Sociedad Benefica Española

[Art]

I have a surprise for Suronda!

In an earlier (http://www.asturianus.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=193) post Suronda wrote :

While Asturianos in West Virginia didn't have the kind of formalized mutual benefit societies like the community in Tampa, it seems that they offered financial aid to their neighbors when they were able, and that they created their own informal support system.

Today in going through some of my grandpop's books, I found a paper receipt which reads:
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sociedad Benefica Española
Union Fraternal de North View, W.Va. . . . . . . . . . . . . . No 834

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . El Socio Sr. ___Emilio Fernandez______
Natural de _____Asturias______________ anos de edad, ha satisfecho
a la Tesoria de esta Sociedad la cantidad de $1.50 por cuota que le corresponde
en el presente mes.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . North View _____Julio_____de 1922__

. . . . Vo. Bueno . . . . . . . . . . . . .Recibi . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Intervine
. . . . El Presidente . . . . . . . . . . El Tesorero . . . . . . . . . El Secretario
____E Gonzalez____________J Diaz______________M Robledo

Domicilio _Anmoore______________ No. de inscription _151________

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(I've added dots for spacers, so I could show how its basic layout looks.)

This presents strong evidence for a formal mutual aid society of Spaniards in West Virginia, although it may not be nearly as elaborate as the one in Tampa.

[Suronda]

Art,

That's a GREAT surprise! This organization might be what many called the "Spanish club" since I see its location in North View area of Clarksburg. Does the address match that of the place where El Pintor painted the ceiling?

Too bad we don't have the first names of the officers, eh? Perhaps we'll find more information on this group as we gather more members, and more papers!

Thanks for posting this important surprise!

S.

[Art]

I've scanned the receipt and posted it below.

There's no address on the receipt, but that's a great idea, that this may be the "Spanish Club." I had thought that the Spanish Club was just a place that had dances on weekends. Maybe it was much more than that.

Does anyone have more information on the Spanish Club of North View West Virginia?

[Shawn]

Our family has a similar membership card in a case for the Union Benefica Espanola through New York; although, he was a resident of Zeising. It is dated 1919 and was my great-grandfather's (Benigno Diaz's) card. I would appreciate any information you have regarding this Society.

[Art]

I doubt that Suronda, Bob, or I know much about it, although it appears that the Clarksburg area's The Spanish Club had some features of a Sociedad Beneficia, too. The image above calls it that.

Bob believes (I hope I represent this accurately!) that the Asturian way of life includes a strong sense of responsibility for each other. That may be. There were a number of these groups, from what I can tell, although I'm not sure what to call them. Were they mutual insurance? cooperatives? collectives with leftist idealism? How did they serve their members or the community?

I have send you an email with info on a member who has volunteered his grandfather as a source of information. It might be worthwhile calling or emailing him to see what his grandfather knows. The older generation has a good deal of knowledge that we're quickly losing. It's us younger folk who are the only ones who will preserve their knowledge because most of older generation won't go online or write it down.

If you learn more, please post it on the forum!

[Bob]

All I know is that there was a Spanish Friendly Society in Niagara Falls. I don't really know what it did or how it helped its members help one another. I'll ask my father what he remembers.

Family and friends and neighbors from Asturias who lived in the US often ended up living close to one another in various towns and cities, and kept in contact with one another and with their relatives in Asturias.

Art is right about my opinion concerning a tradition of Asturians helping one another. Whether it existed only at the level of the individual family (I would be astonished if this were the case, however), at the level of family and neighbors, at the level of benevolent societies, or whether it was an even more widespread phenomenon is something I would be very interested in learning more about. I remember hearing stories of the zinc workers in Spelter helping one another's families when someone was injured, sick or disabled. Perhaps they even used a little physical encouragement from time to time.

Still, for the most part, the stories I remember center around helping relatives and friends emigrate to the US, helping them find jobs, taking them in as boarders until they could function on their own (My grandparents certainly did this.), helping them adapt to their new country, etc.

Bob Martinez

[Terechu]

You have some real treasures there!
I believe the “Cajas de beneficio”, (something like “Welfare funds”) were very common in all the Centros Españoles (not just Asturian) throughout the Americas in the early 1900’s. In fact they were set up all over Spain in the early days of the labour movements, when neither a public welfare or social security system, nor unemployment benefits existed. The working class was unprotected and so the workforces of the large companies (mining companies, textile mills, steel mills, rail road, etc.) had at least two types of solidarity funds, the “Caja de beneficio” and the “Caja de resistencia”, mostly organized by the labour unions.
Everybody who was a member paid a monthly fee (which can be seen on the receipt Art provided) and in case of loss of income, due to illness, accident, etc. the members or their families would get assistance through these channels. The Caja de resistencia, or resistance funds, were exclusively to get workers through strikes without starving. They still exist in some labour unions.

By the way, Art, what a beautiful classic handwriting that treasurer had!
-----------------------------------------------------------

Tenéis auténticos tesoros ahí!
Creo que las Cajas de beneficio eran bastante comunes en todos los centros españoles (no sólo asturianos) de toda América a principios del 19. De hecho se establecieron en toda España en los primeros años del movimiento obrero, cuando no existía un sistema público de beneficencia, ni seguridad social, ni cobertura de desempleo. La clase obrera estaba desprotegida, de manera que las plantillas de las grandes empresas (compañías mineras, fábricas de téxtil, siderurgias, ferrocarril, etc.) tenían dos tipos de cajas solidarias, la caja de beneficio y la caja de resistencia, organizadas mayormente por los sindicatos.

Cada socio pagaba una cuota mensual (como se puede ver en el recibo que aporta Art) y en caso de pérdida de ingresos, debido a enfermedad, accidente, etc. los miembros o sus familias recibian ayuda a través de estos cauces. La caja de resistencia era exclusivamente para ayudar a los trabajadores a aguantar una huelga sin morirse de hambre. Siguen existiendo en algunos sindicatos.

Por cierto, Art, ¡que letra clásica tan hermosa la del tesorero!

Terechu

[Diane]

In Donora, Pennsylvania, where I grew up, the Spanish Club was more than just a social group. Although I have fond memories of the childrens' parties and other social events that I attended there, the Club provided financial assistance to those in the Asturian community who were in need.