Administrative/Biographical History
The DeKalb B.P.W. Club sponsored the creation of the Rochelle Business and Professional Women’s Club in February 1968. Mona Robison, a local nurse, served as the first president. There were thirty-three charter members. The goals of the Rochelle B.P.W. Club are to better the circumstances and opportunities for working women through informative programs, scholarships, and active support of local, state and national legislation of benefit to women.
The Club has supported college scholarships to local women, provided Christmas baskets for the needy, sponsored a Filipino orphan, and held informational programs such as a symposium on the International Women’s Year co-sponsored with the Rochelle League of Women Voters. To finance its activities the Club edited and published a cookbook, Burnt Offerings, held raffles and conducted various sidewalk and rummage sales.
The Rochelle BPW Club is now apart of the Rochelle Rotary Club which is a not for profit organization of business and professional men and women who are “dedicated to maintaining ethical standards, building positive community and good will, developing relationships through networking and providing humanitarian service locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.”
