The McDonogh Mothers’ Club was formally organized on October 13, 1923, by a group of McDonogh mothers whose objective was to support the school mainly through financial contributions. Responsible for providing the school with new band instruments, its first school bus, grandstands for the drill field, and the outdoor swimming pool, the Mother’s Club hosted large events including oyster suppers and card parties to raise funds for these projects. The Club was reorganized and renamed the McDonogh Patrons’ Club in 1931 due to male interest, coinciding with the election of the first male president in 1931. This program is from a card party the club hosted on May 17, 1930, at the Oriole Cafeteria and Lord Baltimore Hotel in Baltimore. For the event, the Mothers’ Club sold tickets and refreshments to their guests, so the card party and dance served as a fundraiser but also as a get-together for McDonogh parents. The event was so successful that the club oversold its tickets, forcing the organization to add Lord Baltimore as an additional site and bus guests back and forth between the two locations.
McDonogh Mothers Club Card Party and Dance Program – 1930
