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| The Millington Book Chat Club These women are all very accomplished in a wide range of fields including healthcare, real estate, banking and much more, but primarily in education. If you went to school in Millington, then this has been your teacher's book club, your librarian's book club and your school board member's book club. You may recognize a few of them. |
It has been a while since I have been able to post on this blog as my laptop has been in the shop, a sad and somewhat problematic situation for someone who writes for a living, but the good news is, it's all fixed now. If you find yourself with a computer on the fritz, check out Sandstorm IT in Atoka at (901) 475-0275 and local tech gurus Josh Yarbrough and Robert Cleveland, who are very nice and extremely knowledgeable when it comes to all things computer-related.
The Millington Book Chat Club
As a lover of books, I have always wanted to be in a book club, and even thought about starting one of my own, but wasn't sure how or where to begin. A few years ago I was approached by my favorite high school English teacher, Beverly Burk, who asked if I would be interested in joining the Millington Book Chat Club. I was thrilled! A short time later I received an official handwritten invitation by mail. At the time, I didn't know that this book club has had a very long and established history in Millington, dating back to the late 1920s.
The founders of the Millington Book Chat Club were teachers at the local high school, beginning with Ruth Aycock, who invited a few teachers from the school to her home for the purpose of starting a study group, with the charter members composed of teachers and the wives of faculty members. Born out of the Great Depression, the members selected modern fiction for their study as there was no public library in Millington. Each member purchased a book, which was circulated throughout the club during the year, then returned to the original owner. Today, the club has 24 members and this practice still exists (a book club structure unique to this area, as I can find no other examples of a book club that does this,) offering a variety of books based on the tastes of members to read throughout the year, with the only stipulation being that the books chosen for the year, in October, must bear that year's copyright. Among this year's selections include: "A Woman of No Importance," "The Dutch House," and "Furious Hours."
The tradition of circulating books each month had its first serious mishap in its long history last year, when one of the books was left on the hood of a member's car as she drove away. Fortunately, it was retrieved and returned to her, only slightly damaged after being run over by another vehicle.
During the book club's first year in 1928, various members presented programs on current events or book reviews, and guest speakers also were invited to discuss their areas of expertise. This tradition also has continued, with recent programs focusing on travel, writing, book readings and reviews.
Memorable programs as cited by current members of the group include a presentation on stories from kindergarten presented by D'Leigh Harvell; and the first time the group read a book together and discussed it, "The Girls of Atomic City" in 2018, (the more common format for most book clubs today).
In 1928, dues for the club were $1. Over time, the dues have increased and are generally used to help with community activities, primarily through donations to the Millington Public Library or the various school libraries. The Millington Book Chat Club has a long history of civic involvement in the community, including the planting of flower beds and trees in the city, as well as helping to establish and staff the city's first library.
Other traditions continue as well. Dessert and coffee are still served at the end of each meeting along with nuts and mints or chocolate, generally on fine china, while other traditions have gone by the wayside. Annette Bates remembers club members "being dressed to the nines wearing long dresses and gloves singing Christmas carols."
At close to 90, Anna Lou Williams, a retired teacher, is currently the oldest and longest serving member of the club. At this point, I must digress to say, what an honor it is to be a part of this group, which includes several ladies who have taught me over the years, such as my 6th grade social studies teacher Ms. Merrel Durham, as well as Ms. Anna Lou Williams who was my 7th and 8th grade English teacher, and Ms, Beverly Burk, my high school English teacher. Ms. Williams and Ms. Burk in particular, I refer to as my "grammar goddesses" as they laid the foundation for the writer I would become. And, for their hard work, in teaching this hard-headed girl, I am forever grateful.) The youngest member of the club, Tina Wilkerson, in her 30's, is an assistant principal with Shelby County schools.
Clearly, the tradition of women involved in education continues to be a legacy of the Millington Book Chat Club, representing hundreds of years of experience in the field as teachers, librarians, principals, school staff and elected school board members.
In my mind, education and books go hand-in-hand. Jane Donnelly who taught kindergarten throughout her career fosters a love of reading in her grandchildren by providing them with book money every month, and it has paid off in an astounding number of points accumulated by them in the Accelerated Reading Program at school.
It's also no surprise several members spoke fondly of their favorite books, some of which include: "Wuthering Heights," "To Kill A Mocking Bird," "The Water is Wide," "Charlotte's Web," and "The Secret Life of Bees." Further, several members also spoke of their love of reading and those who inspired them to read including Judy Pace and myself, who give all the credit to our mothers.
For more than 90 years and counting the Millington Book Chat Club - this group of accomplished women - continues to be a quiet presence in Millington dedicated to fostering a love of books and learning not just among themselves, but out into the community at-large as well.
