Jolly Eight Club

When Ida Godfrey of 78 Bay Street in Glens Falls was home bound with a sprained ankle, members of the Jolly Eight Club knew just the thing to cheer her up: a surprise supper and card party at Godfrey’s home on May 7, 1924.

I am in search of information about the local social club, or clubs, including when it was founded, any significance of its name, and if, as it appears, there were multiple clubs with the same name.

References to the Jolly Eight Club show up in The Post-Star from 1920 to at least 1941.

Apparently there was more than one local social club with the name, as there is a reference to a club for married couples holding its annual dinner at The Halfway House in 1925, and another reference to the Jolly Eight Pinochle Club.

Most references appear that it was a social club for single women.

A Google search turned up references to Jolly Eight clubs in several other cities, but it did not appear that there was any national organization.

Perhaps the common link is a literary reference that I am not aware of?

Most of The Post-Star references are to The Jolly Eight Club of South Glens Falls, which held weekly card parties and dances at the Odd Fellows Hall in South Glens Falls, apparently for singles mixing, with pianist Eugene Moses and violinist George Quinn, blind musicians, providing music for round and square dancing.

In 1922, Beswick’s five-piece orchestra provided the music most weeks.

There were also reports of meetings in other communities are also the South Glens Falls club.

In 1922, a Jolly Eight Club of Hudson Falls held meetings at various homes in Hudson Falls and Glens Falls.

Members included Estelle Gaulin, Margaret Hurly, Agnes Havena, Elizabeth Kelly, Ruth Fisher, Henrietta Sabourin, Loretta Riley and Eleanor Tracy.

Members of The Jolly Eight Club held that held its first meeting of the season Oct, 9, 1936 at the home of Maggie Wilson at 25 McDonald Street in Glens Falls knitted, played games and enjoyed refreshments, according to a Post-Star report.

Other members present were Jean Dougherty, Anne Keenan, Jean Kennedy, Alice Nolan, Marie Suprenaut, Nancy Suprenaut, and Jane Peters.

On April 25, 1941, Mrs. George Perry and sister Marion Balch entertained The Jolly Eight Club at the new Arlington Hotel in Whitehall.

“Miss Anne Herbert was the prize winner at cards. Luncheon was served.”

This post will be updated as new information becomes available.

Sources: The Post-Star Nov. 17, 1920; Feb. 3, 12, 1921; May 8, 1924; Nov. 25, 1925; Oct. 11, 1936; April 21, 1941.