The Links Inc. Eastern Area archival collection


Collection 3055

1946-2015, undated
(14.0 Linear feet ; 39 boxes, 9 volumes, 1 flat file)

Summary Information

Repository
Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Creator
Links, Inc. Eastern Area
Title
The Links Inc. Eastern Area archival collection
ID
3055
Date
1946-2015, undated
Extent
14.0 Linear feet ; 39 boxes, 9 volumes, 1 flat file
Author
Finding aid prepared by Tyler Rudick, Joanne Danifo, Cary Hutto, Megan Sheffer Evans, and Sara Nash.
Language
English
Abstract
Founded in 1946 and incorporated as a national organization in 1951, the Links have continually developed and refined their means of effectively responding to the social, political, and financial challenges of the Black community for over fifty years. Established in Philadelphia by Sarah Strictland Scott and Margaret Roselle Hawkins as a small association dedicated to the changing needs of professional African-American women, the Links today rely on the efforts of nearly ten thousand women from 274 chapters in realizing its national and international initiatives. In 1984, the Links, Inc., established an international headquarters in Washington, D.C. Initially started as a time capsule project to commemorate the new millennium, the collection has grown substantially with its reconfiguration as an archival effort, which Links members have sometimes dubbed the Eastern Area Archival Repository. As the project evolved, designated archivists and historians from each chapter contributed a diverse range of materials to document the organization’s history and achievements. While the specific materials vary from chapter to chapter, collectively they bring to light the Links’ success in finding new interpretations of and new solutions to challenges within the black community throughout the world.

Preferred citation

Cite as: [Indicate cited item or series here], The Links, Inc. Eastern Area archival collection (Collection 3055), Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

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Background Note

Always remaining close to the needs of the community, the Links steadily have increased membership through the incorporation of local civic organizations that apply for “interest group” status, an introductory designation prior to official chartering as a chapter. Local programming varies considerably from chapter to chapter, yet the organization as a whole supports a broad platform of civic duty, educational reform, and cultural awareness. These basic tenets have helped the Links maintain a close relationship with the NAACP – dating back to 1952 – in efforts to improve the quality of life for Black Americans. For the past twenty years, the Links Foundation, the organization’s philanthropic division, has allowed the Links to engage in large-scale fundraising to provide financial support for civic-minded individuals and institutions. Connecting Links and Heir-o-Links, two other divisions of Link husbands and children respectively, also provide assistance in raising awareness within the Black community.

Comprised of chapters throughout the northeastern United States (as well as one in Frankfurt, Germany), the Eastern Area branch of the Links, Inc., functions primarily as an administrative arm for programming initiatives set forth at the national assemblies taking place biennially in even years. As one of four branches of the Links, Inc., the Eastern Area administration assists chapters in designing programs that fall under the basic headings of Link service: National Trends and Services, International Trends and Services, Services to Youth, and the Arts. Area conferences are biennial as well, taking place in odd years.

The Eastern Area administration also suggests new approaches to strengthen social bonds and increase member participation – a philosophy at the very heart of the organization structure. Bound by friendship, each member (or “Link”) can better share her talents when tackling the challenges confronting the Black community. Praised again and again as the cornerstone of the organization’s success, this concept of Linkdom revolves around one simple principle – to link each member through friendship in order to link the group to the surrounding community.

Beyond these administrative duties, however, the Eastern Area is little more than a regional grouping of chapters. Its own records are minimal and shed little light upon the social bonds so essential to the inner workings of the organization. The story of the Links, Inc., takes shape in the holdings of the individual chapters, whose detailed reports continually express the members’ sense of leadership and civic duty. Each month chapters meet to discuss and record their thoughts on issues facing Black America and adapt national programming initiatives to fit the needs of their own region. The implementation of national programming varies at the local level as chapters use a variety of approaches to achieve the goals outlined by the Links conventions. For example, the Old Dominion Chapter in northern Virginia concentrates on educational initiatives by way of the regional political system while Baltimore’s Harbor City Chapter approaches these same goals through youth programming.

The countless national programming guides and convention ephemera found throughout the collection demonstrate the value placed upon a chapter’s participation in the development of nationwide programming. Maintaining a belief that the organization’s analysis of the changing needs of Black Americans begins within community itself, each chapter has been granted a certain amount of autonomy in developing Link platforms and initiatives at the local level. This independence in devising small-scale community programming serves as the backbone to the creation of national initiatives as chapters meet at regional conferences and biennial conventions. Even as the Links continue to increase their membership to over ten thousand women, it is this bottom-up approach to social service that will allow the organization to remain close to the black community.

This ability to adapt programming to the needs of the Black community has become imperative as the Links spread their social platforms beyond the United States. More recently chartered groups have implemented local programs only to find an increasing regional interest in international aid. For example, in the course of five short years, the Jamestown Chapter of western New York has evolved from funding community college scholarships to providing firsthand assistance in Belize and western Africa. In a 1996 interview with Ebony Magazine, National President Patricia Russell-McCloud stressed the changing mission of the Links on the eve of their fiftieth anniversary:

The mission of the Links is to reach people at their point of need, men and women, boys and girls, domestically and internationally. Our mission is to discern the need and fulfill it, whether that is tutoring young children in middle school or visiting the elderly at nursing homes or putting water wells in villages in Africa. We must [p]reserve the culture of the African-American experience and the Diaspora. (Ebony, July 1996; article from Penn Towne Chapter records)

That “link” of friendship and respect that unites members throughout the organization remains essential for the coexistence of both local and international initiatives in providing for the Black community.

Orchestrated by DeLores Weaver from the Penn Towne Chapter of Philadelphia, the collecting of archival materials from each Chapter of the Eastern Area Links began as a time capsule project in October of 1999. Appointed archivists from each chapter were asked to contribute their most notable records, articles and photographs to mark the organization’s role at the start of the new millennium. On November 9, 2000, the Eastern Area chapters held a reception at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania to commemorate the establishment of the Eastern Area Archival Repository. In the true spirit of Linkdom, the collection exemplifies the respect given to those closest to the community, honoring the efforts of the talented women shaping the direction organization’s direction in the years to come.

