Club History  

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE KIWANIS CLUB OF MARTIN, TENNESSEE

(Click here to view the Charter Night program.)

(Click here to view the Club Charter)

The Kiwanis Club of Martin had an unusual beginning in 1968 because a Circke K Club played a major role in organizing a Kiwanis Club.  Usually, a Kiwanis Club organizes a Circle K club.  The sponsoring club - the Kiwanis Club of Union City, Tennessee and the University of Tennessee at Martin Circle K Club were partners in the organizing effort.  The Circle K Club had been chartered in 1966 with Brown Kendall as their faculty sponsor. The Charter Night committee had members of the Circle K Club working with Kiwanians from the Union City and Martin Clubs.  Charter Night was held in The University of Tennessee at Martin University Center on May 23, 1968.  The evening was highlighted by the presentation of the Kiwanis Charter to Club President David Small by Herman L. Moore of Natchez, Mississippi, the Governor of the Louisiana, Mississippi, and West Tennessee District of Kiwanis International.  David Small can take pride in the fact that he was the first president of the Kiwanis Club of Martin and was the first president of the Circle K Club at UT Martin.  There were thirty-two club members that night.  Two of the charter members, S.K. Airee and David Brodrick, remained active in  the Martin club throughout their lives, and charter member Harry Henderson remains active in the club today.  (See the photos section of this web site, "The early years", to see pictures of the charter night activities.  A copy of the original charter is also in the website.)

The first meetings were at noon on Wednesday at the Gateway Restaurant.  When the Gateway Restaurant closed, the club meetings moved to the University Center and the club temporarily became a breakfast club due to limited space at the University Center during the noon hour.  In order to start meeting again at noon, the club began meeting in the basement of the First Methodist Church with the meals catered.   Club meetings were then moved to the Colonial Inn Restaurant, chich later became the Catfish Restaurant and Steakhouse.  After that, the meetings were held at the Circle T Restaurant on Jackson Street.  In 1983 the meetings returned to the UT Martin University Center and remained there until the massive renovation of the University Center was started in 1998.  The club then moved the meetings to the Hearth Restaurant on Lindell Street.  The club returned to the UT Martin University Center in 2000 and met at the University Center weekly until the University Center was locked down because of the Covid-19 pandemic from March 13, 2020 through June 1, 2021.  After not meeting formally in April 2020, Zoom meetings were held from May 2020 throught May 2021 biweekly.  Following the lifting of the pandemic r restrictions, the first in-person Kiwanis Club meeting was held again in the University Center on June 2, 2021.

The Club sponsored the first Pancake Day fund raising project in January of 1969 and mainly through the supervision of charter member David Brodrick.  Our club members have continued to hold this community fundraising event.  Several years ago, Bettye Giles suggested we add the phrase "where friends meet" to our promotional materials and tickets.

A second fund raising project was begun in 1986 and continues to prosper.  This project involves the selling, preparation, and delivery of Barbecue lunches to members of the Martin community.  The club usually sells over 600-800 lunches.  The proceeds of the Pancake Day and Barbecue Day fund raising projects are the main source of funds we spend on community projects.

The club has sponsored many activities through the years.  Some of the community projects sponsored in the early years were:  Explorer Scouts Post 37, Christmas parties at City Hall for underprivileged children,  a city-wide clean-up/fix-up day in preparation for the city of Martin Centennial Celebration, and Special Olympics benefit basketball game.  Some of the continuing projects include sponsorship of the Martin Primary School K-Kids, Martin Middle School Builders Club, Westview High School Key Club, The University of Tennessee at Martin Circle K Club (current plans include activating this club once again), Aktion Club for developmentally disadvantaged adults from Community Developmental Services, the annual Kiwanis and City of Martin Christmas Parade,  supporting the annual Youth Fishing Derby sponsored by Martin Park and Recreation Department and Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, the  Kiwanis Decorated Egg Contest, book walks with the Martin Public Library, and sponsoring and staffing the annual Tennessee Soybean Festival 5 Kilometer Race and Children's Fun Run.. To View a List of Current Club Activities and Sponsorships (Click Here)

The Martin and Union City Kiwanis Clubs co-sponsored the Kiwanis Club of South Fulton, Tennessee, in 1971.  In 1984 the Martin Club organized and sponsored the Kiwanis Club of Milan, Tennessee, but the Milan Club did not survive its second year.  Our club helped to organize a club in McKenzie, Tennessee in 1998.  In 2019, the Martin Kiwanis Club sponsored a new club in Greenfield, TN, and also assisted in forming the Twin Cities Club in Fulton, KY and South Fulton, TN.  The Martin Kiwanis Club also sponsored the Greenfield Key Club.

