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“90 Years of Service”
A History of the
Greenville Kiwanis Club
1921 through 2010
Compiled by: William T. Maxwell and W. Roy Haines
Edited by: W. Roy Haines
A History of the
Kiwanis Club of Greenville
Part 1 of 5 – 1921 through
1949
The Kiwanis Club of Greenville owes a debt of gratitude to Kiwanian
William T. Maxwell for the following history of the Club. Bill served
the Club as President, Secretary, Distinguished Lt. Governor and
unofficial Club Historian. The passing of Bill on September 10, 2000
was a great loss to the Club and the community. The Club history from
the 1920’s through the 1970’s, as compiled by Bill, appeared in “The
Daily Advocate” on June 6, 1986 in a tabloid honoring the local club’s
65th Anniversary. Information from the 1980’s through Kiwanis year
2009/2010 is what current members remember. There will undoubtedly be
some memory failures and the like, for which “The Ki-Yak” editor, Roy
Haines, is very sorry. With the preamble out of the way, let’s all go
down memory lane and refresh a few memories.
The 1920’s
On June 9, 1921, the Kiwanis Club of Greenville was organized and on
October 6, 1921 it was officially chartered. The early records are
sketchy, but some meetings were held in Marion Murphy’s office in
Greenville with several local men, an international organizer and Henry
Brenner and Howard Smith from the Kiwanis Club of Dayton, Ohio, the
official club sponsor.
The first meeting place of the Greenville Club was the Odd Fellows
Hall. The Charter Night party was held in Sam Knupp’s garage located at
the intersection of Broadway, Martin and Washington Streets, the
present location of Annie Oakley Park. Herb Vance and his catering crew
served 586 meals to the 28 original members and guests at the party.
(The number of meals served sounds very high, but no records.) The
charter members were: J. A. Armbruster, C. L. Bailey, Harry Brown,
Herman Brown, Otto “Jelly” Burns, J. C. W. Coppess, W. R. Culbertson,
J. Ed Engelken, Ray Gilbert, Charles Hall, Guy Hawley, Howard Jobes,
Sam Knupp, Charles Miller, Carl Rentz, S. F. Ridings, Russell Robbins,
J. L. Selby, Chester Sellman, Art Sharp, H. P. Stocker, Howard Tillman,
Frank Welch, Marion Westerfield, Harter Wheeler, J. Lendell Williams,
Dr. O. P. Wolverton and W. A. Zimmerman.
Frank Welch served as the first president in 1921 and again in 1922.
Other presidents in the 1920’s were: 1923---Clarence Brown;
1924---Charles Herr; 1925---Chelcie York; 1926---Guy Hawley; 1927---Ed
Jefferies; 1928---Samuel Rust; 1929---Carl Rentz.
In 1923, the Greenville Club sponsored the new club in Covington, Ohio.
The 1930’s
In 1930, the Club received land from the A. J. Marling estate and
constructed the Greenville Kiwanis Health Camp for underprivileged
children. The camp operated from 1930 until 1970. The camp closed for
one year during a polio epidemic in Greenville. Kiwanis members,
several local doctors, the city health director and a group of
interested citizens felt there was a need for such an undertaking.
Those children attending received: examinations by doctors,
entertainment, various forms of recreation and meals during their 5-day
stay.
The land that was acquired from the A. J. Marling Estate Trustees
stated in part: “That whenever the camp site ceases to be used for boys
and girls, it shall revert back to the City of Greenville.”
According to Bill Maxwell, “during the 1930’s, as far as I can find,
the camp was supported by membership assessments, stage production
receipts and personal donations. Two of the stage productions that I
chanced to find were ‘Pleasure Bound’ and ‘Calling All Stars’ and
directed by Dwight Brown. Listed in the last program were no less than
337 patrons and patronesses.”
The membership at this time had grown to 37 members. The Kiwanis Health
Camp was incorporated as a non-profit corporation in March 1930. The
original camp building including general contract, electrical and
plumbing was awarded to the low bidder for $1,738.
Two items that caught Bill Maxwell’s attention were accounts of the
Kiwanis baseball team, which was apparently pretty tough. Also in the
late 30’s was the beginning of a joint Kiwanis-Rotary Field Day each
summer. This was an afternoon of golf, pitching horseshoes, baseball,
races, cards, swimming and whatever else came to mind. The day was
topped off with a barbecue and picnic that promoted wonderful
fellowship between the two service organizations.
