This collection contains the records of the Columbus, Georgia Kiwanis Club, grouped in ten series:

Series 1 – Legal This contains the basic organizational documents of the Columbus Kiwanis Club, including incorporation papers, the constitution and amendments, and the bylaws. Also included are any other legal matters which might arise.

Series 2 – Board of Directors (BoD) This series covers the records of the Columbus Kiwanis Club from 1920 to 2014 with a few gaps. From 1920 through 1936 the Board met once a week, just after the weekly luncheon meeting of the members. During the years 1937-1938 they met twice a month. Beginning in 1940 they began to meet once a month. Special called meetings occurred from time to time, if needed. The Board appointed the members of both ad hoc and standing committees, approved budgets and proposed projects, and approved or disapproved membership applications, among other executive functions. Types of records generated by the BoD might include announcements of the monthly and called/special meetings, agendas and the minutes. There is some duplication between this series and Series 6 which included the Annual and Monthly Club Achievement Reports and other periodic reports required by the state and national level Kiwanis organization, including copies of the BoD monthly meetings minutes, summery membership information, summary financial reports, committee activities and other types of statistical and narrative information. [Processor’s note – even though some of these achievement reports and annual reports are dated after the period covered, they are filed at the end of period to which they apply. Thus if the annual report for 1949 was completed in January of 1950, it would be filed in the folder titled BoD-Reports and Resolutions, 1949.] The summery monthly reports of committee chairs, as well as club resolutions whether passed by the Board or in the weekly membership meetings, are filed in the separate folder after the minutes.

Series 3 – Weekly Meeting Programs These are the programs of the weekly membership luncheon meetings. These programs included information on the speaker, the date of the next meeting, member birthdays, names of guests, etc. Some have detailed notes, bios of the speakers and drafts attached. There are significant gaps in these records.

Series 4 – Photographs These photographs range from 1934 to 2016, but mostly from the 1980s on. Many lack dates and identifications.

Series 5 – Correspondence This series contains the general correspondence of the club, relating to both administrative and service activities. It also contains instructions to the club secretary, tallies of elections, membership issues and other material. It is arranged chronologically.

Series 6 – Reports to Kiwanis International, Georgia District This series includes periodic reports from the Columbus Kiwanis Club to the district level. These include monthly tracking of scheduled meetings, both of the weekly member meetings as well as the Board of Directors, committee activities, attendance levels, accomplishments, the annual report of the Club, semi-annual membership lists and semi-annual financial statements, as well as monthly reports to the Districts and the monthly grades from the District on various aspects. This series also includes the official lists of elected Club officers and appointments of committee members and delegates to the annual convention. There are also occasional reports of unexpected events, such as the death of the Columbus Club president, Eugene C. Alford, who died in October of 1972 after his election but before taking office..

Series 7 – Membership This series details the recruitment, enrollment, dues and fees, retention, class of membership (active, privileged, senior, retired senior, honorary, and military), and reason for termination of membership (moving away from Columbus, non-payment of dues or death). The Board of Directors approved or denied applications for membership, approved changes of membership class and accepted resignations, and these actions are documented in the minutes of the BoD. In the early years of the club, the membership and financial records were kept on two sides of the standardized reporting forms. These are filed under Series 8—Finances and contain a great deal of Membership information.

Series 8 – Financial Records These records relate to the financial affairs of the Kiwanis Club including the payment of dues, pledges for various club programs and activities, management of bank accounts, etc. There are significant gaps in these records.

Series 9 – Publications These publications include those of Kiwanis International, Kiwanis Georgia District, and the Kiwanis Club of Columbus, including its annual list of membership

Series 10 – Objects These include such items as gavels, label pins, plaques and a scrapbook for 1954.