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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 3 of 5 – 1980
through 1989
Read Part 1 – Greenville Kiwanis 1921 to 1949
Read Part 2 – Greenville Kiwanis 1950 to 1979
Editor’s note: April 1 is
worldwide Kiwanis One Day of Service. Each club works on an activity
supporting the children and community in which it serves. Greenville's
KiwanisOne is calling for new or gently used books for elementary
school children. Click here for details.
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 1980’s
All good things must come to an end, but not when we are around. Or so
we hope. 1980 brought about the retirement of Mrs. Laura Boyer who had
prepared so faithfully our meals for 32 years… noon luncheons, ladies’
nights, box lunches for farm tours and picnics on any and all
occasions. She was a great cook, a mother, a counselor and a dear
friend of all Kiwanians. In the 1980’s the Club meeting place went from
First United Methodist Church to “The Greenville Inn.”
This decade also brought several new projects… tending two fair gates
at the Darke County Fair and parking/space allocation spots at Garst
Museum during Annie Oakley Days. There were also some changes in the
scholarship program. Under the new guidelines, two $500 scholarships
are awarded each year to graduating seniors from Greenville High
School. The scholarships are for two years each, providing the student
maintains a proper grade average. Kiwanis Pancake Day continues to grow
in attendance each year and is now held at Greenville Senior High
School. The citywide “Punt-Throw-Kick” contest is held each fall at
Greenville Senior High School for various age level children.
Several winners have advanced on to higher levels of participation.
Kiwanis year 1983/4 saw the start of the Club honoring a member as
“Kiwanian-of-the-Year.” Kiwanis year 1985/6 saw the Club’s bulletin,
“The Ki-Yak,” win first place in the Ohio District for clubs with a
membership category of 46 to 70 members. Also, in 1987/8 “The Ki-Yak”
won first place in the 71 to 100 club membership category. Kiwanian
Jack Williams in 1983 submitted the name “The Ki-Yak” for the Club
bulletin. Jack claimed it was a “boat load of information.”
Other new money-making projects attempted during the 1980’s were: a
cotton candy machine and soft drink stand during Annie Oakley Days and
Greenville’s 175th Anniversary. Also, during Greenville’s Anniversary
an “egg-throwing contest” was an added attraction. Unfortunately, none
of these three ideas were successful and were dropped from further
consideration. They were not egg-citing enough!
Magazine subscriptions were made available to area nursing homes. The
homes could select 4 to 6 titles they felt would be of value to their
residents. At Christmas time, Club members staffed the Salvation Army
Red Kettles and then later the Community Christmas Kettles.
The Youth Services Committee worked with “The Boys Club” to find
Kiwanis members who could help the youth of the community. In an
outreach to former members, a “Homecoming Day” was held at various
times with moderate success. The “KEG Open” golf outing was started.
“KEG” stands for many things: Kiwanians Excite Golf, Kiwanians Expunge
Golf, Kiwanians Explore Golf and probably many more. The “KEG Open”
held at various area golf courses, is a fun afternoon that is followed
with dinner and the awarding of “fabulous prizes.” The Club contributed
monies to the CARE project through the United Nations Children’s Fund.
A Community Service award program was instituted to recognize school,
government and church workers in the community for going above and
beyond expectations in their job. The food for FISH program is an
annual holiday undertaking for the Club members. The members donate
non-perishable food items and the Club donates a sum of money to FISH.
The Club continues to financially support “Developing New Physicians
Program” and “The Darke Economic Foundation.”
Club members participated in the “Longest Day of Golf” with other
Kiwanis Clubs in Division 3-W. The Greenville Rotary Club and the
Greenville Kiwanis Club started the Rotary/Kiwanis Golf Outing that is
held at local golf courses. Some years, Kiwanis is the winner and some
years Rotary is the winner.
During the 1983/4 Kiwanis year, the Club instituted a new award
“Kiwanian-of-the-Year” to recognize Club members for their efforts in
promoting Kiwanis in the Greenville area. Club members honored as
“Kiwanian-of-the-Year” for the 1980’s were: 1983/4---Roy Haines;
1984/5---Clyde Miller; 1985/6---Joe Goins; 1986/7---William Maxwell;
1987/8---Harry Weikert; 1988/9---Rollin Futrell; 1989/0---Tom Fletcher.
William T. Maxwell, Past Club President, Past Club Secretary/Treasurer
and Past Distinguished Lt. Governor was honored as
“Kiwanian-of-the-Years” on September 30, 1987.
For the 65th Anniversary in 1986, place mats were made detailing what
Kiwanis stands for, what it has done locally and on the international
front. The place mats were distributed to Greenville eating
establishments free of charge. At the end of the 1982/3 Kiwanis year,
the Club membership stood at 51 and in July 1984, the membership stood
at 66. In the 80’s, the Club dropped the parking/space allocation
project at Garst Museum during Annie Oakley Days.
The presidents serving during the 1980’s were: 1980/1---Jim Ward;
1981/2---Steve Litchfield; 1982/3---Tom Fletcher; 1983/4---Ken Peters;
1984/5---Al Greiner; 1985/6---Bob Sullenbarger; 1986/7---Daryl Locke;
1987/8---Clyde Miller; 1988/9---Don Bachman; 1989/0---Don Skiles.
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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