Originally published in the Press-Republican on Aug. 17, 2014.
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By SETH THOMAS and JOHN MASTRONARDO
PLATTSBURGH — Nancy Church can attest to the advances Kiwanis has made over the past three decades or so.
“In the early ’80s, a friend and I wanted to join, but we knew that women weren’t welcome as members,” she said at a recent celebration of the Plattsburgh Kiwanis Club’s 85th anniversary.
She wrote to the clubs, and they responded that including women would make them lose their charter.
“In 1987, there was a court case, and as a result of that, Kiwanis invited women to join,” Church said, who became the first female president of the Plattsburgh Kiwanis Club in 1990.
‘SECOND FAMILY’
The huge milestone of including women is just one the Plattsburgh Kiwanis Club celebrated the anniversary at American Legion Post 20 recently.
Club members from around the Adirondack Division of Kiwanis joined the festivities, as did New York District Gov. Joseph Aiello.
“I’ve been a member for 18 years,” he said of his own involvement in the international organization that provides services for children.
“This is my second family, and I call it a family because we all stick together. We share ideas, we laugh, we argue, and we have fun — typical family.”
‘MEMBERSHIP DRIVE‘
Prior to the district governor’s arrival at the event, three of the eight clubs in the Adirondack Division gave updates on the children’s clubs and programs they sponsor.
There was a common theme running throughout the night: increasing membership.
“In our district of New York, we have a goal to get 1,000 new members this year, and we’re at 749 members at last count, so we’re really close,” said Rob Shumway, lieutenant governor of the Adirondack Division.
Aiello hopes to achieve that goal by 2015, in preparation for the organization’s 100-year anniversary.
There are roughly 250 members in the Adirondack Division; between them, the two Plattsburgh clubs — the Morning Club and the Noon Club — have 50.
‘GIVING BACK’
Today, joining is as simple as filling out an application.
Church describes the organization as “wonderful” and loves attending the weekly meetings.
She also serves as the Plattsburgh Club’s historian, taking photos and creating scrapbooks of prior presidents’ terms.
Kimberly Davis, president of the Plattsburgh Noon Club, describes Kiwanis as an active organization.
“We make sure that we give our members a reason to come, not only to the meetings, but also by giving back to the community with various service projects,” she said.
One such project involved updates to the maternity ward at CVPH Medical Center in Plattsburgh, including folding chairs that enable family members to stay overnight.
“We just ask that people give what they can with their time and talents, and they can become a member,” Davis said.
Seth Thomas 