Frankfort Kiwanis Club leaves a rich, impressive legacy as its 104 years of service to the Clinton County area comes to a close.
Frankfort Kiwanis received its Charter on September 21, 1920. Since it began, Frankfort Kiwanis has footprints of community service, leadership, networking, friendships, fundraising and collaboration. Frankfort Kiwanis continues to leave a legacy through a large endowment in its name at the Clinton County Community Foundation. This endowment is left to serve the community perpetually and is valued at over $100,000. Community members can still contribute to the “Kiwanis of Frankfort Indiana Fund” through the Clinton County Community Foundation and add to its ability to serve Clinton County.
Most Clinton Countians who have been around for a while remember Kiwanis Pancake breakfasts, the Key Club in area schools, countless donations given to area non-profits, litter pickup campaigns on 28 west, even the creation of Circle Park in 1923 was a Frankfort Kiwanis project.
The annual pancake breakfast, usually held on the first Saturday in May, was a huge event. It was started in 1952 as a pancake supper at the Christian Church and was eventually moved to the Clinton County Fairgrounds and at its peak, attracted over 1600 people. After the count exceeded 1200 people, Kiwanian Wayne Williams suggested the addition of Biscuits and Gravy to the menu to take some of the pressure off pancake production and reduce the line at the event. This worked well. When combined with the free Clinton County Hospital Health Fair at Clinton Hall, the May event was easily one of the largest annual events in Clinton County. Community legend and Kiwanian Bill Beard routinely sold 200 to 300 tickets to the breakfast. Aunt Jemima herself attended the first event and came for another pancake supper several years later, according to Kiwanian Eric Spencer. The pancake breakfast was the primary Frankfort Kiwanis fundraiser for over 70 years.
Eric Spencer and Gary Wehr gave a comprehensive history of Frankfort Kiwanis during the February 13th Frankfort Rotary meeting. Rotarians gave a standing ovation for the many contributions and impactful legacy of the Frankfort Kiwanis Club. Spencer, a fourth generation Kiwanian, and Wehr both served as Kiwanis Club Presidents.
Over the years, several other fundraisers were tried, but none matched the annual pancake breakfast. Entertainment book sales, trash bags for Riley Hospital, gum-ball machines, peanut sales, ushering at Purdue football games, selling Nelson’s Port-a-Pit Chicken and selling Brown County Biscuits and apple butter at the Hot Dog Festival topped the list. Kiwanians learned early on that warm Brown County Biscuits in 90 degree weather at the Hot Dog Festival was really not a good idea.
In 2005 Kiwanis International voted to change the motto from “We Build” to “Serving the Children of the World”. The very first motto at the founding of Kiwanis was “We Trade” coming from the Indian phrase “Nunc Keewanis” origin of the Kiwanis name itself.
Frankfort Kiwanis was one of the top clubs in giving throughout all of Kiwanis International, thanks, in part to generous giving to Kiwanis from Bill and Jean Beard gifts to Riley and Kiwanis International.
Kiwanis supported local organizations and projects financially or by volunteering. Organizations on the receiving end of Kiwanis giving included:
- Bantam Football League
- COACH Kids
- Boys & Girls Club
- Camp Cullom
- Prairie Grass Observatory
- 4-H
- Hugh O’rien (HOBY)
- Chamber of Commerce
- Child Safety Program
- Frankfort Baseball
- Frankfort Main Street
- Friends of the Library
- Children’s Programs
- Jaycee Fourth of July Fireworks
- State and Local Jr. Miss Programs
- Key Club Scholarships for $1,500 for Frankfort H.S. and Clinton Prairie
- The Crossing School
- Kiwanis District Foundation
- Kiwanis International Foundation/Iodine Deficiency and Neonatal Tetanus
- Kiwanis Outreach
- Open Door Clinic
- Reading is Fundamental Program
- Riley Children’s Hospital
- Bring Up Grade Program
- Special Olympics
- Phillipe Resource Center
- Clinton County YMCA (now CORE)
Gary Wehr and Eric Spencer closed with “No doubt you have heard that in most organizations, it’s 20% of the people doing 80% of the work. As membership declines, the challenges increase and tend to spiral downward. Our decision was a very difficult one to make. We are saddened to pull the pin on our Kiwanis Club; however it was time. We have many great memories and wonderful friends made through the Frankfort Kiwanis Club. We believe that Frankfort and Clinton County are better because of our efforts over the past 100+ years.”
A letter from a former member in 1991 written to then president Howard Hewitt applied to this individual, and according to Wehr and Spencer, can now be applied to the club as a whole.
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