I was surprised to take a close look at a bookshelf here in the house and find a hardbound copy of Who’s Who in the Territory of Hawaii, 1947 edition. That’s the year I was born, which probably accounts for why I bought this is in a used bookstore years ago.
In the back of the book, after all the brief biographies puffing up people’s social status and importance, there’s a separate section of clubs and organizations, with lists of their officers and boards.
It’s interesting in so many ways, even though I don’t know much about any of the people (although I’ve started combing through newspapers.com for background info on some of them.
How was the order of the groups determined? The criteria are hard to discern.
For example, four organizations appear on the first page of the listing. Were they considered to be the most influential? Most connected? Or randomly chosen?
In order:
Oahu Country Club
Morning Music Club
PEO Reciprocity Bureau of Hawaii
The Pacific Club in Hawaii
Two of them–Oahu Country Club and the Pacific Club–are still prominent organizations.
But the other two?
It didn’t take long to find that the Morning Music Club, like the Outdoor Circle, was a spinoff of the Kilohana Art League, an organization of artists and supporters of the arts that began in 1894 and was disbanded in 1912. During its existence, the Kilohana Art League was well known for organizing public exhibitions promoting Hawaii artists.
I’ve found only short references to the Morning Music Club, which held monthly meetings for local musicians and singers. It was founded in 1905 and led by Mary Atherton Richards, the granddaughter of missionaries Amos Starr Cooke and Juliette Montague Cooke.
According to Google:
The Morning Music Club was created to serve as a meeting point for local musicians in Honolulu, who were active in the city’s burgeoning music scene. Its founder, Mary Atherton Richards, was a prominent civic leader whose family had deep roots in the city.
A private, social setting: Early music organizations in Honolulu were often small and held in private homes or smaller venues. The Morning Music Club appears to have followed this trend, with meetings frequently held in Richards’ home, a testament to her family’s social standing.
In the Who’s Who list, the Morning Music Club’s officers don’t have names. They are listed only as the “Mrs.” associated with their husband’s names. A sign of the times, I suppose, although not all groups handled their officer names the same way.
In May 1908, the Pacific Commercial Advertiser called the group “one of the most progressive and interesting musical organizations of Honolulu….”
The thirty ladies who make up its
membership are working quietly but
effectively from an intelligent as well
as a musical standpoint. Some of
them are teachers, others have had
thorough musical educations, and some
are still students, but all unite in en-
deavoring to raise ideals and aid one
another by kindly criticism. The
newly-elected president, Mrs. Frank
Atherton, is well qualified in every
way to carry out with success the in-
teresting and educational program al-
ready arranged for the season of
1908-09.Last evening at the Castle Free Kin-
dergarten the club gave their annual
open meeting, presenting a most
pleasurable program, for which they
deserve warm praise.The results of earnest and good work
were shown throughout the evening.
The violin quartet was unique and ex-
ceedingly well handled. Mrs. Weight’s
solo, although it did not give her op-
portunity to display the power of her
lovely voice, was well interpreted and
showed a warmth and sweetness of
tone. The aria by Mrs. C. B. Cooper
deserves especial mention, as it was
by far the most difficult vocal number
on the program, Her singing shows
cultivation and control far beyond the
ordinary.The last number on the program was
assuredly the climax of excellence, for
Mrs. Ingalls showed emphatically the
finish of the professional. Her audi-
tors constantly remark on the vast
improvement she has made since her
studies of last summer with Heer-
man. Her execution is brilliant and
exact, while her interpretation seems
to be always broadening and deepen-
ing. She graciously responded to an
enthusiastic encore. Miss Werthmuel-
ler, who accompanied Mrs. Ingalls,
displayed a delicacy of touch and
feeling which makes one wish she
would more often treat us to a hearing
of her exceptional talent in solo work.When one considers that the follow-
ing program was given by ladies who,
with a few exceptions, are arnateurs
in every sense, we have reason to feel
proud of the fact that such a musical
club exists in Honolulu.
A search for more recent newspaper references to the Morning Music Club mostly turned up obituaries of former members.
State business registration records show “The Morning Music Club” was registered with the territory in 1952, a year after Mary Atherton Richards’ death. In 1961, the name was changed to The Morning Music Club of Honolulu. It has filed annual reports with the state every year until 2022, but has been listed as “delinquent” for the last three years and could be on the verge of being administratively terminated.
And the PEO Reciprocity Bureau of Hawaii? That’s proving to be harder to find information about.
In any case, if you’re interested in such things, take a look through the organizations that were considered to be signifant in 1947. I’ll add a few other comments later.
Officers & Directors of Clubs and Organizations in Hawaii (1947) by Ian Lind