Part 1 (Mss 277): Original Collection, 1916-1973
Physical Description: 2.0 cubic feet (5 archives boxes) 
Scope and Content Note

The Records of the Madison Civics Club consist of the Articles of incorporation and by-laws, Correspondence, Minutes of Board of Directors' meetings, Minutes, Luncheon Meeting Records, Reports by Presidents and Secretaries, Financial Records, Membership Records, Records of Activities, Public Affairs Committee Records, and Scrapbooks.

The Articles of incorporation and the by-laws are dated September 30, 1960. The by-laws delineate the purpose of the Club, the officers and their duties, the types of members, and the determination of dues and meetings.

The Correspondence concerns luncheon reservations, the atmosphere of Madison at the time of the Club's founding, the earliest beginnings of the Club, and the possibility of the publishing the Club's history in the Wisconsin Magazine of History. Arranged chronologically, the correspondence runs from June 1951 to February 1963.

The Board of Directors' file lists Board members and includes minutes of the Board's meeting, 1958-1965.

In a small notebook, the Minutes list members of the Executive Committee, the speaker, the subject of each meeting, and the actions taken by the Club. They are arranged chronologically from 1917 to 1968.

The Luncheon Meeting Records (1916-1966) list the attendance at each luncheon, the cost, the speaker and his or her subject, and the members of the Executive Committee for each season. “Meetings (1916)” is prefaced by an anonymously written history of the Club's origin. The “President's Book (1950-1958)” lists the chairmen from 1913 to 1970, the Club officers, those sitting at the speaker's table, an annual financial report, and members of the Public Affairs Committee. An example of the invitations sent to honor guest is included among these chronologically arranged records which cover the years 1916 to 1943 and 1950 to 1958. Also included is a list of committee chairmen from 1958 to 1973.

Reports by Presidents and Secretaries cover the proceedings of Club meetings from 1935 to 1939 and 1951 to 1953, in chronological order. The 1935-1936 report by President Mrs. E. Eugene Neff lists the general procedures of the president's activities, and the 1937-1938 secretary's report by Mrs. Oscar Rennebohm gives a detailed outline of the secretary's work.

Falling between the years 1934 and 1964 are the chronologically arranged Financial Records, which include receipts and disbursements, annual reports, treasurers' notes, paid bills, deposit slips, cancelled checks, checkstubs, and bank statements.

The Membership and Dues Records are comprised of notebooks and lists chronologically noting the members, the payment of dues, the Executive Committee members, the Club officers, and the waiting lists from 1934 to 1967.

Among the Activities Records is the December 13, 1919 report of the Club's Committee to investigate the Socialized Court, which sought information on the court's administration of mothers' pensions, juvenile delinquency, and domestic relations in order to make recommendations. Luncheon notebooks from 1939 to 1961 chronologically list the menu, attendance, and those sitting at the speaker's table, and for some dates, the speaker and his subject. With these notebooks is a list of the program speakers and their subjects from 1916 to 1973. The records of the 50th Anniversary Program, held November 13, 1962, include correspondence, comments by Ann Birge on the Club's history with suggestions for a skit, the program, a speech, the cast and script of a play, memoranda, and photographs. There are also reading lists the Club received from the Madison Public Library from 1964 to 1969.

The Records of the Public Affairs Committee span the years 1953 to 1973 and include minutes, newspaper clippings, its history prior to 1956 and a summary of its reports (1956-1973), reports presented by the Committee, and specific activities undertaken during 1954-1956 (“Litterbug” campaign, auditorium campaign, and volunteer service). Arrangement is chronological within each folder.

The Scrapbooks contain newspaper clippings, notices of meetings, photographs, correspondence, and memoranda of Club actions for the years 1919-1931 and 1937-1960.

Articles of incorporation and by-laws

Correspondence, 1951-1963, undated

Board of Directors, lists, minutes, 1958-1965

Minutes, 1917-1968

Record of luncheon meetings

1916-1943, 1962

“President's Book,” 1950-1958

Committee chairmen, 1958-1973

“Old Record Book,” 1953-1958

Luncheon reservations, 1961-1966

Reports by Presidents and Secretaries, 1935-1939, 1951-1953

Financial

Receipts and disbursements, 1934-1964

Annual reports, 1943-1964

Treasurer's reports and notes, 1960-1963 May

Paid bills, 1962-1965

Deposit slips, 1961-1964

Cancelled checks, 1961-1964

Check stubs, 1955 February-1964 May

Bank statements, 1961 May-1964 January

Membership and dues

1937-1965

Membership list, 1934-1942

“Waiting List,” circa 1938-1951

Membership and waiting lists, 1934-1967

“Civics Club Count 623,” 1964 September 25

“Civics Club Count 625,” 1966 October 7

Activities

Report of Committee to Investigate the Socialized Court, 1919 December 13

Luncheon notebooks, 1939-1961

50th Anniversary program, 1962

Reading lists, 1964-1969

Public Affairs Committee

Minutes, clippings, 1956-1969

History “Prior to 1956 and Summary of Reports, 1956-1973”

Activities, 1954-1956

Litterbug

Auditorium

Volunteer Service

Miscellaneous

Reports

1953-1959

1960-1964

1965-1970

1971-1973

Scrapbooks

1916-1919

1920-1931

1937-1960

Part 2 (Audio 1819A): Addition, 1987
Physical Description: 1 tape recording 
Scope and Content Note: Audio 1819A consists of comments by former chairmen (recorded June 10, 1987).

Part 3 (M2011-054): Additions, 1951-2009
Physical Description: 1.8 cubic feet (5 archives boxes) 
Scope and Content Note: Additions, 1951-2009, consisting primarily of Public Affairs reports. Other materials include membership lists, waiting lists, financial reports, newspaper clippings, chairman's reports, and notebooks.

Programming

Introduction

Public Affairs reports, 1953-2003

Public Affairs reports, 1994-2009

Madisonian articles from Wisconsin State Journal, 1956-1974

Honored guests information, 1977-1978

Speaker's table cards, 1964-1979

Meeting comments

Scrapbook, 1983-1984

Business records

Board reports, 1990-1991

Chairman's notebooks, 1958-1990

Chairman's reports, 1976-1988

Communication with members, 1990-1991

Correspondence, 1990-1991

Membership list and waiting list

1951, 1956

with program information, 1977

1981-1983

Minutes, 1971-1980, 1990-1991

Reports, 1980-1989

Treasurer's reports, 1971-1976

Part 4 (M2012-001): Additions, 1970-2011
Physical Description: 2.8 cubic feet (2 records center cartons and 2 archives boxes) 
Scope and Content Note: Additions, 1970-2009, consisting primarily of minutes and chair notebooks. The minutes also contain financial and other reports, correspondence, membership information and other materials. The chair notebooks focus on the Club's speakers for the season and introductory remarks but some also contain information that overlaps with the minutes and secretary's notebooks. Photographs of the speakers and newspaper clippings of their appearances are found throughout.

By-laws and histories

Brochures, 1988-2004

Minutes, 1970-2003

Minutes, 2002-2009

Chair notebooks, 1983-1999

Chair notebooks, 1998-2001

Chair notebooks, 2001-2003

Guest speakers, 2011