The first club in the history of Bridgewater State Normal School was the "The Bridgewater Young Men's Lyceum," formed in 1841 for students to attend and present lectures and debates. It was an outgrowth of a town organization, "The Bridgewater Speaking Club," that had been formed in 1839. The Lyceum met on Friday evenings, and in its early years was open only to men. During these social events, faculty and students were invited to read poems, share their short stories and writing, and discuss topical events of the day. A handwritten journal, “The Normal Offering," compiled the lectures, speeches and essays and was read to the assembly. University Archives records indicate that there were 74 handwritten manuscript issues of "The Normal Offering" compiled by 1869. In January 1870, under the editorship of 1864 graduate Albert E. Winship, a first volume of The Normal Offering was printed. However, subsequent issues were not printed until the mid-1880s, and then somewhat sporadically. By the early 1890s, The Normal Offering was publishing on a monthly basis; in 1897 publication ceased.
In 1895 the Normal Lyceum changed its name to The Normal Congress (fashioned after the Congress of the United States). The Congress evolved into the Normal Club in 1898 as more women – who in fact comprised the majority of the student body – became more active in the organization. Though publication of a monthly Normal Offering ended in 1897, the Normal Club began publishing an illustrated college yearbook, also called The Normal Offering, in 1899.
Please note that the volume numbering is inconsistent, reverting to volume 9 in 1896.
Newspapers from 1858
The Normal Offering, November 19, 1858, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, October 1, 1858, Bridgewater State Normal School
Newspapers from 1870
The Normal Offering, No. 1, Jan. 1870, Bridgewater State Normal School
Newspapers from 1887
The Normal Offering, Vol. 1, No. 2, March 1887, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 2, No. 3, Nov. 1887, Bridgewater State Normal School
Newspapers from 1888
The Normal Offering, Vol. 3, No. 3, Apr. 1888, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 3, No. 4, May 1888, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 3, No. 5, June 1888, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 4, No. 4, Dec. 1888, Bridgewater State Normal School
Newspapers from 1889
The Normal Offering, Vol. 4, No. 5, Jan. 1889, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 5, No. 1, Feb. 1889, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 5, No. 4, May 1889, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 6, No. 1, Sept. 1889, Bridgewater State Normal School
Newspapers from 1890
The Normal Offering, Vol. 6, No. 5, Jan. 1890, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 7, No. 1, Feb. 1890, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 7, No. 4, May 1890, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 7, No. 5, June 1890, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 8, No. 2, Oct. 1890, Bridgewater State Normal School
Newspapers from 1891
The Normal Offering, Vol. 10, No. 4, Dec. 1891, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 9, No. 1, Feb. 1891, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 9, No. 2, Mar. 1891, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 9, No. 3, Apr. 1891, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 9, No. 4, May 1891, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 9, No. 5, June 1891, Bridgewater State Normal School
Newspapers from 1892
The Normal Offering, Vol. 10, No. 5, Jan. 1892, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 11, No. 1, Feb. 1892, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 11, No. 2, Mar. 1892, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 11, No. 3, Apr. 1892, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 11, No. 4, May 1892, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 11, No. 5, June 1892, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 12, No. 1, Sept. 1892, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 12, No. 2, Oct. 1892, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 12, No. 3, Nov. 1892, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 12, No. 4, Dec. 1892, Bridgewater State Normal School
Newspapers from 1893
The Normal Offering, Vol. 12, No. 5, Jan. 1893, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 13, No. 1, Feb. 1893, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 13, No. 2, Mar. 1893, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 13, No. 3, Apr. 1893, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 13, No. 4, May 1893, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 13, No. 5, June 1893, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 14, No. 1, Sept. 1893, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 14, No. 2, Oct. 1893, Bridgewater State Normal School
Newspapers from 1894
The Normal Offering, Vol. 15, No. 3, Apr. 1894, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 15, No. 4, May 1894, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 15, No. 5, June 1894, Bridgewater State Normal School
Newspapers from 1895
The Normal Offering, Vol. 17, No. 5, June 1895, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 18, No. 1, Sept. 1895, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 18, No. 2, Oct. 1895, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 18, No. 3, Nov. 1895, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 18, No. 4, Dec. 1895, Bridgewater State Normal School
Newspapers from 1896
The Normal Offering, Vol. 18, No. 5, Jan. 1896, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 18, No. 6, Feb. 1896, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 18, No. 9, May 1896, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 9, No. 3, Nov. 1896, Bridgewater State Normal School
Newspapers from 1897
The Normal Offering, Vol. 10, No. 3, Apr. 1897, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 10, No. 4, May 1897, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 10, No. 5, June 1897, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 11, No. 2, Oct. 1897, Bridgewater State Normal School
The Normal Offering, Vol. 9, No. 5, Jan. 1897, Bridgewater State Normal School