Marion Women's Club seeks nominees for Ida Barlow Brilliance Award
What does Story-Time at the Jer-Zee Drive In and an upcoming Women’s Enrichment seminar have in common?
They’re both programs supported by the Ida Barlow Brilliance Award, given by the Marion Women’s Club to a female small business owner or nonprofit leader whose program coincides with the club’s mission of “empowering women and enriching the community.”
Barb Pine, co-owner of the Jer-Zee, received the club’s first award in 2022 for her Story Time program designed to improve literacy rates, while the 2023 award went to Jenni Hypes, executive director of Aspire Ministries, for her program Strong Women – Stronger Marion: Enrichment Day 2024.
The Women’s Enrichment Day program is Saturday, Sept. 28. It is a free event open to all ages at Tri-Rivers.
“This award honors the life and work of one of Marion’s earliest clubwomen, Ida Harsh Barlow,” said Valerie Wigton, club president. “Whether Ida was leading programs in cultural engagement, public health or civic improvement, she always urged her fellow clubwomen to not only think about innovative solutions to community problems, but to work together to make them happen. That’s what this award is all about.”
Applications for the next $1,000 award close Oct. 31. The forms are available at MarionCountyFederationOfWomensClubs.com. Membership in the club is not required in order to apply for the award. The recipient will be announced in early December.
“American clubwomen were often described as a set of ‘busy and brilliant’ women,” Wigton said, “and the Marion Women’s Club wishes to recognize women in Marion who are similarly busy and brilliant ? carrying on Ida Barlow’s legacy of innovative community problem solving and community leadership.”
Marion women 18 and over who are small business owners or who have a leading position with a local nonprofit organization are encouraged to complete the application, provide a project description (1,000 words maximum), as well as a detailed budget.
“Ida Barlow bequeathed her 1903 home to the Marion Women’s Club when she died in 1945,” Wigton noted. “She would be thrilled that her legacy of improving our community is living on through this award.”
Born in 1861 in Hancock County and growing up in Fostoria, Ida Harsh Barlow studied art at Oberlin College. Married in 1887, her husband, Shauck, was a high-level Marion industrialist with Huber Manufacturing. Ida was very active in the Marion Women’s Club during its formative years.
Questions can be emailed to [email protected] with “Barlow Award” in the subject line.
This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Marion Women's Club will honor local woman leader with grant