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Scope and Contents Note

The records of The Links, Inc., which evolved from a time capsule project into an archival collection around 2000, span from 1946 to 2015 (subject to change as more chapters donate their materials). The materials chart not only the history of the organization from its creation after the Second World War, but also the development of African-American civil service throughout the latter half of the twentieth century. A close study of the organization’s structure – in particular, the manner in which local branches contribute to the design of programming nationwide – unravels the intricacies of developing community-based social aid.

Materials from multiple chapters have been compiled to form this collection with each series representing a different chapter in the larger organization. While each series contains the primary elements from the time capsule project (e.g., introduction, chapter history), the subsequent materials donated by each chapter portray the civic value of the Links in more detail. In a letter to Althea Spraggins, the Eastern Area Director of Chapter Presidents and Archivists, Link Weaver encouraged chapters directly: “Tell your own story.” Most chapters’ archival records open with a letter to Link Weaver and a “Message to the Future” to be opened decades into the new millennium. Chapter histories follow, along with charter certificates, by-laws, and photographs, which depict members at various events and conventions. Program reports demonstrate the manner in which the Links’ social service is maintained both financially and structurally.

Most chapters have contributed a collection of monthly meeting minutes and program reports, which provide an understanding of the chapters’ operations, and the basis for the organization’s evaluation of the needs of a designated jurisdiction. The style and level of detail in meeting minutes varies greatly from chapter to chapter, ranging from an agenda-style format to thorough ten-page reports. The New Haven and Jamestown chapters, for example, have provided brief, yet informative reports delineating meeting discussions in two pages or less. Other chapters, such as Delaware Valley and Erie County, have taken a more detailed approach to include financial information and reports on the success of a particular program.

Often accompanying the chapters’ administrative information are photographs and scrapbooks, mainly chronicling conventions and events of the past twenty years. The Baltimore Chapter holds the collection’s oldest images, including group portraits and chartering events from the 1940s and 1950s. The Philadelphia Chapter contains 2 archival albums of compiled photos plus a scrapbook. Throughout the collection, many photos have been adequately labeled, including the dates and the names of members depicted.

As of 2019, chapter donations are on-going and series may be added.

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Overview of arrangement

Series 1. Albany District Chapter, 1999

Series 2. Baltimore Chapter, 1948-1999

Series 3. Brooklyn Chapter, 1999

Series 4. Bucks County Chapter, 2001

Series 5. Capital City Chapter, 2001-2003

Series 6. Delaware Valley Chapter, circa 1970s-2010

Series 7. Eastern Area, 2000-2001, 2006-2010

Series 8. Erie County Chapter, 1987, 1989-2000

Series 9. Essex County Chapter, 1996-2001

Series 10. Farmington Chapter, circa 1980-2000

Series 11. Harbor City Chapter, 1985-2000

Series 12. Jamestown Chapter, 1993-2002

Series 13. Long Island Chapter, 2002-2003

Series 14. Middlesex Chapter, 2000-2001

Series 15. Morris County Chapter, 2000

Series 16. New Haven Chapter, 1986-2000

Series 17. Niagara Falls Chapter, 2000

Series 18. Old Dominion Chapter, 1994-2000

Series 19. Penn Towne Chapter 1988-2000, 2006

Series 20. Potomac Chapter, 2001

Series 21. Raritan Valley Chapter, 1986-2010

Series 22. Richmond Chapter, 1998

Series 23. Silver Spring Chapter, 1988-2000

Series 24. Southern Maryland Chain Chapter, 2000-2001

Series 25. Suffolk Chapter, 1999-2001

Series 26. Wilmington, Delaware Chapter, 1999

Series 27. South Jersey Chapter, 1978-2006, undated

Series 28. Philadelphia Chapter, circa 1954-2015, undated

Series 29. Garden State Cluster, 2011

Series 30. Greater New York Chapter, 2008, 2011

Series 31. Keystone Cluster, 2008, 2010

Series 32. National organization, 1992, 2004-2012

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

 Historical Society of Pennsylvania ; 2007.

1300 Locust Street
Philadelphia, PA, 19107
215-732-6200

Revision Description

 Revised guide to include additional donations received in 2013, 2018, and 2019 ; 2023.

Restrictions

The collection as listed is open for research.

Provenance

Gift of various chapters of the Eastern Area of the Links, Inc., 2000-ongoing.

Accession numbers 2006.045, 2009.018, 2013.002, 2018.084, 2019.010, 2019.011.

Processing note

Materials from each chapter were removed from the initial time capsule format – which housed documents in casings as diverse as sealed envelops and cardboard tubes – and then were rearranged into a series to allow incoming materials from each chapter to be added more easily to collection.

Beginning with Series 27 (an accession from 2006) the series names are no longer in alphabetical order.

Processed by Tyler Rudick; additional processing by Joanne Danifo in 2007, by Cary Hutto in 2012, and by Sara Nash in 2023.

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Controlled Access Headings

Subject(s)

  • African Americans--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia--Societies, etc.
  • African Americans--Pennsylvania--Societies, etc.
  • African Americans--Societies, etc.
  • Philanthropy--Philadelphia--20th Century
  • Women--Societies and clubs.

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Bibliography

America Reads, “Archived Information: New Jersey.” http://www.ed.gov/inits/americareads/ARC_COAL/newjerse.html (accessed July 2, 2004).

Brooklyn Arts Council: International Film and Video Festival Schedule of Screenings, “Linkages: Their Families, Neighborhoods, and the Global Community.” http://www.brooklynartscouncil.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=b4_contact&ts=07282004081529 (accessed July 27, 2004).

Females in the News ( finePrint), “Albany District Links.” http://www.femalesinthenews.com/participant pages/albany district links/partner profile_albany district links.htm (accessed July 27, 2004).

“The Links: Women’s Organization Celebrates 50th Anniversary.” Ebony Magazine 51, no. 9 (July 1996): 107-14.

The Links, Incorporated Homepage, “History of the Links, Incorporated: Founders and Presidents.” http://mylinkseip.com/eip/pages/linkhis.html (accessed July 6, 2004).

