Birdie Community Clubhouse

“THE BIRTH OF BIRDIE CLUBHOUSE”
In the Fall of 1949, Mr. N. V. Davis, Spalding County Agent, visited several families in Birdie, asking their opinion about organizing a Community Club, as the Farmer’s Club of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce was sponsoring community improvement projects in his area.
Our first meeting was held in County Line Church to talk it over. Only a small group came to this meeting so we decided to have a covered dish supper and invite everyone in this area to attend. A larger group was present so we decided to organize a Club and join the contest. Mr. Jack Huguley was elected President, Mrs. Ed Griffin, Vice-President, and Mrs. Arch Steele, Secretary and Treasurer.
As County Line Church was the only available place for meetings, we decided that our greatest need was a place in the center of the community for a Clubhouse. Arch and LeRoy Steele said they would donate enough land for one as long as it was used as a Clubhouse – should we ever “disband”, the property reverts back to the Steeles’. They also agreed to saw the lumber for a Clubhouse as they were “saw milling” at that time. First one property owner – then another said they would donate logs for sawing if someone would haul them to the sawmill. Ed Griffin agreed to haul his own as well as all the others.
Mr. Davis contacted Mr. Johnson at the University of Georgia and he consented to draw up plans for the Clubhouse as you see it today. Mr. Carl Steele agreed to build it, along with two (2) hired helpers. When they got the framing up, the men of the community helped in their spare time. When the windows were in place we women got busy and cleaned them.
Since we had started out from “scratch”, we had no money for nails, roofing, flooring, etc., so “Uncle Pap” Andrews agreed to lend us five hundred dollars ($500.00), interest free, for those items and to pay the two helpers. Mr. Steele donated his work.
Our first meeting was held in May, 1950. We had no ceiling overhead or on the sides, but it was “our Clubhouse”. We decided to meet on the 4th Wednesday night in each month at first, with a covered dish meal prior to the business meeting and recreation period.
On March 31, 1951, we sponsored a barbecue at the Municipal Park in Griffin to raise money to pay off our loan. We also sponsored square dances once a month which were well chaperoned and served meals to Civic Clubs of Griffin. We soon had the load paid off as money was available from placing 6th in the Community Improvement Contest which was $150.00; won 1st place at Spalding County Fair and $100.00 from a prize winning exhibit at Atlanta Southeastern Fair.
As money was available from other projects, we bought ceiling and the men of the community did the work in their spare time. Later on a chimney was built. Arch Steele donated a used water pump which was installed in a well across the road which furnished running water. Mr. Carl Steele installed the pump, then bathroom facilities were added.
We bought a new sink and metal cabinets for the kitchen, but most everything else has been donated. The dishes and “silver” came from dime stores, mostly. The piano was bought with money that was in Birdie Home Demonstration Club Fund, when we “disbanded” several years ago. Most of the ladies in that Club belonged to the Community Club also, so it was agreeable that we buy this piano from Ben Manley, who happened to have one too large for the new type homes and sold it to us real cheap.
Our tables and benches were donated to us by Sunnyside School when they remodeled their lunchroom. Griffin Rotary Club gave us forty-four (44) chairs which they no longer needed and Mr. Brooks, of Diamond Jewelry Company gave us the Clock. Billy and Bertha Wesley sold us a large heater for a small sum.
Getting something the hard way really makes one appreciate it more, so perhaps this explains why we all love Birdie Community Clubhouse so much. Each thing that we do continues to point to things that need to be done, and we hope to keep growing in knowledge as well as in our efforts to “make the BEST COMMUNITY still better”.
By Myrtle W. Griffin (Mrs. Ed) June 1973