Margo Wilson, children’s librarian at Syracuse Public Library, will host children for a suffrage activity on Saturday, Aug. 29, at the library. InkFreeNews photo provided

By Mary Hursh
InkFreeNews Correspondent

SYRACUSE — To celebrate the centennial anniversary of Congress ratifying the right of women to vote, many programs have and will take place in Syracuse jointly sponsored by Chautauqua-Wawasee, the Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum, Syracuse Public Library, Syracuse-Wawasee Chamber and Indiana Humanities. To bring children into the fold, the Syracuse Public Library will host a special children’s program from 10-11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 29.

Margo Wilson, children’s librarian, will meet children in the lower level of the library for a program called “Girls Rock!” Wilson chose this title because “the topic of voting rights and suffrage can seem kind of daunting. To make it a fun program, I thought we would lighten up the terminology and talk about the concepts in a lighthearted and fun way.

“We will talk about strong women in American history who have worked hard for what they believed in. We will include suffragettes and other female firsts, such as doctors, soldiers, and astronauts.”

Strong women will be the focal point for this one-hour presentation open to both boys and girls. “I want the girls to think about the women who fought so hard for our right to vote and what a strong woman looks like. A strong woman is not necessarily one who gets awards. A strong woman is one who quietly works hard. We’ll discuss that being a good friend, sister, mom, student, or helper are the markings of a strong woman” said Wilson. Both boys and girls are welcome to attend and the event is free.

“Since children love activities, each child will make a poster board collage illustrating who she or he wants to be as an adult. The craft supplies will include magazine pictures, computer-generated images, and foam pieces with positive words of affirmation. This will be a fun project of self-exploration. The children will create an acrostic display where each letter of the child’s name expresses something about the child.”

The target audience for the event are girls and boys from kindergarten to grade 6.

This is the third in a series of four programs focused on the Women’s Suffrage Centennial sponsored by Chautauqua-Wawasee, Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum, Syracuse Public Library, Syracuse-Wawasee Chamber and Indiana Humanities. All events are free and open to the public.

Chautauqua-Wawasee is a non-profit organization which provides life enriching programs for the northern Indiana region.

Check websites for updates www.CHQW.org and facebook.com/ChautauquaWawasee