Association of Queensland Women’s Forum Clubs (1947 - )

The Association of Queensland Women’s Forum Clubs was established in 1947 to operate as a central administrative and supervisory body for the growing number of Women’s Forum Clubs that formed in Queensland after 1945. The first of these clubs was established in Brisbane, Queensland, in 1941, with the aim of fostering public speaking amongst women. The club maintained a non- party political, non-sectarian stance, and was unaffiliated with any other organizations, except The National Council of Women. The association still exists, under the name of Forum Communicators Association Inc. It acts as the umbrella body for twenty-three (in 2004) forum clubs across Queensland.

On July 22nd, 1941, a number of prominent Brisbane women called a public meeting of women to discuss the possibility of forming a club for women who were interested in learning public speaking skills. The idea was received enthusiastically by the assembled group, and the first Queensland Women’s Forum Club was established on July 30th, 1941. The first ordinary meeting of the new forum club was held on August 20th, 1941 in the blue room at the hotel Canberra.

The objects of the Queensland Women’s Forum Clubs were:
1. To improve the standard of speaking among women,
2. To provide opportunities for women to learn and practice meeting procedure and duties of office-bearers of clubs and organizations,
3. To maintain freedom of speech,
4. To encourage a continued interest in education,
5. To demonstrate to the community the value of loyalty and truth, clarity of thought and the love of the English tongue
6. To promote loyal fellowship.
1945 was a year that saw massive growth in the number of clubs across Queensland and the first regional club was established in Mackay. Many clubs began a series of luncheon meetings, as well as the traditional evening meetings, to assist members who found it difficult to get away from home in the evenings. As the number of clubs grew, so did the need for a central administrative body. The Association of Queensland Women’s Forum Clubs, known as the Dais, was formed as were, eventually, regional councils.

Previous and Subsequent Entities

 1947 - Association of Queensland Women’s Forum Clubs
       1941 - Forum Communicators Association Inc.

Affiliated

• National Council of Women of Queensland (1905 - )
• Queensland Women’s Forum Clubs (Chermside Forum) (c. 1960 - )

Books

• Syllabus, Association of Queensland Women's Forum Clubs/Association of Women's Forum Clubs of Australia, Brisbane, 1950-1997. [ Details... ]
• Association of Queensland Women's Forum Clubs, Constitution, by-laws, standing orders and brief history of the Association of Queensland Women's Forum Clubs, [Brisbane?], [1969?], 48 pp. [ Details... ]
• Association of Queensland Women's Forum Clubs, Information Handbook, [Tennyson], [1974?], 37 pp. [ Details... ]
• Rathus, Elise Renee and R.L. Morelle, Speaking in Public, Mullaya Publications/Association of Queensland Women's Forum Clubs, Melbourne, 1973. [ Details... ]

Newsletters

• Forum newsletter / Association of Queensland Women's Forum Club, The Association, Brisbane, 1965-1990[?]. [ Details... ]

Reports

• Secretary's report, Association of Queensland Women's Forum Clubs/Association of Women's Forum Clubs of Australia, Brisbane, 1965-1997. [ Details... ]