We said we would get Arden to stand still, but it wasn’t easy. Scottie Scott and a group of Arden’s admirers approached us about honoring our good friend by naming a room after her. We were thrilled. On Thursday, August 11, a group of 60 women filled one of our community rooms in the GLBT Cultural Center to show their appreciation of Arden, whose achievements are just too numerous to list. Scottie and Arden became life-long friends more than six decades ago on the softball field, which they say was one of very few places to meet other lesbians at the time.
At Arden’s celebration, the crowd was entertained by a thoughtful, travel-back-in-time, PowerPoint presentation by Janice Ives. There were several times the audience broke into applause, but one of the most treasured memories of the evening was when the presentation featured Arden’s and her partner Charlotte’s commitment ceremony (right).
Before removing the red ribbon to reveal Arden’s name on her room’s plaque, MCC Executive Director Ann J. Robison, PhD, talked about Arden’s reputation as a community organizer and trailblazer. Arden was one of the people we reached out to when we put together a focus group to identify the needs of older lesbians, and her input proved invaluable for our SPRY program. In fact, many of the people who attended the ceremony came directly from the August SPRY Potluck. Montrose Counseling Center owes a debt of gratitude to Arden, Charlotte, and the many people who sought to recognize her with this room.
To make a donation in support of Arden’s room, please click here, or contact Community Projects Specialist Meleah Jones at 713.888.0872. We are now nearly halfway towards satisfying the pledge made in Arden’s name. Meleah is also happy to provide tours of our facility, which will, of course, feature Arden’s room.
Click here to see some of Arden’s Fan Club in our Photo Gallery.