| The Kiwanis Club of Wheeling was
chartered in 1918, just 3 years after Kiwanis
International and is the oldest club in WV. The Wheeling
club back then sponsored several of the existing clubs around
the state, Huntington, Charleston, and Fairmont, to name a
few. In more recent years, the Wheeling Club has sponsored
Williamstown and the Wheeling AM Club. DISTINGUISHED
KIWANIANS:
The Club has had 5 past presidents go on to be division
lieutenant governors: Fr. Charles McCallister, William J.
Ihlenfeld, William Gossett, Samuel J. Posin and Spence
Haines. Fr. Charles McCallister has also served the
District as Lt. Governor and Governor.
HIXSON FELLOWS:
The Club has
recognized the contributions of 8 Kiwanians for outstanding
dedication and contributions to Kiwanis over a number of
years. The Hixson fellows are: Bruce Bandi, Jamie
Crow, Spence Haines, Bill Ihlenfeld, Fr. Charles
McCallister(2), Sam Posin, Art Schmitt, Jan Shelburne
Fr. Chuck McCallister is a particularly distinguished
Kiwanian, who serves as the WV Key Club Administrator and the
President of the WV Kiwanis District Foundation.
Fr. Chuck's involvement with the Key Clubs of the state has
brought him honors and recognition on an international level.
A distinguished honorary member of the Kiwanis Club of
Wheeling was General John J. Pershing, the Allied Commander of World
War I.
FRESH AIR FARM:
The Club owns and operates the Fresh Air Farm in
Triadelphia, WV. The "farm" includes a dining
hall facility with dorms upstairs, a pool and an outdoor
amphitheatre in a natural environment just 15 minutes from
Wheeling. During the spring, summer and fall, groups are
allowed to use the farm for day camps and overnight camps free
of charge.
SPECIAL AWARDS
PROGRAM:
A very worthwhile program of the Club is the Special Youth
Awards program, headed up by Kiwanian Bill Ihlenfeld, a local
attorney. This program is going into its 18th year and
monthly recognizes "special" kids from elementary
through high school in Ohio County who are selected by their teachers as
"outstanding" for the month in
their classes.
At one time the membership count was up to 200. At 80
strong today, it is still one of the largest clubs in the
state. The Club enjoys sponsoring Circle K's, Key Clubs
and Builders Clubs in the Wheeling area. See Sponsored
Youth Programs for more information about those clubs.
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