The Kiwanis Club of Eau Claire is a voluntary organization of local business owners, executives, managers, administrators, and professionals joined for purposes of fellowship and community service. Founded in 1919, the Eau Claire club operates under a charter from Kiwanis International and belongs to the Wisconsin-Upper Michigan Kiwanis District. The club holds noontime lunch meetings every Thursday, for many years gathering at the Hotel Eau Claire. Over the years the membership has included many prominent citizens of Eau Claire. It has also had, and continues to have, strong ties to the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
Kiwanis International was founded in 1915 in Detroit, Michigan, as a service club for businessmen and professionals. In addition to Kiwanis clubs, Kiwanis International oversees Key Clubs for high school students, Circle K for college students, and Golden K for retirees. Membership rules require that Kiwanis members have community ties within the territory of the local club they join, that they hold positions of administrative authority in their place of work or be members of recognized professions, that no more than two members of each local club be engaged in the same vocation or profession, and no more than one member be from a single company, institution, department, or division. Individuals are proposed for membership by a current member of a local club, screened by the membership committee and Board of Directors, and then invited to join. Women were first admitted to membership in 1987.
Kiwanis clubs are organized into divisions and districts within Kiwanis International. Eau Claire is part of Division 16 of the Upper Michigan-Wisconsin District. The District acts as an intermediary between local clubs and Kiwanis International, administering club membership, attendance, and activity reports. The District also holds annual conventions and other meetings. Eau Claire hosted District conventions in 1934 and 1961. District Governors who came from Eau Claire include Glen V. Rork (1937) and Chauncey Cook (1969-70).
In the spirit of the Kiwanis motto, “We Build,” Eau Claire Kiwanis club activities have ranged from long-term projects like the construction and support of the Paul Bunyan Camp Museum in Carson Park, to coordinating the McLaughlin Fund, an emergency relief fund for a family that lost its home to a fire. In their choice of projects the Kiwanis show a particular interest in children and youth, sponsoring athletic teams and events, safety programs, organizations that promote good citizenship, and scholarships for students going on to college or vocational and technical training. The Kiwanis have regular social events for members, families, and neighboring clubs. Since 1957 they have held an annual Pancake Day fundraiser with proceeds going to support youth activities and a children's medical fund.
The club's links with the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (formerly Wisconsin State College at Eau Claire) include sponsoring the UWEC Circle K Club, providing scholarships, and setting up a revolving loan fund for UW-Eau Claire students. Prominent members of the UW-Eau Claire community who were also members of the Kiwanis include Harvey A. Schofield, W. L. Davies, Sr., Charles Brewer, and Leonard Haas.
