Columbiana Culture Club is celebrating its centennial anniversary on May 13, 2010. Club member Beverly Hall has written a historical sketch of Culture, the oldest Federated club in Shelby County.

Two years in writing, six sections depicting decades of achievement, cover art designed by Diane Ellis and edited by Dell Moody and Judy Quick, “Columbiana Culture Club Celebrating 100 Years, A Centennial Sketch” also includes a personal preface by the author.

Culture was organized in 1910 and admitted to the Alabama (AFWC) and General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC) in 1915. Hall organized the book into chapters titled “Club Genesis 1910-1920;” “Roaring Through 20s And 30s;” “War Years To Happy Days 1940s-1960s;” “The Times They Were A-Changin’ 1960s-1980s;” “Golden Girls And Designing Women 1980s-2000;” and “Dawn Of A New Century, 2000-Present.”

The book also includes photos of active club women dressed in vintage clothes; a collage of the “Have a Heart for the Arts” luncheons benefitting the Shelby County Arts Council sponsored by the Culture, Vignette and Novella clubs; and archive photos of Culture and Columbiana’s community.

For research, Hall used Culture’s data from the original minutes beginning in 1918, scrapbooks dating back to 1929, Culture’s first history by Fay Miles Benton and published in the Shelby County Reporter in September 1937, five pages of member’s notes taken at the 1921 AFWC State Convention, and conversations from Dell Edmondson Moody and sister Mary Gene Denney, Buck Falkner and Mamie Horn.

Hall has been in Culture for many years, serving as president from 2006-2008 and on the AFWC Third District Board from 2008-2010.

After 21 years in school administration, she retired in 1998 as principal of Shelby County High School and in 2008 as a consultant with the State Department of Education.

Hall is also an active member of the DAR, Friends of the Columbiana Library, and past Board Chair, Kingdom Volunteer Fire Department. Hall and husband Fred have been married for 63 years, and they have two sons and four grandchildren.

Hall volunteered to write the club’s history.

“I needed to give back to my community for I am so grateful for my country and Columbiana,” said Hall. “The greatest part of being a club woman is to be part of the ‘Helping Hands,’ a group working together that can help so many.”

Hall will be speaking on Culture’s 100 years at the Shelby County Historical Society meeting on May 2 at 2 p.m. at the Old Courthouse in Columbiana. The meeting is open to the public where the book will first be offered for sale, all proceeds going to charity.

Phoebe Robinson can be reached by e–mail at phoeberobinson@bellsouth.net.