In 1932, the Greenville Kiwanis Club sponsored the Ansonia Kiwanis Club
and in 1937 sponsored the New Madison Kiwanis Club.
Presidents during the 1930’s were: 1930---Sam Knupp; 1931---Ed Herring;
1932---Ed Seiler; 1933---George Werner; 1934---Dwight Brown;
1935---Frank Jobes; 1936---C. L. Bailey; 1937---Charles Bramble;
1938---Jake Boyer; 1939---Jay Minnich.
The 1940’s
By the 1940’s, the membership had climbed to around 60 members. There
were two things that really put Greenville Kiwanis on the map in the
40’s. One was the organization of the famous Greenville Kiwanis Quartet
and the other was the birth of the Kiwanis Minstrels to raise money for
the Health Camp. In 1943, the Greenville Kiwanis Club sponsored the
Union City Kiwanis Club.
The Kiwanis Quartet comprised of Earl Hittle, Francis Hittle, Roy
Kester and Ed Schwartz, with Glenn Hartzell as pianist, traveled
thousands of miles as goodwill ambassadors for the Greenville Kiwanis
Club. The group was in great demand for Kiwanis meetings, Ohio Kiwanis
District Conventions and many social affairs throughout the Midwest.
Under the direction of Dwight Brown, the Kiwanis Minstrels year after
year played to packed houses. For several years the Minstrels were
given three nights at Memorial Hall to accommodate the crowd.
Newspaper clippings in April and May 1944 state that in addition to the
Memorial Hall shows, Greenville Kiwanis Minstrels performed in Ansonia,
New Madison, Union City, Wright-Patterson Air Base and West Alexandria.
On August 21, 1944 the Kiwanis Minstrels were the night attraction at
the “Great Darke County Fair.” The fair performance was so popular the
Fair Board asked them to return a second night to another packed house.
In all, the Minstrels cleared $2,700 in 1944. In 1945, the Minstrels
performed at the State Theater to promote the sale of War Bonds. The
price of admission was the purchase of a War Bond.
Other items of interest in the 40’s: (1) the exploits of the Kiwanis
bowling team composed of: Joe Straker, Wilbur Sellman, Homer Miller,
Roy Kester and Bob Coppess; (2) the Kiwanis basketball team comprised
of: Bob Sink, Larry Winchell, C. L. Bailey, Burdett Boyer, Roy Kester,
Perry McVay and Bill Maxwell; (3) during the late 30’s and into the
40’s, the Club annually sponsored a Christmas party for over 100
underprivileged children; (4) a newspaper clipping states that at the
Club’s 20th Anniversary Party in 1941, while relating the club history,
Frank Welch, the Club’s first president collapsed with a heart attack
and was rushed to the hospital. Frank died the following year; (5) the
Club’s 25th Anniversary Party was a gala affair held at the Lutheran
Church.
The Presidents serving during the 1940’s were: 1940---John Vance;
1941---Bob Coppess; 1942---Homer Miller; 1943---Joe Straker;
1944---Larry Winchell; 1945---George Buchy; 1946---Jesse Brumbaugh;
1947---Bill Maxwell; 1948---Roy Kester; 1949---Ralph Hemmerly.
KIWANIS INFORMATION
• The first Kiwanis Club was organized in Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A., in
1914. The group received a charter from the state of Michigan on
January 21, 1915 --- the day that is recognized as the birth date of
Kiwanis.
• The name “Kiwanis” was coined from an expression of the American
Indians in the Detroit area, which was found in Bishop Baraga’s
dictionary of the Otchipew language. The expression “Nunc Kee-wan-nis”
meant, broadly, “we trade” or “we share our talents.” As a coined word,
however, “Kiwanis” has no meaning except as the name of a leading
international service club.
• The First Object of Kiwanis International is “To give primacy to the
human and spiritual rather than to the material values of life.”
• The Second Object of Kiwanis International is “To encourage the daily
living of the Golden Rule in all human relationships.”
• The Third Object of Kiwanis International is “To promote the adoption
and the application of higher social, business and professional
standards.”
• The Fourth Object of Kiwanis International is “To develop, by precept
and example, a more intelligent, aggressive and serviceable
citizenship.”
• The Fifth Object of Kiwanis International is “To provide, through
Kiwanis clubs, a practical means to form enduring friendships, to
render altruistic service, and to build better communities.”
• The Sixth Object of Kiwanis International is “To cooperate in
creating and maintaining that sound public opinion and high idealism
which make possible the increase of righteousness, justice, patriotism
and goodwill.”
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