Long Island Women’s Agenda, “The Long Island Chapter of the Links, Inc.” http://www.liwa.org/member_orgs/organization.phtml?ID=47 (accessed July 2, 2004).

The National Coalition of 100 Black Women – Northern Virginia Chapter, “The Links, Inc.” http://ncbwlinks.stickdog.com/links.phtml (accessed July 2, 2004).

Marjorie Holloman Parker, The History of the Links, Incorporated (Washington: National Headquarters of the Links, 1992).

South Jersey Links, “A Brief History.” http://www.sjlinks.org/page2.html (accessed July 2, 2004).

Uncrowned Queens: African American Community Builders, “The Links, Inc.: Erie County Chapter.” http://wings.buffalo.edu/uncrownedqueens/files/thelinksinc.htm#eriechapter (accessed July 2, 2004).

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Collection Inventory

 Series 1 Albany District Chapter (1999) 

Series description

Chartered one year after the Links’ incorporation in 1951, the Albany District Chapter has the distinction of being one of the earliest groups chartered into the organization. Its series contains a recent picture of its membership, a listing of the chapter’s highlights from 1999, and images of these events. A brief note to archival coordinator Link DeLores Weaver is also included.

Box Folder

Introductory letter; membership picture and highlights (1999) 

1 1

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 Series 2.  Baltimore Chapter (1948-1999) 

Series description

The Baltimore Chapter has submitted a substantial collection of materials documenting its early history in the Links. The series contains three folders beginning with a history and event program commemorating the chapter’s twenty-fifth anniversary in 1973. Also included are photocopies of original chapter certification from 1948 and handwritten meeting notes from 1948 to 1952. The first folder ends with two project reports – one from 1989 and another from 1991 – that exemplify the national and international Link initiatives. The series continues with a folder of press clippings dating from 1948 (included are several excellent articles on black history of the Baltimore area). The series ends with a folder documenting a variety of historic chapter events through event programs, photographs, photocopied images, and ephemera.

Box Folder

History; certificates; minutes and finances; program reports (1948-1991) 

1 2

Press clippings (1948-1999) 

1 3

Event programs and ephemera; photocopied images; photographs (1948-1991) 

1 4

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 Series 3.  Brooklyn Chapter (1999) 

Series description

Founded in 1952, the Brooklyn Chapter was one of the initial groups chartered into the Links after the organization’s incorporation a year earlier. The chapter has contributed a letter to archivist Link Weaver and a separate “Message to the Future,” which has been presented in the form of a poem.

Box Folder

Letter and “Message to the Future” (1999) 

1 5

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 Series 4.  Bucks County Chapter (2001) 

Restrictions

This folder is currently restricted. If you wish to use this material, please contact the HSP archives.

Series description

This relatively short series from the Bucks County chapter in southeastern Pennsylvania contains a Candidate’s Booklet from the Eastern Area Conference of 2001 and a note to archivist Link Weaver.

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 Series 5.  Capital City Chapter (2001-2003) 

Series description

Included in this series from the Capital City chapter are two press clippings (one of which has no source listed) and two operational reports. There is also a letter proposing a donation to victims of the 11 September 2001 attacks in Washington, D.C.

Box Folder

Press clippings; biennial report; strategic plan (2001-2003) 

1 6

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 Series 6.  Delaware Valley Chapter (circa 1970s-2010) 

Series description

Chartered in 1964 under the sponsorship of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Links, Inc., the Delaware Valley Chapter provides service for the greater Philadelphia region, including Bucks, Chester, and Delaware counties.

One of the larger donations of chapter materials in the collection, the Delaware Valley series begins with a “letter to the future” for the proposed Millennium Time Capsule. A chapter history and by-laws complete the first folder. Following are seven folders of meeting agendas, correspondence, and occasional event and program materials from 1997 to 2010. Next is a folder of professionally printed programs, primarily from regional and national conventions. The series ends with a folder containing a set of photographs from what appears to be the 1970s and another folder of photocopied press clippings and photographs from 1989 to 2000. There is also a plaque honoring the Delaware Valley Links from the youth volunteerism group Teenshop, Inc. and a binder of photographs from the 1987 Eastern Area convention.

Box Folder

Introductory letter; newsletter; history; by-laws (1985-2000) 

1 7

Meeting agendas and correspondence (April 1996-June 1999) 

1 8-13

Events (2007, 2010) 

1 14

Programs (1997-2001) 

1 15
Box Page

Photographs of Eastern Area Conference (22 April 1987-26 April 1987) 

2 1-89
Box Folder

Photographs (circa 1970s) 

3A 1

Press clippings; photographs (1989-2000) 

3A 2

Plaque (1995) 

3A 3

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 Series 7.  Eastern Area (2000-2001) 

Series description

Although the Eastern Area headquarters in Washington functions as the administrative body for the northeastern United States and Germany, the group has a relatively small series that includes a programming guide for 2000 to 2001, a little bit of correspondence, area conference materials, 37th National Assembly materials, and documents related to poster contests.

Box Folder

Program Planning Guide and letter (2000-2001) 

3A 4

Correspondence (2006, 2011) 

3A 5

Eastern Area Conferences (2007-2011) 

3A 6

Events and programs (2008-2009, undated) 

3A 7

37th National Assembly (2010) 

3A 8

Poster contests (2008-2010, undated) 

3A 9

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 Series 8.  Erie County Chapter (1987-2000) 

Series description

Chartered in 1987, the Erie County Chapter of western New York state currently maintains a membership of thirty-five women. The series begins with an introductory letter from chapter archivist Madeline Scott to DeLores Weaver noting that the records also have been cataloged and microfilmed. Following are by-laws and a rather unique collection of letters from 1987 congratulating the group for obtaining chapter status. Eight folders of meeting minutes, finances, and agendas as well as seven folders of committee reports from 1989 to 2000 easily make this a thorough collection of meeting-based documentation. A folder of correspondence from 1992 to 2000 and another of event programs from 1991-99 follow.

