Born salesman bolsters Kiwanis coffers, rosters

Look over Joe Stoye’s Kiwanis résumé, and you’ll wonder which he’s better at, recruiting members—he’s brought more than 160 people into the Kiwanis fold—or raising money—he’s been a fundraising chairman for more than 48 years. Regardless, his motivation is the same.

Joe Stoye with Cindy Anderson, recent inductee into the Kiwanis Club of Marco Island, Florida.

“I believe in Kiwanis and the work it does on behalf of the world’s children,” says the Marco Island, Florida, Kiwanian. “Kiwanis, to me, is a way of paying back. We are very fortunate to be in this world, and anything I can do on a volunteer basis is a plus.”

A life member, the 84-year-old first joined Kiwanis as a member of the Bradley Field, Connecticut, club in 1953.

“I had just moved to the city and some guy just came up to me and asked if I had ever been to a Kiwanis meeting,” Joe recalls. “I told him I had never heard of Kiwanis, and he suggested I come to a meeting to learn all about it. I went, and it sounded like Kiwanis was a good organization that did good things; so I joined.”

A lifelong salesman until his retirement in 1990, Joe has lived in a dozen US cities, joining each one’s Kiwanis club. Throughout the years, he has held every board position, was a lieutenant governor, is a member of the Legion of Honor, and was Kiwanian of the Year as a member of the Princeton, New Jersey, club in 1956.

After his retirement, Joe and his wife, Pat, packed up some of their belongings on their boat and sailed the Intracoastal Waterway, eventually settling on Marco Island, where they both are Kiwanians.

“I know Kiwanis backwards, forwards, and sideways, and I am very excited about it,” Joe stresses. “That makes it easy for me to talk to others about Kiwanis and the work we do for children. If you’re enthusiastic, people likewise become enthusiastic and are more inclined to join. And the more members we have, the more service we can perform.

“People won’t join, though, unless they’re asked."