Scott Wheeler Serves as Speaker at the 135th National Convention of WCTU

Scott Wheeler of Derby spoke at the 135 National Convention of the Women Christian Temperance Union on Tuesday, September 3.

When most people think about the Women Christian Temperance Union (WCTU), they think about it as a group of Christian ladies who battled against alcohol before and during the national prohibition of alcohol (prohibition was the law of the land between 1920 to 1933). However, this group of feisty and festive ladies is still alive and well, educating the people of the country about the evils of alcohol and drugs and the impact that such substances have on families. They have also not abandoned their mission of promoting a wide range of issues that effect the lives of women.

Wheeler is seen with WCTU state president, Laurea Smead (left) and WCTU
national president, Rita Kaye Wert.

Scott Wheeler of Derby was one of the Vermonters asked to speak at the 135th National Convention of the WCTU held in South Burlington during the entire week of September 2. In addition to serving in the Vermont House, Wheeler is a prolific writer who among his many works includes a book titled: Rumrunners and Revenuers: Prohibition in Vermont. In that book, in addition to writing about the rumrunners and bootleggers who worked their illegal business along the Vermont/Quebec border, he also wrote about the men and women who fought against alcohol, including members of the WCTU.
When he addressed the group on the evening of September 3, he admitted to the crowd of women, most dressed in white, that he thought their group had long since disappeared into the pages of history, a remark that brought about great laughter from a very much alive group of women. They left no doubt in Wheeler's mind that they are alive and well, and with their vision, still working for the good of women, children, families, and the nation.