The series ends with what is perhaps the collection’s largest selection of materials beyond the scope of meeting minutes and programming reports. A scrapbook (removed from the original photo album and photocopied for archival purposes) highlights programs and events from fiscal year 1998-99 through press clippings, letters, and programming guides. Following is a 1994 new membership packet – an extremely useful set of papers in understanding the organization’s history and the meaning of Link membership. There are also reports from 1992 to 1994 pertaining to the chapter’s sub-committee called the Women’s Issues Network. The final folder contains photocopied articles dating from 1990 to 1996 regarding individual members, Connecting Links, and Heir-o-Links.

Box Folder

Introductory letter and content listing; by-laws (1998-2000) 

3A 10

Chartering letters and congratulations; miscellaneous note cards (1987, 1992) 

3A 11

Meeting minutes, agendas, and finances (1992-1992) 

3A 12

Meeting minutes, agendas, and finances (1993-1996) 

3B 1-4

Meeting minutes, agendas, and finances (1997-2000) 

4 1-3

Committee reports (1989-2000) 

4 4-10

Event programs (1991-1999) 

4 12

Photocopied scrapbook (1998-1999) 

5 1
Volume

Original scrapbook (1998-1999) 

1
Box Folder

New membership orientation packet (1992) 

5 2

Women’s Issues Network conference materials (1992-1994) 

5 3

Press clippings; funeral notices; Connecting and Heir-o-Links; Thank you letters (1990-1996) 

5 4

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 Series 9.  Essex County Chapter (1996-2001) 

Series description

Originally formed in 1984 as a professional women’s organization known as the Essex New Directions, the Essex County Chapter of northern New Jersey was chartered into the Links, Inc. on April 26th, 1986. The chapter currently enlists the service of thrity-five members.

The materials provided by chapter archivist Gwenddyn Davis were donated in a sealed cardboard tube intended to be opened in April of 2011 as part of the proposed Millennium Time Capsule project. Materials were removed and flattened for archival purposes. Like many other chapter holdings, the series begins with a “message to the future.” Glued to green construction paper, the six-page message has also been photocopied to ensure its preservation. Following are event programs from 1986 and 1999 as well as a color-photocopied membership picture and a selection of photographs from various programming events in 2000. There is also a small collection of photocopied articles related to a tenth anniversary gala event featuring famed rhythm and blues musician and Chicago politician Jerry Butler.

Box Folder

Introductory letter; event programs; press clippings; photographs (1996-2001) 

5 5

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 Series 10.  Farmington Valley Chapter (circa 1980-2000) 

Series description

The Farmington Valley Chapter of Connecticut has donated a small collection that begins with archivist Deirdre Biddy’s detailed description of the holdings. There are photographs from 1979 and 1999, original handwritten minutes from 1983, and remarks commemorating the twentieth anniversary of the group’s 1979 charter.

Box Folder

Content listing; photographs; meeting minutes; history (circa 1980-2000) 

5 6

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 Series 11.  Harbor City Chapter (1985-2000) 

Series description

Harbor City became Baltimore’s second chapter of the Links, Inc. when chartered in 1985. Originally founded in 1983 as an interest group called the Charm City Women’s Association, the chapter was renamed to avoid confusion with its earlier incarnation.

Chapter archivist Jesola E. Jones has arranged a collection that begins with a short history and continues with a biographical sketch of each current member, photocopied press clippings, and several certificates of appreciation. Four folders of event programming follow, containing reports, brochures, and promotional flyers from 1985 to 2000. Completing the series are photographs from 1986 to 2000 and several pieces of ephemera from a 1996 youth summit.

Box Folder

History; press clippings; certificates (1985-2000) 

5 7

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 Series 12.  Jamestown Chapter (1993-2002) 

Series description

Recognizing a need to organize another chapter in western New York state to assist in service to the Black community, Georgia Cowherd founded the Chautauqua Ladies Club in 1989 to seek status as a chapter of the Links, Inc. After four years of service very much in line with the Links’ national initiatives, the club of twenty-five civic-minded women was chartered in 1993. Diagnosed with cancer that same year, Georgia Cowherd passed away in February 1994 and was succeeded by Link Ida Knight as chapter president.

With one of the largest donations of the recently charted chapters, the Jamestown holdings open with a letter from archivist Kathryn Kenney listing the chapter’s contribution to the Eastern Area Archival Repository. Also included in the first folder are by-laws, a chapter history, correspondence pertaining to acquisition of chapter status, a member listing and photograph, and a color photocopy of the chartering certificate. Meeting minutes from 1994 to 2002 follow in four folders. The series closes with three folders – one of event programs and programming reports, another of correspondence, and a final folder of photographs.

This rich series exemplifies the loyalty and commitment necessary to bring a burgeoning Link chapter to the forefront of social activism in a given community. The Jamestown holdings chronicle the chapter’s rise from small-scale local aid to international efforts to strengthen Black communities such as their Books to Belize program and a campaign to enrich education in Africa.

Box Folder

By-laws; history; photocopied charter certificate (1993-2002) 

6 1

Meeting minutes (1994-2002) 

6 2-5

Event programs and programming reports (1993-2002) 

6 6

Correspondence (1999-2002) 

6 7

Press clippings (1994-2002) 

6 8

Photographs (1993-2001) 

6 9

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 Series 13.  Long Island Chapter (2003-2003) 

Series description

Based in Roosevelt, New York, the Long Island Chapter engaged in service throughout Nassau, Suffolk, and Queens counties. Chartered in 1962 as the first Links chapter on Long Island, the chapter has expanded considerably from its original membership of twenty to include thirty-eight women at its fortieth anniversary.

The Long Island Chapter series includes correspondence between Chapter President Marcia White and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania’s Lee Arnold. There is also a sheet of highlights from the year 2000. Two event programs follow as well as a photocopied article commemorating the chapter’s fortieth anniversary.

Box Folder

Correspondence; history; event programs; press clippings (2003-2003) 

6 10

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 Series 14.  Middlesex County Chapter (2000-2001) 

Series description

The Middlesex County Chapter, founded in 1976, provides community service throughout the greater Boston region. Chapter archivist Claudette Crouse has donated a small collection, which was originally intended for the proposed Millennium Time Capsule. A letter to Link Delores Weaver and a “message to the future” are included as well as a detailed member listing.

