Community Calendar

100+ Year-Old “Lady” Faces an Uncertain Future –
Attend a !Public Hearing about the Cosmopolitan Club of Bath
What: All are invited to attend a public hearing on Wednesday, July 8, at 6 p.m. with the Cosmopolitan Club
membership to help decide whether to save or sell this historic home in the heart of Bath at 894 Washington Street. We
need input about whether the community thinks the Cosmopolitan Club makes a difference – we cannot do it alone.
Why: Though founded more than 100 years ago, and making a vigorous contribution to community life and institutions
throughout that time, in recent years membership dwindled to six senior women. Three years ago, some new members
joined them and began recruiting others to continue the important legacy of the club as a contributor to the quality of life
in the region.

With a current membership of 32, much-loved events such as the Strawberry Festival during Heritage Days, the
November Gingerbread Social, the Yard Sale Extravaganza during Mayfair, and other fundraisers are back on track. The
house can be rented for weddings, showers, meetings, and parties. Funds raised by these events and membership fees
support our philanthropic work with organizations focused on many issues including hunger, child health, and support for
women in transition, as well as (barely) the operations of the clubhouse. However, deferred maintenance built up over
many decades can no longer be delayed and major repairs are now projected to cost between $250,000 and $400,000. We
need to hear from the community about whether this club and this place matters and, if it does, whether it will
support us in the work now needed.

Who we are: We are a diverse network of supportive, creative, “salt of the earth” women committed to strengthening
quality of life in our community and having fun at the same time! Membership is open to women of all ages, walks of
life, economic positions, or talents, as well as both year-round and part-time residents. Despite what you may have
heard, no white gloves are necessary – in fact, you are more likely to need a cooking mitt or work gloves. We are a
501(c)3 nonprofit organization.

Facts about the Cosmopolitan Club:
 In the first decade of the club’s existence, from 1913 to 1923, more than half of the 100 members were working
women: teachers, business owners, secretaries, nurses, and bookkeepers in the shipyards, their own shops,
hospitals, and many other settings outside the home, while also managing their households and caring for their
families. Not so different from today!
 In the early years, this philanthropically focused organization raised funds by running a gift shop and tea room in
a downtown storefront, which eventually became Bath’s first lending library.
 The Cosmopolitan Club sponsored the first public health nurse in Bath.

When and Where: Please come and share your thoughts on Wednesday, July 8, at 6 p.m. at 894 Washington Street in
Bath. The public hearing is open to everyone interested, both women and men.
For more information: Please contact Michele Ober, President, at info@cosmopolitanclubofbath.org or 207-
443-3231. Website: www.cosmopolitanclubofbath.org.

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