Clubhouse

Reader rebuts on Kiwanis’ behalf

Perhaps the letter sounded too much like “throwing in the towel” to Abingdon, Virginia, Kiwanian Jack White.

Jack White (far right) shares a hearty laugh with friends. Photo courtesy of the Bristol Herald Courier

The letter to the editor, published in the Bristol Herald Courier, was written by the leader of another service organization and lamented the “hard times” befallen on civic clubs and the “aging” members “unable to shoulder the great burden they carried in their younger days.”

Maybe, to Jack, it sounded too much like an excuse. So, he fired off his own letter, pointing out to readers that instead of staying stagnant and allowing time and natural evolution take their course, Kiwanis is adapting its clubs to the changing needs of society.

“People still want to serve their communities as much as in the past, but society has changed and service clubs must adapt to those changes or they will falter,” he wrote. “What is Kiwanis doing? We now grant our clubs the greatest flexibility. … Whatever works is OK, since the goal of Kiwanis is to serve children and our communities, not to hold particular types of meetings.”

To read more about Jack’s letter and his thoughts on Kiwanis’ future, read “Newspaper’s Reader Speaks Up for Kiwanis,” in the March Kiwanis Connected e-zine.