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William Bennett Grand Rapids Kiwanis Club scrapbooks

 Collection
Identifier: Collection 312

Scope and Contents

This collection contains materials believed to have been gathered by donor William Bennett, which may represent his activities within that organization, at various levels. The documents do not appear to be the official and complete records of the Kiwanis Club in Grand Rapids. Bennett's Kiwanis Club of Grand Rapids records consist of scrapbooks, or of materials which might have been mounted in scrapbooks from 1916-1993. The scrapbooks contain a variety of information such as programs, news clippings, photographs, rosters of members, and occasional documents of the organization, such as minutes and treasurers reports. There are also items from the state and national and international level of Kiwanis included, such as conference programs. The 1928 folder, for example, contains “Proceedings of the International Council of Kiwanis International,” a meeting held in Chicago that year.

The materials are arranged by year. The amount of information varies from year to year. For the most part, each year contains a photograph and biographical information on each president.

Material from 1916-1934 is in folders, never mounted in the scrapbooks. Material from 1935 and onward were in ecco binders. Most of the photographs from the scrapbooks are glued to the pages. Those pages with photos were placed in photo sleeves and remain with the scrapbook, with the exception of those in Box 2, found in the early folders. The Box 2 photographs, taken from the 1916 to 1934 foldered materials, may have a reference photocopy of the photo still in place in the original file.

Dates

  • 1916-1993

Creator

Biographical / Historical

The national Kiwanis organization was founded in Detroit, Michigan, January 15, 1915. The Kiwanis Club of Grand Rapids began organizing September 15, 1916, and completed November 16, 1916 with a membership of one hundred men. The charter was formally presented April 17, 1917.

Kiwanis was originally a business oriented organization, but changed to a service organization within a few years of founding. It seeks to serve for betterment of the community and to carry out its motto, “We Build.” The name Kiwanis is a coined word taken from the language of an American Indian tribe which lived in the area where Kiwanis was founded. The original phrase was “Nun Keewanis” which means “self expression,” or “to make oneself known.” It was shortened and modified to become Kiwanis.

The organization called itself international early, but that meant only the United States and Canada until 1962. It was an all male organization until 1987.

See folder 312-1-1 for a brief history and a timeline of the organization from 1916 to 1964.

Extent

6.1 Linear Feet (17 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

The William Bennett Grand Rapids Kiwanis Club scrapbooks provide documentation of that organization in Grand Rapids, Michigan from its local founding in 1916 to 1993. These are not the official files of the organization, and there do not appear to be comprehensive sets of minutes or other key files of the organization here. However, the scrapbooks contain a variety of information about the local Kiwanis, such as programs, news clippings, photographs, biographies of presidents, rosters of members, select correspondence and occasional minutes and treasurers reports. The amount of information varies from year to year and, for the most part, each year contains a photograph and biographical information on each president. Select items giving state or national or international activities may also occasionally be found.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

William Bennett, accession number 1994.019.

Title
Finding aid for the William Bennett Grand Rapids Kiwanis Club scrapbooks
Status
Completed
Author
Martha Bloem
Date
March 2002
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Repository Details

Part of the Grand Rapids History Center Repository

Contact:
Grand Rapids Public Library
111 Library Street NE
Grand Rapids Michigan 49503 USA
616-988-5497