The Florence founding club members
met Friday, December 1st, with a luncheon and smoker at the
hotel. It was presided over by Kiwanis International Field Secretary
Jeff Bailey and President Jas. O. Lewis, former vice-president
of the Kiwanis Club of Johnson City, Tenn. At
this time, there were 26 live organizations in the State of
Alabama. Kiwanis was then in its eighth year and had a membership
approximating 100,000. On Friday, January 5, 1923, at the Jefferson
Hotel, the Kiwanis was given official recognition at a big banquet
which included presidents of other civic organizations, editors
of the Florence and Sheffield papers, and a number of visiting
Kiwanians. Prominent speakers, readings and the high school
orchestra were featured throughout the dinner. The paper later
reported the event to be one of "the peppiest parties that
has been held here in some time".
The
founding organization made the front page of The Florence
Times and the newspaper stated "...wherever a club
is located there you will find one of the livest organizations
of any similar club and one that is doing wonderful work for
its respective community. Kiwanis believe in doing things, and
not in a single instance has any club ever failed to live up
to their motto."
