Ballroom dancing classes for boys and girls in Worthington were arranged by the Personality Club and taught by Kathryn Simonds of the Columbus School for Girls. The dancing program proved to be very popular, continuing into the 1950s with various instructors. Due to its success, the program was imitated in many schools in the area.
The Personality Club was founded in 1937 by Mrs. Miriam Mackay, who saw a great need to form an organization dedicated to assisting youth with their social and personal problems. The club was originally formed with sponsorship by the Worthington P.T.A. Among the first activities of the group was the remodeling of formals for girls who were in need of them. Guidance concerning proper dress, manners and hostess etiquette were in demand. Although the club’s focus was initially on girls, boys soon became interested and were also included in the programs. Over the years interests broadened, and the group was reorganized as the Activity Club. Social dancing classes for students from grade 4 to 12 became a major activity of the club during the 1940s and 1950s. Interest in dancing declined during the 1960s. Following a brief renewal of interest in dancing in the late 1970s, the emphasis on dance programs was discontinued.
During the 1980s the purpose of the Activity Club broadened to fulfill changing needs. New projects were initiated, such as workshops on leadership skills, College Previews, College Fairs, and coordination of the Baccalaureate Service for graduating seniors. The Activity Club began sponsoring the Junior-Senior Prom “Afterhours” in 1986, and a “Cards Camp,” a middle school drug, alcohol, and tobacco prevention program in 1988. Following the opening of Worthington Kilbourne High School, the club split into two separate Activity Clubs, one for each school.
