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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 2 of 5 – 1950 through
1979
Read Part 1 – Greenville Kiwanis 1921 to 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 1950’s
The late 40’s and early 50’s saw the Club sponsoring the very
successful Career Day programs for all juniors and seniors in Darke
County Schools. Two sessions were held each spring in Greenville High
School and Memorial Hall. The first session presented a keynote speaker
and instructions in choosing a profession while the second session
provided counselors from a three state area in some 60 to 70
occupations. The second session was always preceded by a dinner given
by the Kiwanis Club for all counselors. The students would choose three
fields and meet with the counselors.
1951 found the Greenville Kiwanis Quartet as the featured entertainers
at the Kiwanis International Convention in St. Louis, singing morning,
noon and night. Also, in 1951, the Kiwanis Health Camp was doubled in
size with a kitchen and dining area being added. Although the Health
Camp had been incorporated in 1930, the Kiwanis Club itself was not
incorporated until 1953. No one knew at that time that approval to
incorporate had to be sanctioned by Kiwanis International and it was
not until 1968 that the ’68 Club President Jack Raudabaugh received a
letter stating that the formal procedures for application must be
filed. Due process of application was followed but the incorporation
date remained as 1953.
During the 1950’s, Greenville Kiwanis for some years was host for the
old 2nd Division picnic. These picnics were held at the Greenville City
Park and the local golf courses. Such celebrities as District
Governors, District Officers and International Secretary Pete Peterson
attended. Additional attendees included members from 12 to 14 area
clubs and their wives.
By 1956, the Greenville Minstrels had run its course as a moneymaker
for the Health Camp and the first annual Kiwanis Home and Builders Show
was held at the Fairgrounds Coliseum. It is hardly necessary to remind
the members that March and April can be chilly in Darke County. In an
effort to make the climate in the Coliseum almost bearable salamander
heaters were rushed to the scene. The Home Show, with many variations
continued until 1975 to be the chief source of income for the Health
Camp.
Presidents during the 1950’s were: 1950---Jerry Goubeaux; 1951---Ralph
Brown; 1952---John Gamble; 1953---Judge Ed Williams; 1954---Rev. John
Auer; 1955---Frank Stebbins; 1956---Max Harley; 1957---Herb Baird;
1958---Ralph Beasecker; 1959---Phillip Brumbaugh.
The 1960’s
By 1961, the Club membership had grown to 68 members even though four
service clubs in Greenville - Kiwanis, Rotary, Lions and Sertoma - were
all competing for new members.
The year 1961 saw the Club go all out to celebrate its 60th Anniversary
with the theme being “Life Begins at 40.” 1961 also saw the Club
initiate another most important project for the youth of our community
when it established the Kiwanis Scholarship Fund. This fund provided a
young man from our high school, chosen by the Scholarship Committee, a
guarantee of $500 per year for four years, interest free, to pursue a
higher education and also guaranteed a four year period after
graduation from college for the repayment of this money.
In 1965, Greenville, along with co-hosts Ansonia, New Madison and Union
City Kiwanis Clubs, celebrated the Golden Anniversary of Kiwanis
International with a Ladies’ Night banquet at the Woodland Heights
School. There were 320 in attendance.
1968 saw the final realization of a long time wish by the Greenville
Kiwanis Club in the chartering of a Greenville High School Key Club of
Kiwanis International. The work and leadership of this high quality
group of 25 to 30 boys was most gratifying to the club and the high
school. The year also saw two pleasantries added to the weekly Club
meetings with the recognition of a “Young Citizen of the Month” that
eventually became “Student of the Month” and the observance month for
Kiwanians celebrating their birthday. “True stories” about the Club
member were master-minded for many years by Willis Burk.
In 1969, the idea of an annual Kiwanis Auction was born and perhaps had
the potential of expanding into a major source of income for the Club’s
many worthwhile projects. However, the first auction did not produce as
expected and was short lived.
Presidents serving during the 1960’s were: 1960---Virgil Cassel;
1961---Lowell Rife; 1962---Tom Meyer; l963---Willis Burk; 1964---Rollin
Futrell; 1965---Glenn Corle; 1966---Don Harter; 1967---Seren Marsh;
1968---Jack Raudabaugh; 1969---Paul Girbert; 1969/70---Dan Wilkins.
Paul Girbert had the distinction of serving the shortest term in office
as Kiwanis International changed the Kiwanis year from a calendar year
to October 1 through September 30. The Club membership was now 81.
The 1970’s
The decade of the 70’s again brought radical changes in the Club. The
needs of the youth of the community had changed drastically since the
beginning of the Health Camp in 1930. It was felt by all members that
the move in 1972 to combine programs and facilities of the camp with
the YMCA not only met the requirements and the stipulations of the
original deed, but it also greatly expanded the value which could be
realized by combining these two programs. The Club members in 1973
voted to deed back to the City of Greenville, the one-acre of land plus
the buildings that comprised the Greenville Kiwanis Health Camp that
had been received from the A. J. Marling Estate Trustees. The Club was
gratified to see it become the site for the new swimming pool in our
park which gives much joy to so many of our youth each year.
The main fund raising project, The Home Show, had also run its course
so we needed a new activity and a new project to finance it. After a
year or so of experimentation with popcorn that found sales not popping
and a watermelon stand at the Darke County Fair that produced frozen
assets one year, the annual Kiwanis Pancake Day was started in 1972.
Pancake Day, held the first two years at the Presbyterian Church from
6:30 A. M. to 6:30 P. M., met with great success and has become bigger
each year. The ticket prices for the event were $3.00 for adults and
$1.50 for children under 12.
The activity that we needed came with the start of the Special Olympics
program for Darke County. These youngsters, given a chance to excel and
succeed on the track and field and the gratification they show has
given the Club the project it needed and a unity of purpose for its
members. The cooperation of the community in helping with the financing
has been most gratifying and greatly appreciated. In 1974, the Club
became the only service organization to participate in a one day blitz
of the commercial entities in Greenville for the United Fund. During
the 1970’s, the Club staffed Salvation Army Kettle starting on the
Fridays and Saturdays after Thanksgiving until Christmas. This
particular project finally evolved into the Community Christmas Drive.
The hours of staffing were 10:00 A. M. until 8:00 P. M.
The Club participated in “Business/Industry/Education Day” in the 70’s.
A luncheon, sponsored by Kiwanis and prepared by Mrs. Laura Royer and
her crew, was served to 275 teachers and sponsors at the Elks Lodge.
The decade saw the Club sponsoring a Greenville High School sophomore
student to attend the HOBY (Hugh O’Brien Youth) Leadership Conference.
The students attending have reported a favorable opinion to the Club
following their return. In the 1970’s the Club meeting place moved from
the Elks Lodge to the First United Methodist Church. After
approximately 10 years of existence, the GSHS Key Club was disbanded
for various reasons.
Presidents serving during the 1970’s were: 1970/1---Orville Rolfe;
1971/2---Jack Williams; 1972/3---Don Speyer; 1973/4---Roy Haines;
1974/5---Bill Dull; 1975/6---Don Sechler; 1976/7---Bill Kirchner;
1977/8---Paul Weider; 1978/9---Doug Littman; 1979/0---Kent Zechar.
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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