About Our Kiwanis club

The St. Marys Kiwanis Club meets every Tuesday evening, at 5:30 PM, in the Galen Cisco Room at the Eagles Lodge, 404 E. Spring St.

Our Kiwanis club is generous with its time. We are creative with our ideas. We are passionate about making a difference. And we have fun along the way!

Join Us

Our Kiwanis club fulfills the Kiwanis mission by serving our community through Kiwanis Community Service Projects.

Are you ready to help create communities that let all children thrive, prosper and grow? It’s pretty easy to do! Simply contact us with your questions and apply for your St. Marys Kiwanis club membership.

The kids in your community and the world are counting on you!

The Kiwanis Club of St. Marys was chartered and incorporated in 1956. The club consists of approximately 30 men and women committed to serving their community. It does not endorse political parties or persons and does not assess its members.

History of the St. Marys Kiwanis Club

Kiwanis is an international service club. Membership is composed of people in a wide variety of occupations who as a group work together can achieve what individuals cannot do alone.

St. Marys Kiwanis Honors, we are proud of:

Distinguished Club………………………………….… 2002 & 2003

Distinguished Club Presidents

Joe Cattarin 1966 Phil Young 1973

Terry Finke 1981 Marv Ruppert 1985

Sonnie Dershaw 2002 Mark Dominik 2003

Ohio District Distinguished Club (Started 2007)

Gold Victor Von Blon 2007

Distinguished Club Secretary

Larry Shelby 2002 & 2003

Club Officers Merit Award

Kurt Kuffner, President 1989

Doug Moran, Secretary 1989

Jim Elking, President 1990

Doug Moran, Secretary 1990

Doug Moran, President 1993

Outstanding Leadership Award

Jim Nuhfer, President 1999

Achievement Award

Honorable Mention: Stan Davis, President 1978

Third Place: Sonnie Dershaw 2002

Fourth Place: William Fitzgerald, President 2005

Past International President’s Award

Stan Davis 2011

Outstanding Club Project

Connelly Medal to Matt Axe

Murry Fitzgerald, President 1995

Diamond Growth Award

Darwin Zeigler, President 1992

Newsletter

Second Place Dennis Cisco 1998, 2007

Honorable Mention Dennis Cisco 2001, 2005, 2006

New Club Building

Coldwater 1969

Wapakoneta 2002

Auglaize Co. Aktion Club 2007

Lt. Governor

James Scott 1963 Ralph Selby 1997

Jack Kuffner 1970 Brice Smith (dist.) 1999

Larry Shelby 1980 John Moul 2009

Richard Ballenger 1986

Hixson Fellowship Award

Jack Kuffner 1998 Richard Ballenger 1999

Larry Shelby 1999 Brice Smith 2000

Past Presidents Award

Doug Moran 2002 Mark Dominik 2007

Ten Member Sponsors

Larry Shelby 51 Jim Nuhfer 31

George Neargarder 20 Joe Cattarin 14

Legion of Honor Members

Art Brubaker, James Scott, Jack Kuffner, Joe Cattarin,

Victor VonBlon, George Neargarder, Tom Smith,

Richard Ballenger, Larry Shelby, Stan Davis, John Moul,

Terry Finke, Don Hauenstein, Jim Elking, Jim Nuhfer,

Bill Salter

The St. Marys Kiwanis Club’s first project was sponsoring the “Kiwanis Braves” Little League baseball team.

The club established the Kiwanis/Campbell “Power of the Pen” award for McBroom Junior High students that are permanently endowed through the St. Mary’s Community Foundation in-order to financially award students for years to come.

When it Happened “The First 50 Years 1956-2006”

