Funding for encoding this finding
aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the
Humanities.
Historical Note
Kiwanis began in 1915 with the establishment of the first Kiwanis club
in Michigan, and the organization soon expanded to other locations. Dedicated
to fellowship and community service, Kiwanis became an international
organization in 1916 with the addition of a Canadian Kiwanis club. Membership
was extended to women in 1987. As of 2006, Kiwanis has become a worldwide
service organization encompassing more than 8,400 clubs in 96 nations.
The Kiwanis Club of Walla Walla was organized in 1922 and received its
charter later that same year. Activities of the club have generally focused on
youth and community service projects, such as involvement in youth baseball
teams and scholarships, Special Olympics, and Walla Walla Frontier Days. The
first large-scale effort of the club was involvement in the development of the
Whitman Monument grounds during the 1920s.
Since 1925, an important project of the club has been maintaining and
running Camp Kiwanis. The camp property was donated to the Kiwanis Club by the
Reynolds family and is sponsored by the Camp Kiwanis Foundation through the
Kiwanis Club of Walla Walla. The camp is primarily used as a youth camp, and
also as a retreat, recreational location, and meeting place for other
organizations.
Content Description
This collection provides information about the Kiwanis Club of Walla
Walla’s organization, membership, and activities in the community. The club’s
social and service activities are best documented in the Meeting Minutes,
Activities and Events, Camp Kiwanis, and Publications series, while the
Financial Records and Organizational Information series provide information
about the club’s finances, internal organization, and membership. Manuscripts
concerning the history of the club can be found in the Organizational
Information and Vance Orchard Papers series.
Use of the Collection
Restrictions on Access :
Collection is open for research.
Restrictions on Use :
Researchers are responsible for using in accordance with 17 U.S.C.
Copyright transferred to Whitman College.
Preferred Citation :
Kiwanis Club of Walla Walla Records, Whitman College and Northwest
Archives.
Administrative Information
Arrangement :
By series; mostly alphabetically within series.
Acquisition Information :
Bulk of the collection donated to the Whitman College and Northwest
Archives by Jay Gerbino, president of Walla Walla Kiwanis, on September 30,
2005. The Songs of Kiwanis and Vance Orchard’s papers were donated prior to
August 2004.
Detailed Description of the Collection
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in
the collection.
Series 1: Meeting Minutes, 1922-1992
0.5 linear feet ( 1 box, 3 folders)
This series consists of records documenting the meetings of the
Walla Walla Kiwanis Club. Meeting minutes pertain to the regular weekly
meetings of the club membership; activities included musical programs,
committee reports, and Camp Kiwanis projects. Board minutes document the board
meetings of the club; typical business of the board included treasurers’
reports, fundraising projects, planning for upcoming activities, and
deliberation on new members. Meeting sheets record the date and location of
meetings, as well as information about the program, guests, and expenses.
This series contains various financial records of the club,
including budgets, receipts, banking records, and bills. Records are not
continuous, since it appears that recordkeeping activity was carried out by a
number of individuals at different times.
This series consists of records pertaining to the various
activities and fundraising efforts of the club, as well as special events such
as anniversary celebrations. Files typically include materials such as
correspondence, receipts, and accounting information.
This series is comprised of information relating to the creation
and maintenance of Camp Kiwanis, including legal documents, financial records,
and correspondence.
Container(s)
Description
Dates
Box/Folder
8/1
Camp Kiwanis Foundation financial
statements
1987-1989
8/2
Camp Kiwanis Lease
1971
8/3
Camp Rules / Fees /
Stationery
undated
8/4
Correspondence
1978-1979
8/5
Elliott Estate
1979-1981
8/6
Endowment Fund
1978
8/7
Legal Papers
1966-1977
8/8
Notes, Plans, Correspondence, By
Laws, Article of Inc., Directions for Care of Pool
This series contains publications of the Walla Walla Kiwanis Club,
beginning with a bi-monthly bulletin known as the
K’ Builder from 1975 to 1989, then as
K-Lines from 1989 to 1990. In 1992 the
club’s monthly newsletter was called
Oikos (A Greek word meaning “to
build”). These one-to-two-page publications informed members of
subjects such as club activities, elections, new members, and upcoming events.
These papers belonged to a longtime member and historian of the
club. They contain writings and notes on the history of the club, as well as a
few newspaper clippings. Researchers should note that the second folder
contains three floppy discs: two 3.5 inch and one 5.25 inch format.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online
catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or
places should search the catalog using these headings.
