On the occasion of the 25th Anniversary of the Club, someone wrote this history of the club. The author did not record their name.
Origin and History of Kiwanis Golden K’s First 25 Years
In the early part of 1983 members of the Noon Kiwanis Club developed the idea of
forming the Blackhawk Golden “K” Club. A committee made up of Roland Strommen,
Russ Hegge and Frank Stratton went to work to actually form such a group. There are
several ideas as to why they wanted to do this. One was to have some way to spread the
ideals of Kiwanis to an older group of people, thus, the Noon Club contacted the
following 30 men who became the charter members of our club.
Original Club Officers
President————-William Buckley
First Vice President————–Lowell Grover
Second Vice President——Bruce Bell
Secretary ——–Edward Carroll
Treasurer—–William Oestreich
Directors ——- Robert Buell, William Carpenter, G. Roy Jensen, Donald Crosby. George Siekkenin
Charter Members
Arthur Bergman / Harland Bjerva / Lee Bowlus / Robert Corneth / Orian Freeman
Bernard Gillespie / Harry Hulick / Henry Kreiner / Tony Kutz / Delwin Lenerz /
Paul Loofboro / Wallace McRoberts /Joseph Plazewski / Jesse Scarborough
Woody Schoenfeld / Glenn Schumacher / Edwin Sullivan / Walter Stamstad /
Robert Wegner / Orlin Worman
Officers of Sponsoring Club
President Roland Strommen
President-Elect Robert Seaton
Vice-President Carl Luedtke
Past President Marvin Roth
Treasurer Ray Brost
Secretary Frank Stratton
we reached a high of 157 members, currently in 2008 we have 106. This fluctuation in
numbers is due to death, moving away and some who are no longer physically able to be
active.
The charter program took place at the Elk’s Club on Wednesday, October 26, 1983.Our
meetings are held every Wednesday of the month from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. We met for
years at the Alpine Restaurant in Creston Park until a fire closed it. The new Alpine met
in the Shopko Plaza until they no longer have room for us, at that point we transferred to
the Sons of Norway Lodge on West Milwaukee Street.
We are one of their major sources
of income. In the beginning our dues were $32.00 annually with $20.00 initiation fee. We
would have a beverage and rolls or donut for $1.50. Now we’re up to $90.00 and $3.00
for these items, inflation over 25 years is the cause.
While at the Alpine the membership
would pass the hat once a year for a special tip for Rose a waitress on her birthday!
We follow a basic format for each meeting, there’s singing of America, pledge of
allegiance, invocation, refreshments, educational moment, raffle drawing, business
reports, happy box, songs, and adjournment.
The main business is often the question of
money. We have 2 major accounts: administration and service. The former one is based
on dues, etc to be used only to run the club with its basic costs, and activities, this comes
from members only. The service accounts come from fund raising from the public.
Over the years we started rather humbly with bake sales, helping the noon club with
their pancake and peanut days, and Easter lilies.
Then in the 1990’s with the input of John
Higgins we had bake and rummage sales at the fairgrounds. Some time in the early to
mid 1990’s John came up with the in house raffle sale for the administration fund, and
tree sales for the service account. The latter really boomed-one year we sold 12,000 trees.
Then in 2002 Bob Johnson and Peter Kealey started the Truck on the Ice idea. These are
our 2 major sources of income, for the service account.
We also have a peanut and lily
day. There was also a fund raiser that raised both monies from members and the public.
Jim Clark managed the I.D.D. Fund. This iodine deficiency disorder program was to fight
worldwide the sad affects of the lack of iodine in people. The International Kiwanis
started this idea.
In all, our club raised $30,000 which really helped people around the
world.
What do we do with the monies raised for the service account? We’ve given $1,000’s
over the years to many worthy individuals and causes, the Salvation Army, and Echo are
2 major ones.
There are scholarships at the U-Rock, Blackhawk Tech, and even the F.W.
Douglas Living Scholarship Fund, at Craig High School, Camp Wawbeek, Rock Co.
Health Center, and many others.
It is the aim of our club to continue in the years ahead to carry on the work we have so
successfully preformed to date.
There will be challenges in regards to fund raising and
membership.
The past has shown us that it can be done. So, here’s to the next 25 years.
