The Carmi Kiwanis Club honors it’s members who have served at least 25 years with an annual recognition in December. The club singled out seven of it’s distinguished members who have put in a combined 300 years worth of service to the club and community Thursday. Beloved Kiwanian, community member and record keeper Toby Brown had the honors.
Leading the way with 55 years of membership are former Mayor Lawrence Martin and Jim Davis.
“We have two members who have been in this club for 55 years. They came in in 1968 when a new home cost $14,950; movie ticket was $1.50; minimum wage was $1.60 an hour; Martin Luther King Jr and Robert F Kennedy were assassinated in that year; NASA’s Apollo 8 Space Mission was launched; the first Big Mac went on sale and cost 49 cents; and the Beatles created Apple Records and their song “Hey Jude” was the first single on that label.”
Both men say the locally famous Jerry Hart recruited them into the club and agreed the club has made great strides over the last half century. Martin and Davis are both still regulars at most Thursday Kiwanis meetings.
Retired Judge Tom Sutton has been a member of Carmi Kiwanis for 50 years and had this to say.
“My dad was President of the Rotary Club up in Fairfield and I was a member of the Interact Club which is their Key Club. I came down here and went into practice with Bill Fechtig and Bill who was also a past Lieutenant Governor with Kiwanis got me to come to Kiwanis. My dad was also President of this Kiwanis Club in Carmi. And another fact you may not know is that my grandfather, Washington Poole was the first Corn King.”
Honored for their 40 years each in Kiwanis were Jeff Bohleber and Keith Botsch. Botsch says he was recruited by a man that may have recruited as many members as any over the years.
“Also, I was recruited by Dan Drone. I remember Tom Sutton being big in the club at that time. Mike Drone was big; I think he might’ve been President at that time or around then. I’m also reminded this means I’m getting old. And I also miss for today is Keith Hoskins being here.”
Roger Winter was recognized for his 35 years of service. He remained a member even when his work took him out of town and he was of course recruited by none other than Dan Drone.
“Guy by the name of Dan Drone…it’d be interesting to know just how many people Dan has drawn into this club. But Dan came in one day and said ‘you need to come to Kiwanis with me; I’ll be by and pick you up’ so that was my entrance into Kiwanis. I will say that I really enjoyed coming to Kiwanis when my office was here in Carmi. When my office moved to Grayville, I wasn’t as faithful, but it’s great to be back and I appreciate it.”
Rod Matsel has toiled away the past 25 years as an integral, if quietly so, part of the Carmi Kiwanis troop. Matsel is unique in that he’s probably the only Kiwanian that has ever served the club as president for more than a single year. The individual who was supposed to follow Matsel’s presidency had to resign when work took him out of the area. Matsel’s service first attitude compelled him to help the club for an additional 365 days. He’s been instrumental in securing the iconic Volkswagen “Corn Car”, maintaining and moving staging around, and generally doing behind the scenes work that most take for granted. He also comes from a long line of Kiwanians and is described by others as the embodiment of how a simple outlook, being humble and kind can provide a beautiful life.
“My grandad was a Kiwanian. My uncles were Kiwanians. My dad was a Kiwanian. So, they led the way and I just followed. [Toby: Do you have a favorite thing about Kiwanis?] I like to come here and eat. [Laughter]”
The club will take the next two Thursdays off for holidays and will reconvene in January with Brenna Russell, White County Fair Queen and current political science major at the University of Illinois slated to speak.
