tenterfield

·         Lew Hoad won Wimbledon

·         Australia won the Davis Cup

·         Straight Draw won the Melbourne cup

·         St George were Rugby League Premiers

·         1st Opera House Lottery

·         National Service by Ballot

·         First Christmas Stamp by Australia Post

·         Basic Wage was  thirteen pounds three shillings per week

·         Holden Car cost 900 pounds

·         Tenterfield Star cost four pence.

·         Shane Gould was born

·          Hit song of 1957 “Pub with no Beer”.

Tenterfield Quota has been fortunate in being so generously supported by the citizens of Tenterfield and District.

My thanks to past Quotarians, Margaret Spencer, Peg Forrest and Bess Sullivan, for leaving our club with notes on the history of Quota in Tenterfield, without their words our past would have been lost.