Club History  

Charter night for the Monroe Kiwanis club was held June 29, 1954 in the Monroe High School gym and auditorium. Nearly 300 people from as far away as Grand Island, Nebraska attended the beginning of the Monroe Kiwanis Club.

Guests included Nebraska-Iowa District Governor Vernon Rice of Grand Island, Immediate Past Governor Wes Bartlett of Algona who later became Kiwanis International President, and Herb Plambeck, Lt. Governor who led the organization of the new Monroe club.

Many people remember Herb Plambeck as the farm voice of WHO radio for many years.

During the last 50 years, the Monroe Kiwanis Club has accomplished many things for this community, the children of our community and the children of the world.

From it all, there has been a tremendous amount of fellowship and many great stories.
 
Club members used to make horseradish by digging the roots, cleaning them and then grinding them. Sales were good and helped finance some great projects.

It was hard work. Ingenuity went to work and one of the Kiwanians—all men back then—decided a washing machine (his wife's) could speed the cleaning. It did. But the mud didn't make his wife happy!

The first meeting place was Mitchell's Cafe, now (in 2004) Ralphie's Reruns.  And now, in 2006, it is Breckenridge Graphics. In 1956, meetings moved to the Amvets Hall, now Dr. Hormann's business. In 1975, meetings were moved to the old G.A.R. Hall just north of the Presbyterian Church. In 1980, the club started meeting in the basement of the library. When the new City Hall building was purchased in 1993, meetings were moved to the present location at City Hall.

If records were compiled over the past 50 years, the amount of money poured back into our community would add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars. In just the last 3 years, money raised and donated for Jaws-Of-Life, the new library, Tools Point Park and the PCM Schools total more than $40,000.

Earlier projects include the playground equipment at the Monroe Elementary School and shelter houses in our town parks.

Plus, in recent years, our club and members have given more than $6,000 to a Kiwanis International project to eliminate Iodine Deficiency Disorders throughout the world and many thousands of dollars to other projects mostly aimed at helping children.

When 36 men chartered the Monroe Kiwanis Club 50 years ago, nobody knew the tremendous impact it would have. Today, 64 members are continuing great service.

Hopefully, many more Kiwanians will have opportunities to serve for the next 50 years and beyond! 

Second School 'Intercom’ Is Installed By Kiwanis Group