Box Folder

Introductory letter (2000-2001) 

6 11

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 Series 15.  Morris County Chapter (2000) 

Series description

The Morris County Chapter of northern New Jersey provided a message for the Millennium Time Capsule.

Box Folder

Introductory letter (2000) 

6 12

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 Series 16.  New Haven Chapter (1986-2000) 

Series description

With a unique chapter history dating back to its 1972 charter, Connecticut’s New Haven Chapter has the distinction of being founded by the fifth Eastern Area Director Millicent Smith.

The chapter’s carefully selected holdings span only two folders. The series starts with an introductory letter (“A Message to the Future”) and continues with photocopied charter certificates, two newspaper clippings, and meeting minutes from 1986-2000. A second folder contains event programs from 1986 to 2000.

Box Folder

Message to the Future”; photocopied charter certificate; press clippings; meeting minutes (1986-2000) 

6 13

Event programs (1986-2000) 

6 14

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 Series 17.  Niagara Falls Chapter (2000) 

Series description

Organized by prominent social worker Alice C. Hayes on May 24th of 1950, the Niagara Falls Chapter was the first of several Links chapters in western New York. The series contains an event program and journal for the chapter’s 50th anniversary celebration. There is also a letter to Link Weaver from chapter President Crystal Barton and archivist E. Marie Davis.

Box Folder

Introductory letter; 50th anniversary program and journal (2000) 

6 15

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 Series 18.  Old Dominion Chapter (1994-2000) 

Series description

Comprised of forty-eight members, the Old Dominion Chapter has been providing social service throughout northern Virginia’s Prince William County since receiving its charter in September of 1993. Prior to the group’s incorporation into the Links, the women worked under the direction of Will Rawls Dumas and DyAnne Horner Little as an interest group named the National Organization of Role Models and Mentors (NORMM), Northern Virginia Metro Chapter.

This rich series compiled by archivist Lois Grimmett begins with a time capsule message from chapter president Mary Raby Stafford and continues with a chapter history, correspondence, and a collection of page-long member biographies. Following are two folders of event programs and programming reports concerning political and educational platforms. The final folder contains press clippings and a collection of photographs that has been transferred from a photo album into archival sleeves.

Box Folder

Introductory letter; history; charter letter; correspondence (1994-2000) 

7 1

Event programs and programming reports (1994-2000) 

7 2-3

Photographs; photocopied images; press clippings (1994-2000) 

7 4

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 Series 19.  Penn Towne Chapter (1988-2010) 

Series description

With a charter membership of twenty-five, the Penn Towne Chapter was established in 1975 as one of four Links groups committed to service throughout the greater Philadelphia region.

The Penn Towne Links collection includes four folders of meeting minutes from 1988 to 1996, two folders of events materials, and a final folder of newsletters and press clippings. This series also contains an interesting variant to the relatively standard chapter history – a scrapbook constructed by photocopying event programs, news articles, invitations, and photographs to delineate the chapter’s history from 1975 to 1995.

Box Folder

Meeting minutes and programming reports (1988-1999) 

7 5-9

Event programs (1988-2000) 


    Box Folder
Text (00018790)   7 10
    Box Folder
Text (00018791)   8 1

Box Folder

Events (2010) 

8 2

Newsletters; press clippings; chapter history scrapbook (1975-95) (1988-1995) 

8 3

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 Series 20.  Potomac Chapter (2001) 

Series description

Organized in the early 1980s as an interest group known as the Beltway Women’s League, the Potomac Chapter received its charter in June of 1984 to become the 206th chapter of the Links, Inc. Their series contains an introductory letter to archivist Link Weaver and a “Letter to the Future” that also outlines the chapter’s history and programming initiatives. In December of 2000 charter member Gladys Gary Vaughn became National Vice President of the Links, Inc.

Box Folder

Introductory letter; history and programming outline (2001) 

8 4

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 Series 21.  Raritan Valley Chapter (1986-2010) 

Series description

Formed as a Links interest group in 1984, the Raritan Valley Chapter of central New Jersey received its charter in April of 1986. The chapter records include three boxes of meeting reports which incorporate monthly finances, programming reports, and grant proposals to provide one of the collection’s most detailed administrative contributions. The Raritan Valley minutes also include organizational documents for events offering a rare glimpse into the work involved in arranging large-scale events such as the chapter’s yearly Mélange of Arts celebration. The series also holds a folder of chapter history, including a copy of the charter certificate, member listing, and chapter by-laws. There are also three folders of correspondence, a folder of selected event programs and brochures, and a folder containing a variety of well-labeled photographs.

Box Folder

Chapter history (undated) 

9A 1

Code of ethics and policy manual (April 2005) 

9A 2

Committees (2000-2010, undated)  

9A 3

Correspondence (March 1998-March 2000, 2008-2010) 

9A 4-6

Eastern Area conferences (1999) 

9A 7

Facets (2004-2005, undated) 

9A 8

Garden State C. A. R. R. S. Cluster (2009-2010) 

9A 9

Finance procedures binder (circa 2006-2010, undated) 

9A 10

General membership materials (2004, undated)  

9A 11

The Journal  (1993) 

9A 12

The National Journal  (1996-1998) 

9A 13

Link to Link, newsletter (September 1996, January 1997, spring/summer 1999)  

9A 14

“The Linkage,” newsletter (winter 1997) 

9A 15

Manual of procedures (2002) 

9A 16

National Assembly (1996, 2010) 

9A 17

Official Report Book, 36th National Assembly (2008) 

9B 1

Material removed from Official Report Book, 36th National Assembly (2008-2010) 

9B 2

Programs and brochures (1988-2000) 

9B 3

Programs and events (1997-2010) 

9B 4

Youth programs (1999-2009) 

9B 5

Photographs (1986-1996) 

9B 6

Bylaws binder (2000-2003) 

9B 7

Constitution and by-laws (2000, 2003, undated) 

9B 8

Chapter bylaws (undated) 

9B 9

Executive board meeting minutes (1999-2000) 

9B 10

Finances (1992-2003, 2008)  

9B 11-12

Finances (2008-2010) 

9C 1-3

Fundraising (1999, 2010)  

9C 4

Meeting minutes and finances (1986-1997) 

9C 5-10

Meeting minutes and finances (1997-2000) 

9D 1-11

Minutes binder 1 (2002-2004) 

9D 12-13

Minutes binder 1 (2003) 

30 1

Minutes binder 2 (2002-2005) 

9E 1-2

Minutes and meetings (1992-2010, undated) 

9E 3

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 Series 22.  Richmond Chapter (1998) 

Series description

The Richmond Chapter has provided a photocopied image of a collage commemorating the forty-seventh anniversary of its 1951 chartering year.

