KEY CLUB

ALABAMA DISTRICT

What is Key Club?

Key Club International is a high school students organization dedicated to service and leadership development.

Through the years of the Key Club District, these high school students have given thousand of hours of service to others. Money has been raised by washing cars, holding watermelon cuttings, manning concession booths, modeling tuxedos, selling light bulbs, providing halloween insurance, selling peanut brittle, parking cars and collecting garbage. They have given great service to the high schools by cleaning playgrounds and stadiums, repairing lockers, manning score boards and painting stripes on parking lots. The service of Key clubbers has extended beyond schools to the community as they have worked with shut-ins and under-privileged children, held parties for special education children, and assisted in many worthwhile community projects.

The History of Key Club

In 1947 G. Harold Martin, Past Governor of the Florida District, and acknowledged by many as the father of Key Club International, helped organize in Alabama Key Clubs in Decatur, Troy, and Huntsville. In 1948 Mr. James H. "Shipwreck" Kelly organized a group of Key clubbers known as the "flying squadron" to talk to Kiwanis Clubs throughout the state. This effort was rewarded by the organization of active clubs.

John H. White, affectionately called "Judge White" had graduated from the University of Georgia Law School but after service moved to Bay Minette where he was an accountant with the Newport Industrial Corporation in their Chemical Division. Judge White better than anyone else promoted the development of Key Clubs. For Judge White work in Key Clubs, he was awarded the International Key of Honor, the highest award that Key Club can award, in 1960. Stanley Johnson later received the Key of Honor in 1967. Clarence Booker in 1978, Bob Bottsford in 1981 and George Price in 1984.

In 1972 Key Club began a fund raising project to assist the Alabama Sheriff's Boys Ranch. The motto of the Sheriff's ranch "its better to build a boy than to mend a man" fits the purpose of Key Club very well. Two years later in 1974 the John White Recreational Building at the Sheriff's Boy Ranch near Decatur was built and financed by Key Clubs.

From a beginning of 22 clubs at the first District Convention in 1953 held in Montgomery, there are now 129 clubs with over 5200 members. The Key Club District of Alabama for many years had more Key Clubs than there were Kiwanis Clubs.

Purpose of Key Club

Key Club International's mission is to involve High School students in school and community service while developing quality leaders and citizens. Key Clubs major emphasis programs always focus around having courage to influence other people, pursuing tomorrow, caring for others, and finding strength from within. Our motto is "We Build".