ROCHESTER, NY—The Women’s Council, our premier volunteer service organization supporting the Rochester Museum & Science Center (RMSC), celebrates its 75th anniversary this spring. The organization raises important funds for the RMSC each year to help the institution be vital and innovative force for inspiration and hands-on education in the Rochester community.
“We commend and offer our sincere thanks to the Women’s Council for their invaluable support throughout these 75 years,” said Kate Bennett, president, RMSC. “The commitment of time and energy from these extraordinary women has been a vital ingredient in our success. It is impossible to imagine the RMSC without them.”
To mark the year, the Women’s Council is donating a special $7,500 gift to the RMSC. This gift will sponsor a glass sculpture created by local artist, Nancy Gong, which will reside in the education pavilion on the RMSC’s new green infrastructure outdoor campus. The RMSC will celebrate the Women’s Council’s 75th year of dedicated support inside the RMSC as well.
Throughout the years, the council has donated more than two million dollars in support of the RMSC. This year’s Women’s Council fundraising events include a geranium sale (May 13-14), the 7th Annual Garden Tour (July 23), Fantastic Findings Garage Sale (September 22–24) and the premier 46th Annual Holiday Bazaar Arts & Crafts Sale (November 18–20).
The Women’s Council supports the RMSC with special events and fundraising activities. Founded in 1941, the council is dedicated to providing members with opportunities for educational growth and social interaction. Monthly programs from September through May include a business meeting, guest speaker and luncheon. For more information about the Women’s Council and to join, visit www.rmsc.org or e-mail womens_council@rmsc.org.
Brief History of RMSC Women’s Council
One afternoon in the spring of 1941, fourteen influential women sat down to tea to begin planning an extraordinary feat. The Rochester Museum, located then at Edgerton Park, was on the brink of a new era— relocating to a newly constructed building at the corner of East Avenue and Goodman Street. The Museum’s Board of Trustees invited these visionary women, recognized for their expertise in many volunteer projects, to help with the move to the new building. The move was accomplished smoothly and the Rochester Museum’s Women’s Advisory Council was born. In the years following that 1941 tea party, the Women’s Council increased to hundreds of members, all giving their time, talents and resources to support the Museum’s work. They have contributed to every corner of the RMSC, from staffing the first Museum Shop to conducting tours for school children, and from behind-the-scenes assistance to planning and hosting special events.
Rochester Museum & Science Center (RMSC) includes the Science Museum, Strasenburgh Planetarium and Cumming Nature Center. Offering experiences at the Museum with more than 200 interactive exhibits, Planetarium with a 65-foot dome and Nature Center on 900 acres, the RMSC stimulates community interest in exploration. In addition, the more than 1.2 million RMSC collection items tell the story of Rochester’s past including its rich history of innovation and invention. RMSC receives major funding from Monroe County, where it is one of the top three most visited attractions serving children and families. For more information about RMSC, visit www.rmsc.org. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.
