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2020 SESSION


HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 125
Commending the Kiwanis Club of Portsmouth.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 2, 2020
 

WHEREAS, the Kiwanis Club of Portsmouth, a local chapter of the international service organization dedicated to improving the lives of young people, celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2020; and

WHEREAS, the impetus for the Kiwanis Club of Portsmouth came from Frank D. Lawrence, who had learned of the accomplishments of Kiwanis clubs in other cities and became inspired to establish a chapter in Portsmouth; and

WHEREAS, during a gathering at the Old Dominion Club on October 8, 1919, 23 citizens agreed to organize and subsequently petitioned the Kiwanis International headquarters for a charter; as new chapters were typically formed through committees of existing chapters, the head office was surprised by the gesture and greatly impressed by the show of enthusiasm; and

WHEREAS, completing its charter list of 50 members, the Kiwanis Club of Portsmouth received its charter on April 15, 1920, joining the ranks of hundreds of clubs throughout the United States and Canada; and

WHEREAS, the Kiwanis Club of Portsmouth initially supported health and education efforts in the community, including fundraising to support the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters and college scholarships for area youth; and

WHEREAS, in 1924, the Kiwanis Club of Portsmouth entertained 250 disadvantaged children in the city over a Christmas dinner, a celebratory event that would occur regularly for years, brightening the holiday season for countless young boys and girls; and

WHEREAS, a major project undertaken by the Kiwanis Club of Portsmouth in its early years was the Fresh Air Farm for Underprivileged Children; offering boys and girls an opportunity to spend time outdoors and receive medical care and other services, the Fresh Air Farm would grow over the years and provide a rewarding experience for hundreds of children; and

WHEREAS, since the beginning, the Kiwanis Club of Portsmouth has frequently collaborated with other local service organizations, including Rotary International, the YMCA, Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts of the USA, and other Kiwanis clubs in the region, enhancing the organization’s ability to serve youth in the community; and

WHEREAS, on March 21, 2020, the Kiwanis Club of Portsmouth will hold a gala to celebrate a century of service on behalf of the young men and women of Portsmouth; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That the Kiwanis Club of Portsmouth hereby be commended on the occasion of its 100th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Willie J. Bamberg, president of the Kiwanis Club of Portsmouth, as an expression of the House of Delegates’ admiration for the organization’s contributions to Portsmouth and the Commonwealth.