1956 Charter Date

1956 July 17th, Charter Night Banquet (26 Members)

1956 Collected Tax Stamps for Needy Groups

1956 Sponsored Picture Show received 35% titled “ODONGO” to sponsor Little League Team

1956 Painted Vote November 6 on City Sidewalks

1956 Collected and Distributed Toys for Christmas. Joined Good Fellows 1962

1956 First Ladies Night was a Dinner Dance

1957 Kiwanis Braves

1957 Gum Ball Machines installed

1957 Purchased PA System and Record Player for Swimming Pool $272.95

1957 Sold SMACKO Tickets

1957 Scholarship Recognition Banquet – First in the US

1957 Rose Day Sales (Profit $492.57) 322 Dozen sold

1957 Kiwanis-Rotary Gold Outing

1958 Travel and Adventure series (ended 1991) borrowed money in 1960 to continue.

1958 Father and Son Night

1958 Pancake Day. (1967 Ed Splatter the Batter Stepleton) December 6, 1958.

1958 Club Bulletin Started January 1, 1958

1958 Youth Center Project

1958 Kiwanis Braves won City Championship

1958 “Hire Now” Campaign

1958 Supported Vocational Education Class for many years

1959 Prayer Tents Placed in Hotels and Restaurants

1959 COLORAMA Card Party

1959 Distributed Driver Safety Pamphlets

1959 New Teacher Banquet and Recognition “Apple for the Teacher”

1960 Auction Fund Raiser

1960 Road Signs Installed

1960 Key Club. School Administration allows No Clubs of this kind in St. Marys

1961 Float in Chamber Christmas Party (Stopped 1966)

1961 Ford Punt, Pass and Kick. (1979 Ford Stopped. Kiwanis continued Locally. (Stopped ???)

1961 Sponsored Slow Pitch Softball Team

1962 Couples Club Dance Coat Room and Concessions Fund Raiser

1962 KOCH’S Moved

1962 Combined Meeting with Kiwanis and Soroptomist

1962 Good Fellow Christmas Wrap (Odd Fellows then) Kiwanis by themselves from 1956

1962 Served Lunches at two auctions. Made $200

1962 Lawn Mower Safety Program

1964 Honored Retiring Police Chief Gilbert Gurstner March 10, 1964

1964 Initiated the practice of having a local lady provide piano music during the meal

1964 Distributed church information to local businesses.

1964 Kiwanis Division 2 Picnic. IDLEWILD

1965 Inter Club to Sarnia, Canada

1965 School Safety Patrol Fund

1966 Junior Achievement

1966 10th Anniversary, June 7, 1966

1966 Audubon Bird Count at Lake St. Marys

1967 Father Daughter Night – Annual Event

1967 Collected Eye Glasses for International Project

1968 Safety Flares Sales

1968 First Peanut Sale

1968 Donated to construct Basketball Courts at Swimming Pool

1968 Distributed Bicycle Safety Booklet

1969 Sponsored Coldwater Kiwanis Club

1969 Auglaize School Children Picnic

1969 Kiwanis Park Beech Street. $1,500 for Playground Equipment plus Installed

1969 Sponsored Young Child from India

1969 Purchased Material for High School Guidance Department and Display Case

1969 Supported National “Sing Out” Group

1969 Purchased Heifer at Auglaize County Fair

1969 Sponsored Student to Presidential Classroom in Washington D.C.

1969 September 2, Mayor of City was Presented Playground Equipment at Kiwanis Park.

1970 Operation “Drug Alert” by Ronda Shelby

1970 Offered Dale Carnegie Course

1970 Took Sons to Hockey Game in Dayton

1970 Advertised List of Young People wanting Summer Jobs

1970 Supply Kiwanis Magazine to Library and Hospital

1970 October 8, Constructed 15×20 Shelter House at Kiwanis Park

1970 June 9, Kiwanis Park Dedication. Held Picnic for Children and Parents located near Kiwanis Park

1971 Built a backstop and fence on one side of Kiwanis Park. $750

1971 Sponsored Air Force Band as Fund Raiser for United Way

1971 May, Student for Hire Advertisement

19?? Red Cross Swimming Instructor Training

1972 Candy Suckers to Emergency Room JTDMH for Children

1972 Girl Scout Troop #604 Sponsor. Cooked Meal 4-11-1975

1972 Distributed “You and the Law, Deciding About Drugs and What if they call me Chicken” to 8th Grade

1972 Ordered Pipe for Kiwanis Park Basketball Pole

1972 Elementary Track Meet

1972 Swim Team Ribbons and 1965 Event

19?? HOBY

1973 Miami-Erie Canal Development

1972 Boat Race Food Stand

1972 May, Started Building Canal Boat Float for Sesquicentennial Parade

1972 Ken Davis, U.S Olympic Basketball Team Member gave Program for Father Son Banquet

1972 North Front Street Kiwanis Kuck’s Cove Park 3.46 Acres

1974 $750 to city to purchase Playground Equipment

1974 Purchased Blue and Gold Jerseys for Youth Program

1974 Started Delivering Enterprise News Paper. Hired Clayton Cornel and Students

1975 Christmas Card sent to Valley Nursing Home Patients

1975 Good, Flag and Country FOE speech contest winners

1975 Reds Baseball Game

1975 Cook for Hospital Picnic

1975 Honored Dr. Dale Kile, 2-18-1975 (19 years Perfect Attendance)

1976 Moved from Koch’s Restaurant

1976 Kiwanis vs. Jaycee’s TUG(TON) of WAR Contest

1976 Bicentennial Parade Canal Boat Float

1976 July 20, Started meeting at Northmoor

1976 Sold Peanuts

1976 Helped Junior Rifle Club

1976 Lunch Stand at Walk with Nature

1976 Donated $500 to Youth Center, $200 to Day Care Center, $500 to Kiwanis Park for Playground Equipment, $500 St. Marys Community Foundation matching Gift.

