PEO Chapter V Salisbury, MD

04/14/2026

Another wonderful Bridge Bash and Games Galore! Thanks to everyone who helped make it a special event!

03/30/2026

P.E.O. Founder Alice Coffin was born on this day in 1848 in Louisville, Kentucky. Alice's family moved frequently and settled in Iowa, where she attended Iowa Wesleyan. Alice was a devoted and imaginative teacher and also was the one to suggest a star as the P.E.O. symbol. We are so grateful for her contributions! 🌟

03/13/2026

P.E.O. is launching a new travel program to bring members together to explore, connect and create unforgettable memories! P.E.O. and AHI Travel, a trusted leader in educational and cultural travel, are excited to offer thoughtfully curated journeys designed especially for our members and their guests. Get more details and access the booking site from https://www.peointernational.org/meetings-events/p-e-o-travel-program/.

03/08/2026

02/11/2026

Franc Roads (Elliott), one of our seven Founders, was born on this day in 1852. Franc was a talented artist who passionately worked for the women's suffrage movement and had a firm belief in the value of education. Her daughter, Stella, described her as "a dynamic person, always on the search for learning, a woman of indomitable will, with courage and ability to get from life the worthwhile things that appealed to her." We're so grateful for her contributions to the P.E.O. Sisterhood!

02/07/2026

Formation of Chapter V

Since 1924 there have been P.E.O. chapters in Maryland, but for the first 61 years there were none on the Eastern Shore. In September of 1974, just before the annual fall luncheon in Annapolis, several of us here were pleased to learn that there were other P.E.O.'s in the Salisbury area. We met through our efforts to form a carpool for the drive to the Western Shore.

On March 11th, 1975, eight P.E.O.'s met in the home of Acting Chairman, Jane Barr, and had the first of many discussions on the formation of a chapter Salisbury. In an effort to locate other P.E.O.'s in the vicinity, we published several announcements in the local paper and requested a reciprocity listing from Supreme Chapter. The decision to organize here was momentous. We had no local chapter to guide us and most of us had not been in an active chapter for years, some for as many as 20 years!

Martha Horton, State Organizer, attended our first meeting in March. Her enthusiasm, encouragement, and loving guidance inspired us to request permission to charter a new chapter. In April this permission was granted by Chapter KI, Illinois. Acting officers were elected, committees appointed, and programs planned. A yearbook was printed with all of the necessary information to guide us through the first critical months.

By November we had seven vibrant charter initiates and on January 24, 1976 the organization of Chapter V, Maryland, took place in Asbury United Methodist Church. A luncheon for guests and members followed. Martha introduced State President, Varella McDonald, who welcomed our new chapter. Dorothy Welsh Hamilton, First State President, led the devotions and gave an inspirational message.

Chapter V began with eight dimits: Mary Jane Barr, Elinor Caswell, Elizabeth Cooper, Louise Fox, Margaret McKissock, Barbara Nelson, Mary Louisa Rutledge, and Ruth Twilley Langler. We also had seven charter initiates: Eleanor Cropper, Jacqueline Fulton, Emma S. Roe, Agnes B. Sadler, Frances Turner, Helen Wallis, and Dorothy L. Wilkins.

This highlighted the completion of many months of planning and the beginning of growth which gracefully blends our Eastern Shore traditions with the loving and generous traditions of P.E.O. sisterhood.

02/01/2026

50th Anniversary Celebration of Chapter V held at Green Hill Country Club. Mary Louisa Rutledge, a founding member of the Chapter, cut the cake.

01/26/2026

Happy Founders' Day and Happy International P.E.O. Day! On January 21, 1869, our seven Founders created an organization they hoped would benefit women for a lifetime. We are so grateful to our seven Founders for their vision for the future. Take a moment to reflect on the amazing things that happen when women motivate, educate and celebrate women.

09/12/2025

We had a great time celebrating our P.E.O. project recipients last week during the Projects Program at Convention of International Chapter! You can now find videos of each speaker along with a full recording of the program on the P.E.O. International website: https://www.peointernational.org/meetings-events/convention-of-international-chapter/. Find all videos at the bottom of the page.