The Christie Ricketts Memorial Kiwanis Scholarship, which goes to a graduating senior from Westview or Greenfield who is planning to attend UT Martin, is given yearly.  Scholarship winners from 2016 through 2023 are as follows:

2023   Braedyn Hazlewood and Elysia Blackburn, Martin (2 awards given)

2021    Blake Hollimand and Bryce Holliman Greenfield (2 awards given)

2020   Ivy Reynolds, Martin

2019   Jacob Romans, Greenfield

2018   Branna Hampton, Martin

2017   Angela Barr, Martin

2016   Jared Wortham, Martin

The Martin Kiwanis Award for the Leadership and Service is a $1,000 scholarshp given annually in recognition of Dr. S.K. Airee, a long-time faculty member at UT Martin and charter member of the Martin Kiwanis Club.  The impact he has made on our community has been tremendous, and this award honors a student who is following in his footsteps.  The student who wins this award must show achievement in the areas of academics, leadership in co-curricular activities, and citizenship and service to the school and community.  Specifically, the award recipient should have demonstrated leadership and service to youth and children.  Additionally, the recipient must have achieved an Eagle Scout or Gold Girl Scout level in the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts of America, been a member of the Key Club in high school or have been involved in a collegiate Circle K Club.  Joseph Pelren received this award in 2021.  Matthew Mancusi received the award in 2023.

The Kiwanis Club of Martin was an all-male club until delegates to the International Convention made it possible for women to participate as active Kiwanians.  The first women to be inducted into our club were Nadine Gearin and Bettye Giles,  Although Nadine has passed away, Bettye is still an active member and serves on the Kiwanis Board.  Other women have subsequently joined the club and now women make up about two thirds of the membership.  For many years, the Martin Kiwanis Club maintained a membership of approximately 40-50 members.  In 2023, the club roster lists 30 members. 

Our club has been very active in the Worldwide Service Project sponsored by Kiwanis International and UNICEF to eliminate Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD) by the year 2000.  We can be very proud of the personal and fund raising commitment we made in order to surpass our goal for contributions to this worthy cause. The worldwide project was a complete success!!

In 2010, our club partnered again with Kiwanis International and UNICEF to help eliminate maternal and nonatal tetanus (MNT) worldwide.  This historic initiative, called the The Eliminate Project, will protect the lives of babies and mother all over the globe and aims to help put an end to this cruel, centuries-old disease.  We completed our pledge of support in 2019, and for the club's outstanding efforts in raising funds for this project, the Martin Kiwanis Club received the distinction of being named an Honor Club.  The Eliminate Project has been a great success.

The Martin Kiwanis Club is also participating in the Kiwanis District AED Project.  Every year, Kiwanis has a Major Emphasis Project, but the LaMissTenn District decided to take on a long-term project that could really make a different:  to place an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) in every school in Louisiana, Mississippi, and West Tennessee.  Kiwanis Clubs will seek local community-minded businesses to partner with them to help fund the project.  By working with local school boards, a long-range plan can be setup to place an AED in every school in the parrish or county.

Nine of our club members have served as Lieutenant Governor for Division 1A of the Louisiana, Mississippi, West Tennessee District.  They are, in order of their year of service:  Brown Kendall, Webb Hall, Ernie Blythe, David Sudberry, Jerry Rachels, Jim Scott, Linda Ramsey (two terms),  Misty Menees (two terms), and Otha Britton.  Ernie Blythe served as District Governor for the 1994-95 Kiwanis year. Linda Ramsey and Evelyn Blythe have both served in various roles with the La-Miss-Tenn District and the District Foundation. Linda Ramsey was installed in August 2010 as the District Governor for the 2010-2011 year and is the first female governor of our district.  Otha Britton was District Governor in 2017-2018.

When Vickie Hazlewood was president of the Martin Kiwanis Club, an event celebrating the club's 50-year anniversary was held on May 19, 2018, at Discovery Park of America in Union City, TN.  The event included a tour of the park, a social gathering, dinner, and a program.