PB Woman’s Club transformed, molded community The Pacific Beach Woman’s Club (PBWC) built its current meeting place, Hornblend Hall, a century ago with about $3,800 in materials and $260 in donated labor.  As the club prepares to celebrate the building’s 100th anniversary during an open-house reception on March 13, the world around it (and the cost of real estate) has definitely changed. Over the years, the yellow and red brick building located at 1721 Hornblend St. has served in many different capacities, hosted thousands of events and served as a home base to the ladies of the PBWC.  The clubhouse still serves its original purpose of providing a gathering place to enrich the lives of women in the Pacific Beach area. The clubhouse was built in 1910 on land donated by members’ husbands and the PBWC was granted the title deed in 1911 after it incorporated.  Started in 1896 as a reading club where women could gather to socialize and discuss literature and history, the PBWC’s present-day focus is philanthropy, supporting both local organizations and international projects. “It’s important to be able to give back to the community, especially these days, when there is so much need out there and it’s harder and harder for those organizations who provide for those who are less fortunate,” said Mary Lou Benzel, club president and a member for about 10 years. Benzel listed some primary organizations the PBWC supports. These include Stand Up for Kids, a nonprofit group that assists homeless teenagers; the Burn Institute, a resource and support network for survivors of burn injuries; and The Heifer Project, an international program that donates livestock to poor villages in developing nations and teaches them how to care for and breed the animals. The PBWC has about 55 members, and membership has reached more than 200 at times). The club is comprised of women from their late 20s into their 90s, some of them members for more than 50 years.  At the upcoming anniversary celebration, some of the older members will be interviewed in a commemorative documentary, and all of the club’s annual yearbooks, dating back to 1895, will be on display.  Most PBWC members either live in Pacific Beach or have lived in PB at one time, though this is not a prerequisite for membership. According to its biography, the PBWC was founded in 1895 as a reading club for housewives and meetings were held at the home of Rose Hartwick Thorpe, wife of carriage maker E.C. Thorpe.  Monthly dues were five cents and the ladies discussed history and literature at their meetings.  In 1898, the club joined the federation of Women’s Clubs of San Diego County and in 1909 joined the state federation of Women’s Clubs.  They are now part of a national network of women’s clubs throughout the country. As the club grew too large to continue meeting in private homes, the PBWC began holding meetings at the Scripps Braemar Clubhouse, where the Catamaran Hotel is located today.  Hornblend Hall was built in 1910 and the PBWC gained the title deed to the property in March 1911, which is where they arrive at the 100-year anniversary date.  By 1920, the PBWC had paid off the mortgage on the clubhouse. In 1914, Hornblend Hall served as the Pacific Beach branch of the San Diego Public Library, and through both world wars, the hall was a center for supporting the war efforts. This included rolling bandages and putting together first-aid kits for soldiers overseas.  It also served throughout the years as a polling place. In the early 1950s, the hall underwent major renovations, and except for a period of about 15 years when the PBWC met at a building near Kate Sessions Park, the hall has been used continuously as a meeting place for the PBWC. To offset the costs of caring for an aging building, Hornblend Hall is available for rent and  has hosted a variety of celebrations throughout the years, ranging from weddings to parties to school dances, becoming part of the life memories of countless San Diegans. Dan and Sarah Brown of Mission Bay held their wedding reception at Hornblend Hall in 2001. They look back fondly — both on the location and the friendly PBWC staff who helped them rent event space.  “It was a great option, a great space for the price and area,” said Sarah Brown.  The Browns will be celebrating their tenth anniversary in the fall.   In addition to milestone events, memories are created every time the PBWC ladies meet to work on projects and visit.  In a fast-paced world, the club still serves a vital social component in the community.  In addition to meeting to work on charitable community projects, the PBWC also meets regularly for lunch and to play Bunco, a popular social dice game. “[Social activity] is not one of our aims as far as our bylaws are concerned, but it is very important,” said Dolores Braden, a member since the mid-1990s and former club president of five years.  “Once I retired, I got more active with the club.  I find it’s a worthwhile organization to belong to.” One of Braden’s fondest memories includes working on a project in the late 1990s in conjunction with women’s clubs throughout California to replace all of the original mission bells at missions along the El Camino Real, including locations at De Anza Cove and San Ysidro. Braden is currently creating a photo collage to be on display at the anniversary event. Katy Kellers, the club’s vice president and a former club president, echoes these sentiments about the social benefits of being part of the PBWC. “The thing I enjoy is the camaraderie,” said Kellers, who was one of the club’s youngest members when she joined in 2005.  “The ladies are so willing to help and are not selfish with their time.  It’s nice to have them to talk to.  We work together on projects for the community and we have a good time doing it.” Kellers has been active in recruiting new members, reaching out to the Pacific Beach Town Council and the Surfrider Foudation, handing out fliers and staffing booths at events like Beach Fest.  Over the years, as women began entering the workforce, it became harder for many women to join the club and be actively involved — affecting membership numbers.  But in the next 100 years, Kellers hopes the club can swell those numbers again, reaching out to the next generation of PBWC members by utilizing more social media for networking. The PBWC’s 100-year Hornblend Hall anniversary reception will be held Sunday, March 13 from 3 to 6 p.m. It will be free and open to the community and will feature music and refreshments.  For more information on event rentals or club membership, visit www.pbwomansclub.org .