The Kiwanis Club of Waynesville

The First 50 Years of The Kiwanis Club of Waynesville

     Harry S. Truman was in the White House and the Nation was in the midst of the Korean War. General Douglas McArthur gave his farewell speech to the country. Color TV was new, and people were watching I Love Lucy , and The Red Skelton Show , and See It Now with Edward R. Murrow. A new car with power steering sold for less than $2,000. Gas was 27¢ a gallon and a 6-pack of coke was 25¢. The average income of the American worker was a whopping $3,709 a year.

     The town of Waynesville had no four-lane highways, no shopping centers and no fast food restaurants. There was an arch spanning Main Street with a welcome sign that said "Gateway to the Great Smokies." In this beautiful place, amid the turmoil of the world, The Kiwanis Club of Waynesville was chartered on October 23, 1951 . Our sponsor was the Asheville Kiwanis Club, and we met in the Pine Room of Patrick's Cafeteria on Main Street .

     Since that time The Kiwanis Club of Waynesville has been a shining example of unselfish sacrifice and service to the children and youth of the city of Waynesville and Haywood County . Indeed, our influence has been felt across the world as we took part in international projects with Kiwanians around the globe. There can be no question that our Kiwanis club, is a perfect example of what a civic club ought to be. We have risen to the challenge over and over again. And lest we pat ourselves on the back too much, we need to remember the thousands of citizens of this county who over the years have supported our fund raising efforts by donations of food and other items for our projects, and have then turned around and bought the tickets and paid for the flags that have enabled us to channel hundreds of thousands of dollars to charitable institutions in our area.

     There is no way to list all of the events and people that worked together in making The Kiwanis Club of Waynesville the club that it is today. This brief history of our first 50 years is an attempt to show the true spirit of our club. It is hoped that reading this account gives clear understanding of what Kiwanis is all about, and recognizes its importance to the children and youth of the world.

     The Kiwanis Club of Waynesville has not been alone in its efforts on behalf of the children and youth of Western North Carolina . Our sponsorships of new Kiwanis clubs in the area include: the Cullowhee/Sylva club in 1965, the Franklin club in 1984, the Murphy club in 1988, the Burnsville and Cherokee clubs in 1989.

     Flag service is one of our primary activities and has been a part of our fund raising program since it was begun in 1963. The flags down both sides of Main Street and on the other streets of the town create a great feeling of patriotism. Phil Hocott has managed this program for a number of years, and it has become a favorite with the people of the community as well as with visitors to our town. This service also includes putting out international flags during the annual Folkmoot Festival . We have a dedicated group of members who give freely of their time to keep this program going strong. Although it isn't a great source of revenue it is an object of civic pride.

     In 1987 the club began the Travelogue Series which was popular in the community but not a strong fund raiser. Kiwanis spouses prepared refreshments for each showing and help to make the evening really special. Unfortunately the popularity has declined in recent years and it was discontinued in 2004.

     Our most profitable fund raiser, of course, is the annual bar-be-cue held the first Friday of September. Begun in 1964, with chicken as the main course and club members doing the cooking until 1993 when the location was moved to the parking lot at the Court House. Beginning in 1994, the meat of choice was changed to pork, with various vendors supplying the food, and Kiwanians providing the set-up and serving. The battle-cry of "Sell Tickets - Sell Tickets - Sell Tickets" is heard annually during the summer mont hs.

     The annual Christmas Parade in Waynesville is another event sponsored by our club beginning in 1989. This is not a fund raiser, but a gift to the community. We have a large number of floats, bands, fire trucks and church vans participating, and awards are given for the best entry in several categories.

     Golf tournaments have proven popular at times and have been used as fund raising events.

An important funding source since 1999 has been the Jim and Betty Scott Fund . Jim was a long time member of Kiwanis, and the club receives an annual check for $20,000+ to use in its benevolence programs. This fund, generally awarded in a lump sum, provides substantial assistance for larger community projects.

     Fund Raising carries a negative connotation for many people, but for Kiwanians these events are the key not only to being able to provide financial support to an exceptional array of agencies and programs but provides for camaraderie and fun among club members.

     Over the years, we have supported, among others, the following agencies and projects:

The Salvation Army Children's Christmas Party - the Clothes Closet - Salvation Army Christmas Kettle program - the Girl Scouts - The Boy Scouts - Haywood Technical College - the Haywood County Sheriff's Dept.- St. John's Learning Center - the seat belt awareness program - scholarships for Tuscola students - YMCA - YWCA - 4-H - Brevard Music Camp - numerous public schools - Haywood County Hospital Chapel - Haywood County Hospital Children's Ward - the VA Hospital - the Chamber of Commerce - Haywood County Public Library - Little League Baseball - REACH of Haywood County - Red Cross - the disabled and mentally handicapped program - Spotlights, a youth drama group - IDD - Kiwanis International - Carolinas District projects - Sponsored Youth programs - Head Start - the Haywood Literacy Council - 4-H summer workshops - the Habitat for Humanity - Hospice - English as a Second Language - the Life Skills Program - playground equipment for elementary schools - DARE - BADGE 500 - Junaluska Elementary - Clyde Elementary autistic program - Tuscola High School - Healthy Haywood - Canton Middle School - the Health 5 Department - COMPASS - Martin Luther King, Jr. Choir -KARE - the Andean Rural Health Center - Mountain Projects- the Arts Council - Alzheimer's Association -The Family and Christian Training (FACT) Center - and the Neo Natal Center at the Ruth and Billy Graham Children's Care Center.

