History of the Kiwanis Club of Granville
Serving Granville’s Community Since 1962
During the summer and fall of 1962, Kiwanis Club members from Newark, Moundbuilders, and northwest Licking (Johnstown) recruited Granville area businessmen, educators, and professional people for the purpose of establishing a Kiwanis Club in the community of Granville. The recruiting campaign letters and personal visits produced a Permanent Organization Roster of 27 interested individuals. The Kiwanis Club of Granville, Ohio was chartered on November 19, 1962. Of the original 27 charter members, only Bill Brady and Baird Krueger remain. Both these two members have made above average contributions to the club by serving on the Board of Directors, as Presidents, and chairmanships too numerous to mention. Krueger served Division 10E as Lt. Governor and the Ohio District as District Treasurer. Krueger still serves as club secretary.
The Kiwanis Club of Granville is a service club for men and women that meet every Monday evening at 6:15pm for a dinner meeting and program. The traditional meeting place has always been the Granville Inn. However, in 1972, ownership of the inn passed from Ms. Sallie Jones Sexton to the Paul Kent family. While renovations were being made, a few meeting were held elsewhere. Over the years, the Granville Inn has proven to be one of the most popular meeting places in Kiwanis Division 10E.
As Kiwanis projects grew in number and complexity, the need for an equipment storage facility near the center of the village became apparent. Thanks to the generosity of a donation of land from Mrs. Lucile Chilcote, and a generous gift from Kiwanian John Gee, blueprints were drawn and construction started on a 30 x 40 foot storage facility, known as the Kiwanis barn. This building was completed in August 1992 for a cost of approximately $16,500.
Over the lifetime of the club there has been a long procession of Kiwanis Monday night dinner meeting speakers which have included students, teachers, administrators, authors, coaches, athletes, politicians, businessmen, and agency directors.
Noteworthy speakers have included Jimmy Crum, TV sportscaster: Marc Guthrie, State Representative: Jungle Jack Hanna, Columbus Zoo Director Emeritus: George Hill, assistant coach to Woody Hayes: Bill Hosket, OSU Olympic and professional basketball player: General Paul Warfield Tibbets, pilot of the B-29 Enola Gay that bombed Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, Ralph Shuping, Bataan Death March survivor, Lea Ann Parsley, Silver Medalist in the skeleton race at the 2002 winter Olympics: Denison NCAA Division lll Women’s National Champion Swim Team and Betty Montgomery, Ohio Attorney General to name just a few.
In the early 1960’s sponsorship of Granville’s Annual July 4th Celebration passed from the 20-30 Club to Granville Kiwanis. This major fund raising project was expanded to a four day street celebration. This event has become the town’s “official homecoming” and has grown to become the largest Independence Day celebration in Licking County.
Another funding activity is the Maple Syrup Project. Since 1972 community maple trees have been tapped and the sap water collected, boiled, bottled and labeled to produce Kiwanis Maple Syrup. This product is made at the fabled smoking sugar shack on the farm of Bob Warner.
Other fundraisers include the annual Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast. Chicken BBQ, Christmas Tree Sales and Tent Rentals. The tent project provides area residents with the choice of two canvas tents for wedding, parties, etc. and funds the Kiwanis Scholarships
The Kiwanis Club of Granville is involved in numerous service projects that merit recognition, participation and financial support to provide for causes considered beneficial to the community. These include: Adopt A Highway, ticket taking/selling at GHS basketball games, Punt, Throw and Kick, Salvation Army bell ringing, village Christmas tree lighting, and the creation of Bi-Centennial Park at Whitepoint to celebrate Granville’s 200th anniversary.
Club sponsored activities include: awarding scholarships to two GHS graduating seniors, sponsoring the GHS Key Club, Little League baseball teams, delegates to HOBY summer seminar workshops and Granville’s Boy Scout Troop #65.
The Kiwanis Club of Granville look forward to many more years of involvement because we still believe that a vibrant caring community is the best place to live and the best place to rear and educate children.
