Just as communications, its practices and diversity have morphed and expanded since the 1950s, our organization has grown and changed. The Communicators Club was launched through the merger of the Society of Professional Communicators and AdClub of Greater Worcester in May 2012. Both groups championed civic outreach, and improving the skills and knowledge of club members and guests — ideals we continue to pursue through your support.
Society of Professional Communicators
Considered the true antecedent of TCC, the SPC was formed in 1951 as the Worcester County Editors Council.
“This organization was established by newsletter editors from Worcester’s largest manufacturing companies. The purpose was to meet and exchange ideas and information, as well as promote the benefits of the free enterprise system,” according to its now-defunct website.
“As the communications industry changed and grew, so did the membership of the Council. In 1990, its name was changed to the Society of Professional Communicators to reflect this. “Today’s SPC membership is made up of writers, editors, graphic designers, web designers, communications consultants and trainers, public relations practitioners, marketing and marketing communications experts, storytellers, photographers, proofreaders, printers, publishers and much more. Some are freelancers, and some work in for-profit or non-profit organizations.”
Among the SPC innovations that lives on in The Communicators Club today is the awarding of the Elaine Cencak Memorial Scholarship for Worcester-area students with declared majors in communications-related fields.
The society also featured a since-discontinued Communicator of the Year Award, which feted “a member or non-member who has achieved the objectives of a recent communications project with exceptional creativity and professional excellence.”
AdClub of Greater Worcester
The organization’s lineage can be traced back well over a century.
Its mission statement called to “improve the standards, techniques and methods of advertising and its related fields by promoting a better understanding of advertising and its socioeconomic value to the community; providing a forum for the exchange of information, acquisition of knowledge and opportunities for the development of personal and professional growth and leadership skills; and advocating the principles of truth in advertising.”
It also promised to respond “to the needs of the community by providing time, talent and leadership to improve the quality of life.” The group was known for its Holland Award, named after trailblazing AdClub of Worcester President Mary T. Holland, the first woman to hold the post and a 25-year member who catalyzed the club’s growth into a community-wide presence.
Holland and her peers were integral in creating Worcester’s iconic Isaiah Thomas Award, which was first bestowed upon George Francis Booth in 1950.
A generation earlier, the June 1922 issue of Associated Advertising quoted Worcester Advertising Club President Edward King’s statement that “we are seriously considering a drive for a Better Business Bureau, in my judgement, one of the best things we can hope to do for Worcester.”
To access a personal, in-depth look at The Communicators Club’s history via video, visit this link. A five-member panel of former Board members commemorates 70 years through insightful stories and vintage print material.