Washington Women's History Consortium
Women's Clubs and Organizations
Helen Felder, President, 1957-1958
Washington State Federation of Women's Clubs
The thirty-third President of WSFWC, Helen Lucus Felder, was born in Port Orchard, WA, January 2, 1904. She was the eldest of four children of George and Ella Lucus.
Helen was educated at Bellingham Normal School and the University of Washington where she was a member of Sigma Kappa Sorority. Her first teaching position was as a history teacher at Burlington High School. Later she taught history, Latin and French at Everett North Junior High School.
On June 24, 1934, she married Herman A. Felder, the owner of Western Laboratory in Everett. He was a widower with two children.
Mrs. Felder's hobbies included traveling, crafts, cooking and reading. She participated in starting the Snohomish County Museum, was a Camp Fire leader, a DAR member, and involved in her church. She sang with the Everett Ladies' Musical Club and gave book reviews at the Current Events Club.
She was President of both the Junior and General Memberships of the Snohomish District, and was an Editor of the Washington Clubwoman. She established three E.S.O. Circles in her district.
Mrs. Felder was elected WSFWC President for the 1957-58 term. The one-year term represented a change in WSFWC bylaws to align Washington State presidential terms of office with the GFWC administrations.
Efforts were made to enable Mrs. Felder to be re-elected for the following two-year term. Although the majority of the districts went on record as favoring Mrs. Felder for the second term, the mechanics of the Constitution would not permit this change. Mrs. Felder expressed appreciation for the confidence shown in her, but felt she should not accept, even if a resolution was approved allowing her to serve.
The Fall Board meeting was in Olympia on October 23, 1957, at the Olympia Women's Clubhouse. Grounded planes, bus connections off schedule, and stormy weather all combined to cause late arrival of several state officers, including Mrs. Felder.
The announcement of the death of Catherine Montgomery of Bellingham was made. In her will, she left a sum of approximately $90,000 to WSFWC. The funds were earmarked for use in furthering the work of the Federation Forest and Park.
A Conservation Workshop was planned at the Flying F Ranch near Cle Elum.
The 62nd annual convention was at the Leopold Hotel in Bellingham, May 5-8, 1958.
A resolution asking support of a drive to finance the construction of a swimming pool at Maple Lane School for Girls was discussed. The resolution was presented with no action by the board.
"All the Flowers of All the Tomorrows are the Seeds of Today" was the convention theme.
Business at the General Assembly included reports of officers, financial matters, revisions, resolutions and nominations for offices.
Installation of the new 1958-60 officers concluded the convention and ended Mrs. Felder's administration.
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