Submitted Lil Mayhew
The Drayton Valley Royal Purple has surrendered its charter after 65 years in the community. Here’s a look back at the group’s history of service in Drayton Valley.
On March 18, 1956, twenty ladies met in the banquet room of the Drayton Valley Hotel to be installed, by Supreme Lodge, as the charter members of the Drayton Valley Royal Purple Lodge #196. Election of officers was held and Dorothy Pickel became the first Honored Royal Lady. The Elks had, already, been formed.
We were given 60 days, following our institution, to recruit new members, whose names would, also, be added to the charter. We initiated 4 new members, in April, and had two ladies transfer to us, from Spruce Grove Royal Purple (Lady Rand and Lady McMorris). Nine more ladies joined us in May. Our charter contains the names of these 35 ladies, as follows:
Dorothy Pickell Marge Gallant Helen J. Casson
Enid Seibert Gerry Weston Margot Meier
Blanche Watson Mary Burrows Joyce Fraser
Marjorie Hoyle Vivian Sand Marge Creelman
Betty Trollope Dorothy Rattray Valerie Fraser
Connie Humphrey Lesle Hamilton Joan Machan
Eunice Dennis Donna Sweinson Donalda Smith
Cecelia MacKenzie Shirley Tolchard Ester Davidson
Phyllis Redl Helen Leschenko Eunice Lebick
Jean Roberts Ethel Gregory Hilda Rand
Peggy McDonald Jeanne Reed Gladys McMorris
Vivian Peterson Madge Wall
Soon, members came in bunches…seven in November and fourteen on November 19. Our highest membership was in 1959, when we had 65 members on our roster. We had a whopping 75 percent increase in membership our second year!!!
We held one meeting per month for the first year, but found that two were needed, as we had become very busy in the community. Two meetings were held every month from 1957 to 2005, and were busy years. Our meeting place was the Community Hall, until Oct of 1957, when we moved to the Scout Hall, and paid $7.50 per meeting. In the fall of 1958, we moved back to the old Community Hall, which had been purchased by the Elks. In February of 1974, we began to hear rumblings of a new Elks Hall…and Block’s Store (owned by Hamdon Hamdon) became our new hall. This building was our home until June 1, 2004, when it was sold to Life Church.
Our first delegate to a Supreme Lodge Convention was Eileen Belva, who went to Kamloops in 1960.
Our Lodge was composed of very young ladies. Some were newly-weds and many had jobs and young children. With both home and work commitments, somehow, we always found time to attend meetings and to do tons of community work.
We have gone through a lot of ladies during our 65 years! 259 to be exact.
Over the years, our District No. and the Lodges within it have changed. We’ve had Ponoka, Gainsford, Entwistle, Wildwood, Edson, Jasper, Onoway, Warburg, Breton, Leduc, etc. Many of these closed, over the years, and now we are doing the same. Our membership is small and old.
Catering was our main money maker. Some of them were big affairs! In 1983 we did an outdoor catering, at a nearby farm, for 800 people, and catered to a High School Graduation Banquet to 600 guests. Soon after we were formed, we helped the Elks cater to a BBQ for 700 people for Drayton Valley’s 10th anniversary. We catered to provincial boxing meets, gun club shoots, rodeos, weddings, anniversaries, blood donor clinics, Wed night bingos, farmer’s markets, brunches and lunches. The bingos and Farmers Market caterings were weekly events for many, many years.
We were instrumental in many community projects. Gladys McMorris was our driving force in helping seniors. We organized the first senior citizens’ club, and even washed their windows when they acquired a building. We petitioned the town for a senior lodge, did tons of background work and cleaned the rooms for the contractor, when the Shangri-La Lodge opened in 1972. We promoted the establishment of the Wishing Well and Leizure Lea apartments for seniors, and participated in operating them until 1994, under the name “Purple Pansy Sr. Citizens Association”. We treated all seniors to a free turkey supper and entertainment, every Christmas, beginning in 1971- until 1990 when we had to quit because the number of seniors had outgrown the capacity of the Elks Hall. We initiated the Emergency Response System, for seniors, and assisted in its operation. We purchased a 4 wheeled scooter for use by seniors and paid for taxi service for seniors, one day per week. Funeral lunches for seniors were provided free.
Our philanthropy extended to all parts of the community. The schools were the recipients of help in many ways including bursaries, an auditory machine, books, lunch programs, Valentine Dances, etc.
The local hospital has received help, too. An incubator, baby car seats, adult crib and even a wringer/washer in 1957 are a few examples.
We donated to projects; Centennial Arena, Bus Association, a football field, and to every family, unfortunate enough to have lost their home by fire.
Lastly, we assisted the Elks, ( with whom we have always had a good working relationship) in their beautification of the hall with new drapes, stage redecoration, carpeting and kept the kitchen updated with the latest equipment including a commercial mixer.
Presently, we have a membership of 16, with an average age of 80.7 years. The four chair officers are:
Ethel Mankow (Honored Royal Lady)
Angeline Halushka (Associate Royal Lady)
Caroline Harrison(Loyal Lady)
Phyllis Landers (Lecturing Lady)
Other executive officers include: Lilly Mayhew (Secretary)
Betty Starling (Treasurer)
Reta Kenworthy (Conductress)
Morna Welch
“All in all”, we have had a wonderful, fruitful 65 years. We will miss our connection to the community and I’m sure we will be missed!