1976 20th Anniversary July 13, 1976

1976 Pass Shoot Dribble Contest

1978 July voted to go back to KOCH’S. Orchard Tree finished second in the voting

1978 Cooked for SM Township Fireman’s Jamboree

1978 Helped put in New Football Field

1978 Heritage Days 3 Day Lunch Stand

1978 Home Safety Checklist to School Children

1978 rchased Home Security Check List for Police for their presentations

1979 Kiwanis-Rotary Golf or Tennis Challenge

1979 Delivered Enterprise Newspaper. Discontinued September 1979 because of nonpayment

1979 Conscience Jar Started

1979 Helped WOF&G pour concrete shooting platform

1979 Ford Stopped Sponsoring PP&K. Kiwanis continued until ?

1979 Poster Contest for Pancake Day

1979 Install Day Care Center fence at St. Pauls Church

1980 Burger King Pitch, Hit and Run

1980 Installed New Roof at Kiwanis Park (cost $111.00)

1980 Steak for Winners and Beans for Losers Membership Contest

1980 Installed New Basketball Backboard at Bunker Hill School

1980 $200 Donated to “Become a Friend of the Library” program

1980 Won 3rd place in the Loyalty Day Parade with Canal Boat

1980 Sponsored New Brownie Troop

1980 Midget Football Donation

1980 Served at Hospital Picnic

1981 Air Freshener Sales

1981 Pass, Shoot and Dribble (Stopped ????)

1981 Playground & Equipment repaired at St. Marys Day Care

1981 25th Anniversary, June 16, 1981

1981 Purchased 50 tickets for Kiwanis sponsored Sea World Handicapped Children Day

1981 May, Honored retiring Superintendent of Schools Frank Dennings

1983 Took over “Walk with Nature”

1985 Vial of Live

1985 Chacter Education (Marv R.)

1988 First Woman Joined Club

1988 Daisy Scout for Kindergarten Girls formed. Kiwanis sponsored, Bunker Hill School.

1988 Motorized Tricycle for Handicap Woman

1988 Started working “Best of the Wurst” Food Stand. Summerfest

1988 Donated $750 for Light Bar in MHS Auditorium

198? Dune Buggy Float in Parade

1992 Red Kuck donated Kuck’s Cove Land for Kiwanis Park

1992 13 New Members inducted into Kiwanis. Contest between Officers and Club for a “Steak or Bologna” contest. Officers 5, members 8. Officers ate Bologna and the Club ate Steak.

1994 Connelly Medal to Matt Axe

1995 Shots for Tots

1996 40th Anniversary, June 4, 1996

1997 Kiwanis Peanut Days at Summerfest

1998 Started Golf Outing

1998 Gold Team Wins Kiwanis Sweatshirt for Best Attendance

1998 Worked Kings Island

1998 IDD Hixson awards planned to honor past living Lt. Governors

1999 Left Orchard Tree Restaurant (Orchard Tree Closed)

1999 Honored Past Presidents on Presidents Day

2000 Left Magg’s EZ Restaurant, went to Matt’s Restaurant

2000 Started Kiwanis/Campbell “Power of the Pen”

2001 Sponsored Girls Softball

2001 Started Meeting at Matt’s Restaurant

2002 Started Wapakoneta Kiwanis Club
Matt’s Restaurant (Old Koch’s) Burned down May 4, 2002
Started meetings at Eagles Lodge August 6, 2002
Distinguished Club, President, Secretary Awards received, First Time all three
2003 Bowling Team
Memorial School – Perfect Attendance Ribbons Started
Distinguished Club, President, Secretary Awards
2004 Community Pride Picnic at Kiwanis Park
2005 Kiwanis Community Pride Contest started in 4th Ward
Summer Bible School at two Kiwanis Parks
Summer Wiffle Ball at Kiwanis Parks
Started Kindergarten “Terrific Kids” Kits.
2006 Started Kiwanissm.org – Website January 20, 2006
2007 Started Aktion Club – Spring

Kiwanis helps kids around the world. Our Kiwanis club looks out for our community and the Kiwanis international organization takes on large-scale challenges, such as fighting disease and poverty.

For more than a century, Kiwanis has created opportunities for children to be curious, safe and healthy regardless of the community in which they live. When you give a child the chance to learn, experience, dream, grow, succeed and thrive, great things can happen.

The Kiwanis Mission & Vision

Kiwanis empowers communities to improve the world by making lasting differences in the lives of children. Kiwanis strives to be a positive influence in communities worldwide — so that one day, all children will wake up in communities that believe in them, nurture them and provide the support they need to thrive. Our Kiwanis club fulfills the Kiwanis mission by serving our community through Kiwanis Community Service Projects

Kiwanis Service

Service is at the heart of every Kiwanis club, no matter where in the world it’s located. Members stage approximately 150,000 service projects and raise nearly US$100 million every year for communities, families and projects. By working together, members achieve what one person cannot accomplish alone.

Our Kiwanis club focuses on changing the world by serving children, one child in our community at a time. To reach more people and have a greater service impact on their communities, many clubs sponsor a Kiwanis family club — K-Kids for primary school children; Builders Clubs for adolescents; Key Clubs for teens; Circle K clubs for university students and Aktion Clubs for adults living with disabilities.

Text