For the first time in 53 years, GFWC West Virginia brings Summer Conference to Logan County
- Aug 5
- 6 min read
WVOW News
LOGAN For the first time in the 53-year history of its Summer Conference, the General Federation of Woman’s Clubs (GFWC) of West Virginia brought its statewide gathering to Logan County this weekend, hosting the event at Chief Logan State Park Conference Center and Lodge.
GFWC is a community service organization with local clubs across the country working on projects to support their communities.
In West Virginia, clubs participate in efforts involving health and wellness, veterans’ support, backpack programs for children, childcare centers, environmental initiatives such as recycling, and advocacy efforts focused on issues including child safety and domestic violence awareness.
Among the attendees were two longtime GFWC members with Logan County connections, GFWC West Virginia State President Terri Diamond and her sister, Janice Stone. Diamond, who is a member of both the Woman’s Club of Omar and the Woman’s Club of South Charleston, has been a GFWC member for 53 years. Stone, a member of the Woman’s Club of Omar, has been a GFWC member for 58 years.
The summer conference has traditionally rotated between the middle and northern regions of West Virginia.
Diamond, who was born and raised in Logan County, said she was initially unsure whether members from across the state would make the trip south.
"At first, I thought, 'Oh, no, nobody's gonna come all the way to Southern West Virginia,'" Diamond said. "But everybody was excited to come. They love the park. They loved the conference center here, the lodge. They all said they slept good last night."
The two-day gathering, hosted by the North Central District, drew 138 registered attendees, with newcomers accounting for nearly half of that total, Diamond said.
Attendees took part in workshops covering leadership, membership, communication and public relations, along with a LEADS workshop. Representatives from the Safe Surfin’ Foundation and the Alzheimer’s Association also spoke to the group.
Logan County is home to three GFWC clubs: the Woman’s Club of Omar, the Woman’s Club of Logan and the Woman’s Club of Chapmanville. Membership is open to women from across the area, not just those who live in the communities where clubs are located.
The conference also featured entertainment tied to Diamond’s 2026-2028 special project, “I Love Music and GFWC West Virginia.”
Shana Nelson, a member and secretary of the Woman’s Club of Omar, performed a musical tribute to Patsy Cline on Friday.
The Lincoln County Cloggers took the stage Saturday afternoon, and the weekend closed with a dinner and performance by the Hutchinson Brothers Band.
The final night of the conference became a celebration of its own, with attendees filling the dance floor during the Hutchinson Brothers Band’s performance. Members laughed, danced and enjoyed the fellowship that has become one of the defining parts of the GFWC experience.
For many members, the weekend was a reminder that GFWC is not only about service projects and community work, but also about the friendships and memories created along the way.
Diamond said the entertainment was sponsored by local businesses, including 1910, the Hatfield-McCoy Convention and Visitors Bureau of Logan County, and Logan Regional Medical Center.
During the closing dinner, clubs passed a basket for donations and raised $1,140.90 for West Virginia flood victims within a few minutes.
The Woman’s Club of Omar, one of Logan County’s three GFWC clubs, has a history that stretches back generations. Stone and Diamond said the club traces its roots to an earlier Omar Woman’s Club that disbanded after its building burned down before reorganizing in 1968.
Their mother, Virginia Walk Diamond, was part of that reorganization. Stone joined alongside her, while Diamond, who was still in high school at the time, first became involved with the Omar club as a Juniorette before later joining the regular club after graduation.
For Diamond and Stone, involvement in GFWC became a family tradition that has continued into the next generation. Diamond’s daughter, Rachel Williams, who serves as GFWC WV Chaplain, was also in attendance at the conference. Stone said her daughters-in-law have also become members of the Woman’s Club of Omar, continuing the family’s connection to the organization.
"As my sons got married, the joke was, if you marry into the Stone family, you are a member of the Woman's Club of Omar, whether you like it or not," Stone said with a laugh. "But they all are members, and they all love it, because it's doing things to help other people that we, our family, just think is an obligation to do, to help others."
For Stone, the connection that keeps women involved goes beyond family ties.
"I think I just like the camaraderie and the friendship of the women," Stone said. "You kind of become, I guess you'd say, a sisterhood. I mean, you know, you can depend on each other."
For Diamond and Stone, that sisterhood is both something they have built with other members and something they have shared with each other for decades.
Statewide, GFWC West Virginia reported 1,603 members as of June, when the organization attended its international convention in Scottsdale, Arizona. The state lost five smaller clubs over the past year as aging members were unable to recruit replacements, Diamond said, but she noted that remaining above 1,600 members keeps West Virginia in the organization’s top membership category, placing it alongside larger states such as California, Texas, Florida, New Jersey and North Carolina.
Even as membership remains a priority, Diamond said she is also focused on modernizing the organization. This year’s Summer Conference marked the first time PowerPoint presentations were used during educational sessions.
While the Summer Conference focused on leadership, training and fellowship, GFWC members also advance initiatives throughout the year.
Stone introduced a resolution this year calling for safe drinking water access in southern West Virginia, particularly in McDowell County. After being adopted by GFWC West Virginia, the resolution was advanced to GFWC International for consideration as a standalone resolution.
If adopted at the international level, it would become part of the organization’s official policy platform, helping shape the legislative advocacy and community service priorities of GFWC clubs across the country and around the world.
Diamond encouraged younger women to get involved with the organization’s volunteer work.
"Open your eyes and see these older women out there working. Some of them can't even walk," Diamond said. "We need the young ones out there. We need their help."
Stone said the opportunity to serve is what makes membership meaningful.
"Well, if you're looking for a way to satisfy yourself and to know that you are bettering your community, your country, your state, then the women's club is the way to go," Stone said. "That is our goal, is to volunteer to help and improve all of our surroundings."
Diamond said volunteering begins with a desire to give back.
"It's how you feel in your heart," Diamond said. "You feel in your heart what you want to give back to the community. There's a lot of people in the communities that need our help. And they are too ashamed to ask for it."
After more than five decades as members, Diamond and Stone said the reason they remain involved comes down to the same things that continue to bring women into GFWC: service, friendship and the opportunity to make a difference in their communities alongside others.
Anyone interested in joining a local GFWC club can contact clubs directly through Facebook or by visiting https://www.gfwcwestvirginia.org/join
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