About UsThe Blytheville Social Arts Junior Girls Club was organized on November 19, 1948. The charter members were Shirley Calloway, Mary Ellen Barnes, Ernestine Turner and Lucretia Horne. Lucretia Horne served as the first president. Mrs. Artis Sawyer served as the first sponsor. Mrs. Octavia Shivers was the sponsor in the fifties and sixties. In 1964 in honor of Mrs. Shivers dedicated service and in remembrance of her passing, the club name was changed to the O.C. Shivers Girls Club.
The Club was organized to provide educational, cultural, charitable, and spiritual activities for girls in the Blytheville community. The affiliations with other clubs around the state gave the girls a unique opportunity to meet girls with similar interest from across the state. The decade of the late forties and the first part of the fifties were organizational years. In the late fifties the club expanded in structure and purpose. On the local level, the club provided and participated in charitable and educational activities. They participated on the state and regional level in piano, voice, and speaking competitions. In 1963, Norma Jean Horne, president of the club was elected president of the State Association of Girls. Other state presidents from the club have been Anes Wiley, Nicole Carson, Kelly Walker, Moneshia Davis, and Aaliyah Bell. Vicki Abraham served as president of the National Southwest Region and Kelli Walker was elected president of the National Association of Girls' Clubs in 1992. Many girls have competed and won local, state, regional and national competitions. Yolanda Williams in 1984 and Moneshia Davis in 2009 won the state oratorical competition and in 2000, Latasha Wilkes won the National Oratorical Contest and the $2000 J.H. Johnson Award. Several girls from the club have been recipients of the state scholarship: Norma Horne, Anes Wiley, Ann Marie Wiley, Kelli Walker, Nicole Carson, and Moneshia Davis. Kelli Walker and Vicki Abraham in piano, Monique Davis in dance and Dominique in speaking have excelled in all divisions of competition including Nationals. Kennedy Pirtle was crowned Miss NAYC and Ariel Ross was crowned Penny Queen at the national level. The O.C. Shivers Girls' Club has traveled across the state and nation. They competed in such places as Washington, D.C.; Portland, Oregon; Cincinnati, Ohio; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Fort Worth, Texas; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Denver, Colorado; and even Alaska. They have gone on many field trips to the Civil Rights Museum, Little Rock's Central High School Museum, Clinton Library, Mosaic Templars Cultural Center in Little Rock, Museum of Science in Des Moines, Iowa just to name a few. Local programs sponsored by the club have been on Black History, AIDS Awareness, Teen Pregnancy, self esteem, manners and safety. The club has worked diligently in the community by contributing time and good to the Food Pantry, Mississippi County Mission, Red Cross, gifts to nursing home residents, Shoe Box Children's Ministry and errands for senior citizens. Past sponsors: Willie M. Robinson, Joann Henton, Emma Lester, Helen Nunn, Alena Wiley, Frederica Hammett, Euseline Gibson, Lurene Jeffers, Ollie Lofton, Easter Hunt, Ocie Clark, Dora Conley, Geraldine Ford, Johnnie Porter, Louise Williams, Ann Dargan, Bonnie Clark, Bobbie Diamond, Beatrice Burton, Johnetta Orr, Jimmie Davis, and Sharon Stringer. The Junior Achievers Boys Club was organized in May 1988. Mrs. Ollie Lofton, a member of the Blytheville Social Arts Club, was the first sponsor. Some of the charter members were Rod Spencer and William Wiley. Mr. Sammie Lewis was the first and a very devoted counselor for the boys. The club was organized to provide educational, cultural, charitable and spiritual activities for the boys in the Blytheville community. Other sponsors have been Sharon Stringer, Beatrice Davis, Jimmie Davis, Anes Abraham, Rose Nichols, Nan Malone, and Lillie Riley. Several men in the community have served as counselors- Wayne Roberts, Brian Smith, Luther Davis, Joe Nichols, and Jerry Trible. Through the years serveral members have held state and national offices. Noky Tillman and Darrius Nichols served as presidents of the Arkansas Association of Youth Clubs. Xavier Billingsley was elected President of National Association of Boys in 2008. Sherrod Pope was the president of the National Southwest Region. Several boys have won the state oratorical contest: William Wiley in 1990, Brian King in 1994, Xavier Billingsley in 2006, and Sherrod Pope in 2012. Brian King and Xavier Billingley won first place and received the John H. Johnson Award in National Competition. The Junior Achievers Boys Club has had many talent winners on the state level. Bryce Trible and Sherrod Pope have won ont the state and National Level in 2010 and 2012. Carlzlon Ford won on the state and national level in 2012. Darrius Nichols received first place for his power point presentation at the 2012 national meeting. Bryce Trible, Joshua Ross and Demetrius Goings received first place honors at the national meetings. IN 1990, the Junior Achievers Boys Club was given money to start a scholarship from APL (now Entergy). This scholarship was to be presented to a graduating senior that had worked in the club and demonstrated leadership, character and academic success. This scholarship has been presented to Brian King, Gabriel Jackson, and Xavier Billingsley. Over the past 24 years the clubs has taken a trip to Six Flags in St. Louis, participated in plays and skits at the state meetings, and toured the White House in Washington, D.C. Some of the past members were Rod Spencer, William Wiley, Sammie Lewis, Jr., Nokey Tillman, Tecoy Taylor, Billy Davis, Brian King, Kenneth Gaston, Gabriel Jackson, Jermaine Orr, Daniel Nichols, Aaron White, Rufus Scott, Barry Davis, John Oscar Lacy, Willie Logan, and Xavier Billingsley. |
EventsClub Meeting
Second Saturday in September Blytheville Public Library |
ContactAnn Abraham
(870) 763-2768 |
Meeting Topic
Book Review: The Queen of Katwe by Tim Crothers |