Billiken Club of La Conner is 110 years old

The Billiken Club of La Conner was established in November 1909 by the women of La Conner. They adopted as their mascot the Billiken good luck charm which was used extensively in the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition held in Seattle in the same year.

The Billiken is “the God of things as they ought to be.” Since the women organized to promote charitable causes in the community of La Conner, it was an appropriate mascot and mission statement for their new club. Dues were set at one dollar a year. Membership was limited to fifteen. New membership was by invitation to descendants of the original fifteen members. Later that was changed to any woman who had lived for twenty-five years in the community.

Over the years the Billiken members have raised funds for hundreds of good causes. They provided the playground equipment for the grade school, the curtain for the gymnasium stage and the tennis courts at the high school. They supported Children’s Orthopedic Hospital, food baskets and baby clothes for families in need, and the Red Cross during both world wars. Funds were raised through bake sales, card parties, skits, dances and their own individual donations.

There were summer outings and boat trips, and always a lunch and socializing at their meetings. In the 1920s and ‘30s a silver cup was awarded to an outstanding La Conner High School graduating senior and the student’s name was engraved on it.

In the past fifty years the Billiken Club has been primarily a social gathering place, still meeting on the second Monday of the month with the exception of January, February, July and August. The dues have increased to five dollars annually and additional funds are now raised with the passing of a “happy basket” at each meeting. The members tell of a happy experience in their lives and make a contribution to the basket.

Today funds are still used to support many good causes which include the La Conner library, La Conner food bank, La Conner school programs and families in need. Donations are also made to joint efforts with other groups such as Soroptimists, Pioneer Association and the history museum.

The Billiken membership stands at twenty-three members today. Membership is still by invitation with an emphasis on pioneer roots. The Billiken Cup was recently located and was included in the art wall prepared by Mary Ennes Davis for the entry to the new middle school building.

Even now, after 110 years, the Billikens are still striving to make our world the way it ought to be.

Janna Gage is president of the La Conner Billiken Club