Women's Recreation Association Records, 1920-1973

In 1930 the Women’s Athletic Association (WAA) began as an official organization on campus. Although there is evidence that the WAA formed as early as 1925, it was not made official until 1930 when they established a constitution and established by-laws. Also in 1930 the WAA began to keep track of membership with a signature scroll which was signed by all members of the WAA and its successor Women’s Recreation Association (WRA) from 1930 to 1962. The mission statement of the WAA read, “To foster good citizenship and to provide recognition for athletic ability; to foster college spirit by developing intra-mural and interclass athletics for all women, and to promote high physical efficiency among women.” The WAA continued to work with the same mission and name throughout the 1930’s. On October 16, 1940, a motion was made for a name change of the association and on November 19,1940, the Women’s Athletic Association changed its name to the Women’s Recreation Association (WRA).

According to the new WRA constitution; “the purpose of this organization shall be to provide opportunities for recreational and social activities for all women; to foster good citizenship; to foster college spirit; to inspire good sportsmanship and a love for playing the game.” Membership to the WRA was open to all women enrolled at Western Washington College of Education who had paid their dues and had participated in an initiation ritual. The WRA participated in several activities on campus and at other college campuses, which included seasonal sport turn outs, play days, sport days, various parties, trips, and their annual winter carnival. In the 1920’s when the club was still the WAA, the club bought a tract of land on Sinclair Island which included a small cabin, subsequently named Viqueen Lodge (a play on the schools “Viking” mascot name). One of the group’s annual activities was a trip to Sinclair Island to perform basic maintenance and repairs on the cabin and surrounding land and to recreate. Viqueen Lodge is still in use today but it is now owned and operated by the Associated Students of Western Washington University and is available to rent by both students and alumni.

In the 1950’s an article was added to the constitution of the WRA. This article allowed for branch clubs to be a part of the WRA. The two branch clubs were Modern Dance club (Orchesis) and the Blue Barnacles swim club. The branch clubs also had their own constitutions and by-laws and held separate meetings from the WAA/WRA. Little extant information exists about the Dance Club. The Blue Barnacles emerged from a swimming and life-saving sport club, formalizing the name Blue Barnacles in 1937. The activities of the Blue Barnacles in the beginning were lessons on the fundamentals of swimming and diving. Blue Barnacles also participated in swim meets. After 1946, the Blue Barnacles began to function as an aquatic arts club with an emphasis on synchronized swimming and performance.

Both the Blue Barnacles and the WRA were active on campus until at least 1972, after which point there appears to be no extant records of either group. Activities related to Modern Dance ceased as part of the Physical Education Department in 1974 when the Dance curriculum moved to the Theatre/Dance Department and became part of the newly-created College of Fine and Performing Arts in 1976. The passage of Title IX in 1972, the subsequent merger of Women’s and Men’s Physical Education Departments at Western, the eventual formalization of women’s varsity athletics, and the emergence of new social structures and activities on campus by the end of the 1960s all contributed to the dissolution of the WRA and the Blue Barnacles.