Caption to picture: Taylorville Kiwanis Club member and secretary Martin Vota (right) shared about the club's past, present, and future, at Tuesday's meeting. Will Perkins (left) presided at the meeting.
The Taylorville Kiwanis Club heard about the club’s past, present, and future during their weekly meeting Tuesday at the Taylorville Moose Lodge.
Kiwanis member and club secretary Martin Vota was the program speaker and gave a history of the club dating back to its founding on October 26th, 1954 when it was chartered and sponsored by the Morrisonville and Springfield Downtown Kiwanis Clubs.
According to Vota, some 250 people attended the charter dinner on December 14th, 1954 when the club officially began with 29 members.
Vota said that while the club has met in many different places since 1954, its goal has been the same—to benefit the children and youth in the Taylorville community and the world.
Vota shared many of the projects the Taylorville Kiwanis Club has been involved in over the years, including funding dental service for Taylorville students, aiding in spastic paralysis research, providing funds and uniforms for “Biddy Basketball”, band camp scholarships, sponsoring Junior Achievement, helping create the local Mental Health Association, sponsoring YMCA teams, football camps, funding athletic equipment, Coats for Kids, Kiwanis Park, and hosting foreign students.
He added that fund-raisers to pay for these projects that benefit children and youth over the nearly 67 years has included a Halloween Candy Sale, Peanut Days now known as Kids Days, the annual Pancake and Sausage Breakfast, and the annual Radiothon.
Vota shared with the club where it is now with a current membership of 48, and current Kiwanis projects, and challenged club members to focus on the future, including working to increase membership. A membership drive is planned for September and October.
The Taylorville Kiwanis Club is part of global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time. Weekly meetings are held Tuesdays at noon at the Taylorville Moose Lodge. For information on the club, go to taylorvillekiwanis.com.