     A large part of our club revolves around our weekly meetings and activities that provide opportunities for learning, work and fellowship. The weekly programs have provided a broad range of subjects about our town, our county, our state, our nation, and the world in which we live. They have been about government, religion, nature, service organizations, music, comedy, our personal lives, etc. and through them we have been enriched.

     Our award winning club newsletter The Blueridger, was begun in 1965. Its editors have been A. D. Harrison, Charlie Band, Charlie Sloan, Ted Ochs and, Woody Lamb. Beginning as a weekly black & white newsletter, it was expanded to a full color monthly publication. In 2008, Woody retired from the club due to health reasons and the Secretary at that time, Bob Miles, began to publish The Blueridger as a weekly E-Newsletter, The following are sample of items from The Blueridger that catch ones interest and give a flavor of what membership in Kiwanis is all about:

     An interesting community project was the "calf chain," in 1966. A Haywood County youth would be given a calf to start a herd, and when the first new calf was born, it would be given back to the "chain" to continue the program;

     The Clothes Closet ran for a number of years; Bullet-proof vests were donated to the Sheriff's Department in 1980;

     We celebrated our 30th Anniversary in 1981 at The Lodge, with 16 past presidents in attendance;

     The "K-Family Conference" in 1982 at Lambuth Inn brought together over 360 Circle K and Key Club members;

     Terrific Kids programs began in 1986;

     1987 saw the acceptance of our first female member, Nancy MeHaffey;

     The public picnic shelter at East Street Park was donated to the town in 1987. Our flag storage building at the park was originally a Kiwanis sponsored Boy Scout hut;

     A community church calendar was distributed to motels, welcome centers, and to the Chamber of Commerce in 1987; Garrett Funeral Home gave us a Hammond organ in 1989. They must have thought that our musical efforts needed some serious improvement. Our "Choir" and its welcoming song to visitors is probably unique in the entire world, and has become a much loved and appreciated part of our weekly meetings;

     A big snow storm blew in and cancelled our annual Christmas Party in 1990;

     In 1991 Vi Terrell became our first woman President. Our mid-year report that year showed 63 members on roll;

     Our International Banquet in 1992 featured comments from members who had traveled overseas, and the Bursons served a delightful meal of international dishes;

     Twenty two Kiwanians signed up to participate in the Key Pals program, which paired a Kiwanian with a Key Club member for companionship and support. The program ran for several years;

     The year 1993 saw the beginning of the now annual Kiwanis Prayer Breakfast;

     The Hammond organ, now "ill" in 1993 was traded for a keyboard. The keyboard was eventually sold and the funds were placed in the project account.

     Emphasis on Iodine Deficiency Disorder (IDD), a major cause of mental retardation worldwide, in 1995 saw the beginning of Kiwanis' participation in a program to eliminate IDD across the globe. This was a project of Kiwanis International that caught the attention of Kiwanis clubs, school groups, Sunday school classes and the general public;

     This is for "Believe It Or Not!" Club dues were reduced in 1996, because we no longer had to guarantee a specific number of meals. Of course it wasn't long (1997) before dues went back up;

     In 1996 there was a call for the "World's Largest Kiwanis Club Meeting" in Charlotte . All the clubs in the district were asked to support the event. Vi Terrell and Alvin Warren, along with 600 other Kiwanians across the district received Hixson Awards at the gathering:

     Altrusa and The Kiwanis Club of Waynesville came together for the first time in 1996 for a joint program presented by Folkmoot . This is now an annual event;

     Our club celebrated its 45th anniversary in 1996 with 13 previous Presidents in attendance;

     The year 1997 was the year of the “Great Pop-Corn Caper”. This was to be a great fund raiser but some of the worst popcorn you ever had popped that bubble:

     The club won a cruise in 1998 as part of a membership emphasis. Since we couldn't decide who would get to take advantage of this great opportunity, we were allowed to take our prize in cash value, thus adding over $2,000 to our projects budget;

     We sponsored a Key Club at Central Haywood High and a Builders Club at Waynesville Middle School in 1999.

     In 2000, a milestone in history and a milestone for The Kiwanis Club of Waynesville , we established The Kiwanis Club of Waynesville Charitable Foundation to administer the funds received annually from the Jim and Betty Scott Trust . By establishing the charitable foundation for administration of the funds we have assured a continuing source of revenue for the important work we are doing in the community.

     In summary, many individuals have been recipients of special recognitions and awards through the first 50 years of our club. Their achievements have been outstanding, but there is insufficient space to list them all here. Many of our former, as well as current members, have received Distinguished President and Distinguished Secretary awards, recognition for work with scouting programs, Good Citizenship Awards, Merit Awards, Distinguished Service pins, Outstanding Kiwanian pins and Perfect Attendance Awards. We have two awards banners completely filled with badges. The significance of these awards, however, is not in who received them, but in the fact that they represent untold hours of service and fun through Kiwanis to the community. We are sure that the record we have made over the past 50 years will extend to coming years as The Kiwanis Club of Waynesville continues to serve this community through its 100th year, its 150th year, and beyond.

 
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