Box Folder

Photocopied anniversary collage (1998) 

10 1

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 Series 23.  Silver Spring Chapter (1988-2000) 

Series description

Beginning in 1970 as an interest group known as the Asterisks, the Silver Spring Chapter was officially installed on November 18th, 1972, with fifteen charter members. As of 2001, membership has reached fifty-five.

The holdings assembled by chapter historian Mabel Smith begin with a folder containing the chapter’s history, programming initiatives, and a membership listing. Also provided is a well-arranged scrapbook of photographs and documents highlighting key events and programs in the group’s history.

Box Folder

History and member listing (2000) 

10 2

Archival scrapbook (1988-2000) 

10 3

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 Series 24.  Southern Maryland Chain Chapter (2000-2001) 

Series description

The Southern Maryland Chain was first organized by Albertine T. Lancaster in the spring of 1980 as an interest group working to demonstrate its commitment to the social initiatives of the Links, Inc. In May 1982, the group was installed as an official chapter. Their series contains a single sheet that incorporates a chapter history with a series of images. The sheet also includes a listing of twenty-nine members for the 2000-01 fiscal year.

Box Folder

History and member listing (2000-2001) 

10 4

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 Series 25.  Suffolk Chapter (1999-2001) 

Series description

Founded in 1983 under the direction of Violene O. Sharpe as the Suffolk Women’s League, the Suffolk Chapter was chartered into the Links in 1985. Serving the Virginia communities of Suffolk and the Isle of Wight, the chapter concentrates on financing educational scholarships and providing assistance for special health needs of local students. The chapter has also contributed financial aid to help build schools in Rwanda and Liberia. In 1993, the Suffolk Chapter had the honor of sponsoring and electing one of their members, L. Bernice Plummer, into two terms as Eastern Area Treasurer.

Originally adhered to a scrapbook intended for the Time Capsule Project, the Suffolk records have been removed and photocopied for archival preservation. The series begins with a two-page “Message to the Future,” by-laws, and a member listing. Following is a chapter history that includes a collection of corresponding photographs and programs of key events. These images have been scanned by the chapter and printed in color ink for the scrapbook.

Box Folder

Message to the Future”; by-laws; photocopied scrapbook (1999-2001) 

10 5

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 Series 26.  Wilmington, Delaware Chapter (1999) 

Series description

The Wilmington, Delaware Chapter was established in 1948 as one of the earliest chapters beyond Philadelphia. As of 1999, the chapter had maintained thirty-eight members committed to community service throughout northern Delaware. The series contains only a “Message to the Future” which lists membership and objectives to strengthen youth outreach programming.

Box Folder

Message to the Future (1999) 

10 6

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 Series 27.  South Jersey Chapter (1978-2006, undated) 

Series description

The materials of the South Jersey chapter of the Links are comprised of the archives inventory, introduction and history folder (connected to the time capsule project); meeting minutes, certificates, correspondence, newspaper articles, and other miscellaneous materials. The majority of the papers are the intermittent minutes spanning from the 1970s to 2000. The meetings focused on several areas of interest – youth services, the arts, worship, international trends (which included the chapter’s support of a Haitian refugee project), national trends (which included sickle cell anemia), and reports from the treasurer.

There are also programs from the annual exhibit the chapter held at Fine Arts Center at Gloucester County College. Sculptures and other works of art were displayed, and in 1998, vignettes from a play titled Of Ebony Embers were performed. Other programs from the annual Dinner Dance the chapter held are also among the materials. The event was held to raise funds for the scholarship offered by the South Jersey Chapter of Links, Inc. The scholarship demonstrates the importance this chapter places on youth and education; it sponsored literacy programs, financial aid sessions, and career days. A photograph of members accompanies the 2005 Dinner Dance program.

The chapter’s correspondence, press releases, miscellaneous event flyers, and a scholarship application and supporting materials round out the papers relating to the South Jersey Chapter of Links, Inc. The few letters present in this series concern the planning of the exhibit at Gloucester County College (GCC), the chapter’s donations to different charities and fundraisers, and the planning of meetings. The newspaper articles in this series focus on the art exhibit at Gloucester County College and former South Jersey Links, Inc. president Evelyn Webb’s resignation from her post as president of GCC.

Box Folder

Archives inventory, history & by-laws (1981-2006) 

11 1

Meeting minutes (1978, 1982-1986, 1990-2000) 

11 2-12

Correspondence (December 1982-February 1984, 1990-1999) 

11 13

Certificates and achievements (1978-1997) 

11 14

Annual exhibit at Gloucester County College programs (1980-1988) 

11 15

Dinner Dance programs (1985, 1986, 1995, 1998, 2000) 

11 16-17

Dinner Dance program with photo (26 June 2005) 

11 18

Event flyers and programs (1984-2000) 

11 19

Scholarship papers and miscellaneous (1986-1999, undated) 

11 20

Press releases (1983-1987) 

11 21

Alumni News (Glassboro State College) (January 1978) 

11 22

Articles (1980-2000, undated) 

11 23

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 Series 28.  Philadelphia Chapter (1946-2015, undated) 

Series description

The Philadelphia Chapter is the founding chapter of Links, Inc. This series consists of seventeen boxes (Boxes 12-28) of documents and photographs that highlight the Links' history and recent activities, gatherings, and events.

