Arbor Day events set

For the fourth straight year, the city of Crowley will be recognizing Arbor Day with a tree dedication ceremony.

“We started it in 2010, dedicating the first one to Billie Fulkerson, then the next year it was to the city for its birthday and last year it was the Boy Scouts,” said Charlotte Jeffers, the city’s tourism coordinator.

This year, in corroboration with Louisiana’s Arbor Day, the city of Crowley will once again be dedicating a tree during a ceremony to promote Arbor Day.

Set for Friday, Jan. 17, at 9 a.m., the city will dedicate this year’s tree, a Carolina cypress, to the Attakapas Study Club, which will celebrate its 90th anniversary this year. The dedication will take place at the Wells Fargo Depot, located at 10 N. Parkerson Ave., with a light reception following. The public is invited to attend.

The Attakapas Study Club began with 30 members traveling to St. Martinville on March 17, 1924, to sign their charter under the Evangeline Oak. The club then was known as the Attakapas Chapter of Delphians, a national women’s group. The group would meet twice a month in the beginning, starting first on the seventh floor of First National Bank, but later choosing to meet in the homes of its members.

When choosing the club name, the ladies looked to the Native Americans that not only once were the first inhabitants of Acadia Parish, but a large portion of southwest Louisiana, the “Attakapas” tribe.

Since its inception, the group has studied various topics and made presentations fostering higher education, personal improvement and social progress. As part of that mission, in 1926, in cooperation with the Acadia Parish Police Jury, the club was largely responsible for the establishment of a library in the parish. Although civic responsibility was never a direct goal of the club, many projects which began as club projects have served to  improve the community over the past 90 years. 

Currently, the Attakapas Study Club has 17 active members and two associates. Although the club is no longer affiliated with any state or national group, it meets once a month and continues to explore topics of interest while its members continue to enjoy social interaction. 

On March 12, the club will celebrate its 90th anniversary with a reception at City Hall in Crowley.