Tiffin Kiwanis Club
The Tiffin Kiwanis Club is recognized as being a leadership club in the state of Ohio. Of the 296 Kiwanis clubs in Ohio, the Tiffin club with its 144 members ranks 7th in size.
More importantly, the Tiffin Kiwanis club ranks 4th in the state in support of the Kiwanis International Program of freeing all the world’s children of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD). The Tiffin club has contributed $29,177 toward this worthy goal and will be increasing its contributions in the future.
The long record of service to the community and the world started in 1928 when a group of Tiffin men held a series of intense discussions in the Seneca County courthouse and the Seneca County jail. It appeared that a serious societal problem existed in Tiffin as among these men were a prominent attorney, a newspaper reporter from the Advertiser-Tribune, a physician and the Sheriff of Seneca County.
Happily, quite the opposite was true. Instead of discussing a crime or some other type of unlawful act in the community, these men were working to develop an organization that would strive to build a better community in Tiffin. These men were the founders of the Kiwanis Club of Tiffin.
Shortly after the dedication of the new Y.M.C.A. in 1924, Edwin N. Hale was hired as the first Secretary of this new facility on the corner of Market and Monroe streets. Hale showed great interest in young people, and especially the people who were in early adulthood. He saw their potential to be a positive influence in the affairs of the community.
It was through the influence of Edwin Hale that in March of 1928 a new organization was established known as the Tiffin City Club. Membership was open to business and professional men between 21 and 35 years of age.
During the weeks of late summer and early fall, a group of Fostoria Kiwanians, including Major G. W. Cunningham and Frank A. Copely, came to Tiffin and talked with several business and professional men regarding the forming of a Kiwanis Club in Tiffin. At the time, Amandus Grossman was the sheriff and this group met in his office in the Seneca County Jail.
The September 13, 1928 minutes of the Tiffin City Club were the first minutes which revealed that attempt was being made to persuade the Tiffin City Club to join with other Tiffin men to form a Tiffin Kiwanis Club.
The merger of the Tiffin City Club with men who were interested in forming a Kiwanis Club was obviously a smooth one. All eleven Charter Members of the Tiffin City Club became Charter Members of the Tiffin Kiwanis Club.
Nine of the eleven Tiffin City Club members became officers or board members in the new Tiffin Kiwanis Club. The Fostoria Kiwanis club was the sponsor of the Tiffin Kiwanis club.
The new club quickly adopted the Kiwanis motto, “We Build”, and implemented the goals of Kiwanis: To give primacy to the human and spiritual rather than the material values of life. To encourage the daily living of the Golden Rule in all human relationships. To promote the adoption of the application of higher social, business, and professional standards. To develop, by precept and example, a more intelligent, aggressive and serviceable citizenship. To provide through Kiwanis clubs, practical means to form enduring friendships, to render altruistic service, and to build a better community. To cooperate in creating and maintaining that sound public opinion and high idealism which make possible the increase of righteousness, patriotism, and good will.
Through the years the Kiwanis Club has undertaken many community and international projects which have touched thousands of lives. These projects range from Y.M.C.A. projects to helping furnish the landscaping and trees when Hedges-Boyer Park was established; from youth programs both on the athletic field and in the schoolroom to providing housing for senior citizens.
There have been three major milestones in the history of the club. One was the vast increase in membership as a result of changing the meeting time from evening to noon. A second significant milestone was the construction of Kiwanis Manor in 1972. The third milestone was the induction of women as members in 1987 with all of their enthusiasm and industry. There are now 37 women in the club.
The future of the Tiffin Kiwanis Club indeed looks bright.
Our thanks to Archie Thomas who wrote the above account. Archie joined the Tiffin Club in 1966, served as its president in 1973/74 and has received its Legion of Honor. He and Bev Kline are now co-chairs of the Membership, Growth, and Retention committee.
Other city and county organizations are invited to prepare a similar description of their organizations as Archie has done for the Kiwanis.
– Percy