The photographs are a highlight of the Philadelphia Chapter’s records. One folder (Box 21, folder 7) contains thirteen photographs from the 1950s, several of which are from The Links, Inc. Eighth National Assembly, Denver, Colorado, June 28-July 1, 1956. Other photos include informal group shots of members and those from a gathering that included Thurgood Marshall as a speaker. In this folder is also a commemorative photo-print of Margaret R. Hawkins, one of the founders of The Links, Inc. In addition to these early photos, there are two archival albums of more recent photographs compiled from several small albums (Boxes 22-23), a printed photograph book (Volume 5), and a Cornucopia of the Arts scrapbook (Volume 6)

The remaining papers in the series consist of correspondence, by-laws and amendments, newsletters, programs, conference materials, two books of Links, Inc., histories (Volumes 2-4), clippings, and other miscellaneous items. There are also materials from The Links' 35th, 36th, and 37th National Assemblies (Box 18 folders 1-8 and Box 19 folder 1), as well as several fact sheets on the Philadelphia Chapter. One fact sheet is titled "The Philadelphia Story," which reviews The Links' history from 1946 to 1996. (Box 12 folder 12). Additionally, there are several folders of materials from the 41st and 42nd Eastern Area conferences (Box 14 folders 9-12 and Box 15 folder 1).

Box Folder

Archives manual and Legacy Keeper packet (2007-2009) 

12 1

Archival record keeping guide for chapters (2007, 2010-2012)  

12 2

Silver Spring, Maryland, Chapter: Mission and Policy Statement for Active and Archived Records and Filing Plan (2012) 

12 3

Attendance binder (1990-2007) 

12 4-5

Attendance (1994-2011) 

12 6

Chapter archive (1996-1997) 

12 7

Chapter information binder (1994)  

12 8

Chapter history (1994, 1996, undated) 

12 9

Narrative timeline and historiography, photocopies of newspaper articles [1940s] (2013,undated) 

12 10

Club history (undated) 

30 2

Chapter newsletter (1984-1991) 

12 11

Fact sheets (1996, 2001, 2006) 

12 12

Clippings (1994-2010) 

30 3

Clipping copies and articles (1946-2010) 

12 13

Philadelphia Tribune guest column by Dorothy B. Wright (undated) 

12 14

Committees (1975, 1988, 1994-2012) 

13 1-3

Code of ethics materials (2005, 2006) 

13 4

Code of ethics (2006-2008) 

13 5

Correspondence (1959-2008, undated) 

13 6-10

Correspondence (2006-2011) 

14 1-2

"Save the date" and store discount postcards (undated) 

14 3

Eastern Area Archive (2007-2008, undated) 

14 4

Eastern Area Archival Repository (1979-2009) 

14 5

Eastern Area committees (1977-1979) 

14 6

Eastern Area Conference (1970-2011) 

14 7

Conference materials (2007, 2009) 

14 8

41st Eastern Area Conference (2011)  

14 9

41st Eastern Area Conference "Revved Up for Service" program (2011) 

14 10

42nd Eastern Area Conference (2013)  

14 11

42nd Eastern Area Conference "Following the Freedom Trail" program (2013) 

14 12

42nd Eastern Area Conference "Following the Freedom Trail" programs, newsletters, and other materials (2013) 

15 1

Eastern Area Leadership Summit (2008-2010) 

15 2

Eastern Area leadership summit and retreat materials (2011) 

15 3

Eastern Area Leadership Work Day (6 October 2007) 

15 4

Eastern Area miscellaneous papers (1977-2008) 

15 5

Eastern Area newsletter (1997-2000) 

15 6

Eastern Area programs and reports (1999-2011, undated) 

15 7

Eastern Area Program Management Guide (2007-2009) 

15 8

Events (1948-1994) 

15 9-10

23rd Anniversary address, Dorothy B. Wright (November 1969) 

16 1

Events (1976) 

30 4

Events - 50th anniversary (1996) 

16 2

Philadelphia, founding chapter, 50th anniversary (1996)  

16 3

Events (1997-2006) 

16 4

Galas, events, inductions, memorials (2007-2009) 

16 5

Events (2007-2015, undated) 

16 6

"Smooth Sounds in the Afternoon" program and invitation (2011) 

16 7

Other chapter event invitations and programs (2011-2012) 

16 8

Financial handbook (2008) 

16 9

Journal, 50th Anniversary  (1996) 

17 1

Linked magazine issues (winter/spring 2011) 

17 2

Linked magazine issues (2011, 2012) 

17 3

"Link to Link" - newsletter (1993-2010) 

17 4-6

Newsletters (2005-2010)  

17 7

Links member management system (2009, undated) 

17 8

Keystone Cluster (1996-2011) 

17 9

Membership (2000-2010) 

17 10

Miscellaneous papers (1964-2008, undated) 

17 11

National Assembly (1964-2012) 

17 12

35th National Assembly (2006) 

18 1

35th National Assembly materials (2006) 

18 2

35th National Assembly - "60 Years: Proud Past, Promising Future" souvenir book (2006) 

18 3

36th National Assembly (2008) 

18 4-5

Governance meeting luncheon (2009) 

18 6

37th National Assembly (2010)  

18 7-8

37th National Assembly - "Call to Assembly" materials 2010 

19 1

National elections (2001-2010, undated) 

19 2-3

National election materials (2010, undated) 

30 5

National Headquarters dedication address, Dorothy B. Wright, and program (16 November 1985)  

19 4

National organization - miscellaneous (1996-2012) 

19 5

Strategic priorities list and building assessment letters (2010-2011)  

19 6

Interim president’s report chapter (1974) 

19 7

President’s file (2006-2008, undated) 

19 8

President’s notes (2007-2011, undated) 

19 9

Notebook (2008-2010) 

19 10-11

Notes (1978-2011, undated) 

19 12

Programs (1966-2009) 

19 13

"Gifts in Kind" program (2007) 

19 14

Programs (2010-2015) 

20 1

Report of Activities (June 1963 - June 1966) 

20 2

“Signature Service: Making an Impact One Chapter at a Time” (2010) 

