Bella Vista Questers International chapter going strong
While some civic groups have a hard time keeping membership above a minimum, one group in Bella Vista has three separate and healthy chapters. Questers International is doing very well in Bella Vista.
All three chapters are part of Questers International, a group with headquarters in Philadelphia, Pa. Their website, questers 1944.org, describes the membership as “curious, enthusiastic, and imaginative with a desire to learn new things — someone who is excited by historical sites, antiques, and the study of past events that still resonate in our present lives and experiences. Thus our motto — It’s Fun To Search And A Joy To Find.”
Each of the Bella Vista chapters took its name from local history.
Blowing Springs meets on the third Monday of each month.
Butterfield Trails meets on the fourth Monday of each month.
Trail of Tears meets on the third Wednesday of each month.
All three were chartered about the same time, between 1979 and 1980.
Because they meet in member’s homes, chapters have to stay small, Susan Porter of the Blowing Springs Chapter explained. They stay at about 20 members and if there’s more interest than that, they charter a new chapter. It takes eight members to start a new chapter.
Once a year the three chapters meet together. Often these meetings are field trips. In January, all three chapters will meet at the Rogers Historical Museum. Occasionally they team up for important projects. In 2013, when the national convention came to Northwest Arkansas, all the local chapters helped, especially the three from Bella Vista. That year, a Bella Vista member, Jeanne Strokebrand, was the international president.
Each chapter votes on the projects they take on. Porter said Blowing Springs always works closely with the Bella Vista Historical Museum.
Esther Osbahr, president of the Trail of Tears Chapter, said last year her chapter helped the Benton County Historical Society purchase equipment to preserve old plat books. This year they are planning on working with the Gamble Cemetery Association in Centerton. Because of it’s location in the middle of town, the cemetery has been the victim of a lot of vandalism. The Questers Chapter will donate money to help restore some of the stones and members are looking for grants to fund the more expensive restoration projects.
“In our chapter, volunteering is a big thing,” Connie Fetters of Butterfield Trails Chapter said. They volunteer with the Gravette Historical Museum and sometimes with a similar group in Pineville, the McDonald County Historical Society.
“We can only spend money on preservation projects,” she said. They have purchased some items for the Gravette Museum and some members made a rag rug to use in the restored Kinley House.
“Bella Vista is unique,” Osbahr said. “There’s still a lot of volunteers. There’s a lot of young retired people looking for something meaningful to do.”
Usually the monthly meetings include a program. Often a member shares a personal collection, but not all the members are collectors. A recent meeting of Butterfield Trails featured an invited guest, a man who collects trading stamps, like the old Green Stamps.
Fetters said her chapter often takes field trips. They’ll travel to one of the local museums. They have a trip planned to visit historical buildings in downtown Rogers, she said. Every trip usually includes lunch and a nearby antique shop, she added.
Then there are special projects that crop up. Fetters said her chapter was contacted by someone who owned a very old dress and wanted to preserve it. They all started researching and determined the age of the dress and asked around until they found a museum in Kansas City that wanted it. The dress got a new home because of the Questers, she said.
All three chapters will probably help with an oral history project organized by the Pryor Center at the University of Arkansas. Members will need to be trained first, then they will talk to area residents who have contributed to local history. The interviews will be done at a location that’s convenient for the interviewee, Fetters said. Some may want to come to the local museum; others may want the interviewer to visit them at home.
Guests are always welcome at Questers meetings. To find out more about the organizations call one of the chapter presidents: Susan Porter with Blowing Springs at 479-876-2597; Connie Fetters with Butterfield Trails at 479-6403519 or Esther Osbahr with Trail of Tears at 479-426-6646.