In the 1920s, the birth of the Kiwanis Club of Plant City served as a way for prominent businessmen to connect and serve in the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World.
Led by the first club president, Dr. John Walter Alsobrook, the club formed on July 6, 1921, six years after Kiwanis Clubs began popping up around the nation. The Plant City club had 50 members its first year.
Nearly one century later, the club is preparing to celebrate its 95th anniversary on Tuesday, July 12. The Plant City Photo Archives and History Center will host a wine and cheese social followed by dinner for club members and guests. The dinner will be catered by South Florida Baptist Hospital’s 911 Catering.
For Sharon Moody, an eight-year member and former club president, celebrating the milestone is a nod to the many community-oriented efforts the club has made over the last nine decades.
“We’re one of the oldest civic organizations here in, Plant City,” Moody said.
Civic-Minded
One of the first major contributions the club made was in 1924, when it revitalized the city’s Board of Trade.
Led by then-club president and Mayor of Plant City William E. Lee, the club’s members created four teams. The teams competed to see which could bring in the most new members for what would become the East Hillsborough County Chamber of Commerce. Together, the teams brought a total of 492 members to the newly-formed chamber.
“They saw that that was a way to boost the city,” Gil Gott, executive director of the Photo Archives and History Center, said. “All of the Kiwanis leaders led the chamber of commerce. (Lee) was a mover and shaker in the town. He made things happen.”
Like Moody, Gott is a member of the Kiwanis Club. He joined about five months ago.
“I joined because of the history and the leadership roles over the years,” Gott said.
Today, the club’s civic efforts are still prominent in the community. The club started the annual Citizen of the Year celebration, an event that recognizes one individual for their contributions to the community.
The club also has a strong focus on the youth of Plant City. For the last nine years, the club has organized the Stuff the Bus program, which provides all 26 area schools with backpacks and supplies for kids in need.
“We have 1,000 backpacks, so about 35 per school,” Moody said.
The organization encourages youth to be civic-minded, as well. Currently, the club sponsors the Builders Club at Marshall Middle School and the Key Club at Plant City and Durant high schools. Each year, the club also gives a scholarship to a graduating senior from Plant City and Durant.
Growing Numbers
The club’s contributions to the community have lasted beyond the drop in membership that organizations have seen around the country. In 2011, Rotary club spokesperson Elizabeth Minelli told USA Today that Rotary clubs had dropped about 42,000 in membership since 1995. Amos McCallum, a chairman of past national presidents of the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks, told USA Today the Elks fraternity had 900,000 members, a decline from 1.6 million in 1980.
In Plant City, the Kiwanis Club has seen the falling numbers. The organization boasted 50 members when it first originated. When Moody joined eight years ago, it had 45 members.
Today, the club has 24.
“That’s in every organization right now,” Moody said.
Gott and Moody both said business financial backing as a reason why many would-be members are steering clear of civic clubs. Previously, businesses used to sponsor members to receive a tax break. That practice dwindled, leaving members to pay their own way in membership fees.
Even so, Gott said the club’s numbers are steadily rising. The club has been holding membership drives at the Photo Archives and History Center regularly.
“It’ll come back,” Gott said. “It’s coming back already. (Clubs) are all doing their best because they have the civic interest at heart. If these clubs weren’t doing it, who would?”
Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver.com.