20 3

Recording secretary’s handbook (2008, undated) 

20 4

Stationery (undated) 

20 5

Vice president/membership chair’s binder (2002-2005, undated) 

20 6

"The White Rose Chronicles" newsletter (2012) 

20 7

Programs, flyers, ribbons, nametags, and other ephemera (2006-2008, undated) 

20 8-9
Volume

A History of the Links, 2nd edition, Marjorie H. Parker (1992) 

2

Linked for Friendship and Service: The History of the Links, Incorporated  (2010) 

3

Linked for Friendship and Service: The History of the Links, Incorporated (2010) 

4
Box Folder

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Robert’s Rules, by Nancy Sylvester. Alpha Books: New York (2004) 

21 1

Robert’s Rules in Plain English, second edition, by Doris P. Zimmerman. Collins: New York (2005) 

21 2

"Diamonds and Pearls: Honoring our Past, present, and Future Legends" program booklet - Philadelphia Alumnae Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (2007) 

20 10

Events and programs (non-chapter) (1981-2013, undated)  

22 1-2

Jack and Jill of America Inc, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, founding chapter, 50th anniversary celebration (1988) 

22 3

Jet (14 August 2006, 11 December 2006) 

22 4

National Council of Negro Women - International Salute to Women of Achievement (1981) 

22 5

"Preserving our Legacy for Eighty Years" program booklet - Omega Omega Chapter, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (2006) 

22 6

Photographs and prints (circa 1954-1956, undated) 

22 7
Box

Photographs (1997-2010) 

23

Photographs (1994-2011, unated) 

24
Volume

Photograph book: Ready, Set, Go (18 May 2010) 

5

Scrapbook: Cornucopia of the Arts (1986-1997) 

6
Box Folder

Eastern Area conference tote bag (2015) 

22 8
Box

Links battery-operated pen light (undated) 

25

Tablecloth present to Velma Goode (1991) 

31
Box Folder

History of tablecloth (circa 2011) 

22 9
Box

Chesapeake Bay Cluster, Honoring Our Heritage paperweight (April 2003) 

32

Eastern Area Conference medal (2005)  

32

65th Anniversary Gala paperweight (12 November 2011) 

32

Eastern Area star trophy (2003) 

33

Square wooden box (undated) 

33

Plaque: UNCF Community Leadership Award (10 May 1995) 

34

Plaque: Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority President’s Award, “Messages from Mom” (13 June 2006) 

34
Box Folder

Area bylaws (1994) 

22 10

Links constitution and bylaws (1980-2004) 

22 11

Constitution and bylaws (July 2003) 

22 12

Constitution, by-laws, and proposed amendments (2004, 2006, 2008, undated) 

26 1

Executive board meetings (1992-2011) 

26 2

Financial records (1983-2012) 

26 3-8
Volume

Treasurer’s ledger (1965-1972) 

7

Treasurer’s ledger (1972-1978) 

8
Box Folder

Fundraising (1993-2011) 

27 1

Meetings and minutes (1975, 1991-2010) 

27 2-8

Meetings and minutes (2011-2012)  

28 1

Magnolia, Georgia, Chapter Bylaws, practices, and procedures review (2003) 

28 2

Philadelphia Chapter constitution and bylaws (1995-2012) 

28 3
Box

Cassette tape: Dolly Adams, president, Nashville (undated) 

29

CD: Linkages to Life breakfast (2002) 

29

CD: Visit to the Nutcracker, 2 copies (26 December 2003) 

29

CD: Olympus DSS Player Version 6 (2005) 

29

CD: Harborside, Bahamas (January 2006) 

29

CD: Margaret Garner East Coast Premier (10 February 2006) 

29

CD: Eastern Area Program Planning Guide (2007-2009) 

29

CD: Keystone Cluster Friendship Brunch and Founders’ Day Ceremony, 2 copies (16 November 2008) 

29

CD: Eastern Area Leadership Summit: “Let’s Raise Our PMI” (2010) 

29

CD: Links edited (May 2010) 

29

CD: 41st Eastern Area Conference reports (2011) 

29

CD: Nomination procedures manual (undated) 

29

USB flash drive: 37th National Assembly (2010)  

29

USB flash drive (undated) 

29

Photograph negatives in canister (undated) 

29

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 Series 29.  Garden State Cluster 

Scope and content note

The Garden State Cluster of Links, Inc., consists of the Central New Jersey, Atlantic City, Rancocas Vallley, Raritan Valley, and South Jersey chapters. This small series contains an Eastern Area Conference postcard.

Box Folder

Eastern Area Conference date card (2011) 

28 4

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 Series 30.  Greater New York Chapter 

Scope and content note

The Greater New York Chapter has contributed one folder of events materials.

Box Folder

Events (2008, 2011) 

28 5

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 Series 31. Keystone Cluster 

Scope and content note

The Keystone Cluster consists of the Pennsylvania chapters of Links, Inc. This small series consists of one folder of event materials.

Box Folder

Events (2008, 2010) 

28 6

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 Series 32.  National organization 

Scope and content note

The Eastern Area Archive of the Links, Inc. has chosen to deposit some national-level materials separate from chapter donations. The papers include program guidelines, correspondence, a code of ethics, Links Foundation records, national assembly materials, a history of the Links, Inc., and a few miscellaneous items.

Box Folder

Arts facet program guidelines (2008-2010) 

28 7

Code of ethics and standards (2008) 

28 8

Correspondence (2006-2011) 

28 9

Election materials (undated) 

28 10

Links Foundation (2004-2012) 

28 11

Miscellaneous program materials (2006-2009) 

28 12

Signature Arts program guidelines (2008-2010) 

28 13

35th National Assembly (2006) 

28 14

Proceedings of the 36th National Assembly (2008) 

28 15

37th National Assembly program book (2010) 

28 16

37th National Assembly (2010) 

28 17

Ambassador, volume 5, issue 3 (2010) 

28 18

Link to Link  (spring 2010) 

28 19

Harlem YMCA 40th anniversary celebration (2010) 

28 20
Volume

A History of the Links, 2nd edition, Marjorie H. Parker (1992) 

9

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