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In October of 1959, wives of Jaycee members were invited to attend a Jaycee Wives Institute in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The Reading and Fleetwood Jaycee Wives hosted the institute the next year. With the number of groups in attendance increasing each year, the institute was held in 1961, 1962 and 1963.
In 1963, the institute was opened to all Jaycee auxiliary groups in the state. The possibility of the institute becoming a statewide organization of Jaycee Wives chapters was considered. A temporary board of directors was established and by-laws were to be prepared for the 1964 institute.
The statewide organization was formed on May 16, 1964. By-laws were adopted and the charter officers were elected. There were 26 charter chapters with 499 members. The official installation took place in Lancaster on May 16, 1965.
The Lititz chapter was chartered by the Lancaster Jaycee Auxiliary on August 4, 1978, as the Lititz Area Jaycettes. Our charter president and organizer of our chapter was Kris Kenna. On June 9, 1983, we changed our name to the Lititz Jaycee Women in compliance to a statewide by-law change requiring a uniform name for all chapters. Up to this point in time, the names varied from chapter to chapter.
In 1985, the US Supreme court ordered the US Jaycees to admit women into their membership. As a result of this decision, the Jaycees chose to change their by-laws, effectively dissolving their auxiliaries. Our chapter was faced with a decision. We could continue to work as a group but as part of the local Jaycees, dissolve, or stay an all women's organization but change our name. We would be violating copyright laws if we continued to use the word Jaycee in our name.
We chose to become the Lititz Women of Today and remain a separate organization. On October 5, 1985, we officially became part of the state and national Women of Today organization. Our principle goals have changed very little over the course of our history. We still exist to better our community and ourselves.