These days, when women can do pretty much anything they want, women's clubs might seem a little staid and outdated.

But the Iris Club, one of the oldest in the country, continues to thrive as it evolves and navigates the changing role of women in the world.

That is something the club has been doing since it was founded in 1895.

"Back then, it was a place for you beyond being someone's spouse," says Carol Szutowicz, the second vice president of the Iris Club and a former president. "It was a radical idea in 1895."

In its heyday in the 1950s, the Iris Club had about 600 members. Today, there are about 100 members, but the club, which has been located at 323 N. Duke St. for 115 years, is busier than ever.

"We are forming partnerships with organizations, reaching out to the community," says Szutowicz.

"There's a lot going on here."

The elegant 1858 Federal Style mansion is the site of weddings, all kinds of parties, reunions, bar mitzvahs, quinceaneras, baptisms and wedding and baby showers.

"We've got a lot of features here that make it very functional," Szutowicz says. "We're busy. And I think our rates are very reasonable."

With several different spaces in the home and the extension that was added in 1955 (and designed by a female architect), there is room for both large and small events.

"We can seat 200 in our main room and we have a fabulous dance floor," Szutowicz says. "And the acoustics are really good. We are pursuing the idea of bringing the arts to our stage and looking at bringing in night events."

There is a full kitchen on site, which is used for the twice monthly members' luncheon meetings.

"It's an amazing kitchen," says Richard Himmelright, of Richard's Catering, who caters luncheons at the club. "It's workable for any event, for plating and buffet. They even have pizza ovens."

The bimonthly luncheons are a long- standing tradition and tie into the idea of women enlightening and enlarging their worlds.

Following each luncheon, there is a program, ranging from lectures to concerts and theatrical events. After that is high tea.

And the club sponsors special events. Coming up on Jan. 20 is "Not Your Mother's Goose," a dance program by Kinetics Dance Theatre (for reservations, call 394-7811).

Membership was once by invitation only. Now it is open to any woman who is interested in joining. Dues are $220 a year.

The club has long had a thrift shop, which raises funds for a number of local charities.

"We are strengthening that element of our (mission)," Szutowicz says. "Needs are so great."

The shop offers a variety of items, from used clothing to household goods. It's one of the few such shops located in the city, so people who don't have transportation can take advantage of it.

And once each month, members serve meals at Water Street Ministries.

Recently, the Lancaster School of Ballet moved in to the building.

"I had never been to the Iris Club before," says Carolyn Trythall, who runs the school. "You have to see it to believe it. They've got two of the most beautiful ballrooms and the wooden floors are terrific."

And Trythall likes the elegant charm of the building, which fits nicely into the elegant world of ballet.

"It's a perfect match for the students," she says.

Szutowicz notes that they have made a point of maintaining the elegant style, of a more genteel time.

But don't think the origins of the Iris Club are all high tea and cucumber sandwiches.

The club was founded by Alice Nevin, whose father, John Williamson Nevin, was the president of Franklin & Marshall College. Her sister was the sculptor Blanche Nevin.

"She wanted to empower women," says Betty Miller, first vice president of the club. "And she wanted women to contribute to their own enlightenment."

Nevin, who never married, was a busy woman. She fought for women's right to vote, was the first president of the Lancaster branch of the Red Cross, was a founding member of the Visiting Nurse Association and is credited with starting the first well-baby clinic and the first kindergarten in her home.

She purchased the Duke Street home for the club and was its first president.

"Alice Nevin was a visionary," Szutowicz says Times changed, of course. Women's lives today are very different than they were a century ago.

By the 1970s, membership began declining. More women worked outside of the home and, in general, women were busier than ever. For some younger women, the idea of a women's club seemed unnecessary.

But the Iris Club never closed.

"We have many loyal and generous members," Miller says.

"Through changing times and changing mores, the club has survived and stayed true to its mission," Szutowicz says. "We are embracing those changes."

jholahan@lnpnews.com