TTHHEE EEXXCCHHAANNGGEE CCLLUUBB OF Danbury, Connecticut 1947 - 2017 MAKING A DIFFERENCE www.DanburyXC.org [email protected] “SILVER” SPONSOR History Robert LeFebvre, Club Historian On March 27, 1911, the National Exchange Club was born in Detroit, Michigan. There were twelve members present. The principle of "Community Service" soon became the focus of club activity. The name "Exchange" was chosen because this group felt that they would exchange that precious gift "time" for service to the community. They felt that they should take only members with whom they could place implicit confidence, and who lived up to the old fashioned idea of truth and integrity. This is the true meaning of Exchange membership: truth, integrity and implicit confidence in dealing with each other and those in their community. Exchangites are really unique in today's world; they care for each other and their community. As the club grew with this main idea, other clubs were organized to form separate districts and regions. "Unity for Service" was adopted as the motto. The history of "Exchange" reveals the dramatic and widespread national growth of membership and Programs of Service. Let's tell the story and begin at the beginning. On April 24, 1947, the Danbury Exchange Club was born with over 110 new members. Since that day, our club has been healthy and vibrant and continues to succeed in completing all of the "Programs of Service". The Danbury Club is made up of approximately forty members representing many different employment classifications. Club business is transacted by our Board of Directors which meets monthly. The Board is composed of our Club Officers and six additional directors elected from the general membership. Our club meets every 1st, 2nd and 3rd Thursday at 6:00 p.m., except during July and August when we meet once each month. Exchange is a goal oriented organization that concentrates its efforts into three categories: Youth related projects, American Citizenship, and Community Service. Some projects and activities are national in origin and scope while others are tailored for the needs specifically in Danbury. The Danbury Exchange Club is 70 years old. Statistically, that means that our club has had over 2,000 regular meetings. Can you believe that a "Program of Service" was actually conducted at most of these meetings? Our members have so many wonderful memories related to Exchange. Let's begin in 1947. The first three years were devoted to organizational activities and adhering to National guidelines. In the spring of 1951, our club embarked on a local youth project that would last for 40 years. That project was the sponsorship and administration of a complete Little League Baseball Program. The decade of the fifties was a prosperous and energetic one. Our members were very busy with maintaining the Little League Program and its growth. Weekly meetings were held at the Hotel Green Mad Hatters. Enthusiasm was the "key" to success during that fabulous era. Although the next decade of the sixties was one of strife and turmoil in our country, Exchange continued on the path of growth and love of country. One Nation Under God was adopted in 1964. Danbury Exchange has always endeavored to include this beautiful program in November. In 1962, the first Freedom Shrine was dedicated at the War Memorial. In 1963, Frank Stone, "Mr. Freedom Shrine", conducted a massive dedication of 20 shrines to be placed at various locations in the schools and in our community. The Freedom Shrine is a handsomely mounted collection of 28 of the most important and historic American documents - original drafts of The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution of the United States and several others. In 1965, our club followed the guidelines for three areas of service; American Citizenship, Youth, and Community Service. Community Service was improved by our commitment to Fire Prevention and Crime Prevention. Honor is given each year by our club to the Firefighters and Police Officers of the Year. Our very first "Book of Golden" Deeds Award was presented on June 4, 1966. Since then, 16 more presentations have been completed. The next decade of the seventies showed an urge by members to promote more members. This was a "happy time" for our club. A special committee was formed to begin the "Youth of the Month" Program. To date, we have completed over 200 presentations. In our Bicentennial Year, 1976, we began an extremely popular "Proudly We Hail" Program to honor those who proudly display the U.S. flag. And finally, in 1979, Exchange Clubs everywhere began to work on its National Program - "Prevention of Child Abuse". We are committed in Danbury to fully participate and focus on this most important project. It is today our primary concern. The expanding decade of the eighties was filled with surprises and joys for our members. It was a most prosperous time for us to engage in our duties as Exchangites and to accept even more new programs. In 1981, our members began to march in uniform on Memorial Day distributing flags for GIVEAKIDAFLAGTOWAVE". In the past 31 years, a total distribution of 100,000 flags have been given to kids. We also participated in Blue and Gold - Wounded in Service Programs. The eighties and the "roaring nineties", no doubt, were absolutely great years. Our attendance at District Conventions could not be exceeded. Our fundraisers including Vegas Night, Hanahoe, Super Bowl, Tag Sale were absolutely superb. We worked as a "team" like never before. Our first woman was inducted in 1993. A committee was formulated in 1996 to participate annually in Young Citizenship. Our first woman president began her term in 1998. Acceptance of the National Day of Service in 1999 was fixed. "Quarters for Kids" broke records. Exchange strongly supported Mayor Gene Eriquez’s efforts in 1994 to bring a Minor League baseball team to Danbury. After tireless efforts Danbury lost out to a more aggressive market. Using the built up enthusiasm Danbury succeeded in entering the Danbury Westerners into the newly formed New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) led by former MLB Commissioner Faye Vincent and MLB Hall of Famer George Foster. (The Westerners celebrated their 23rd anniversary in the NECBL in 2017.) The new millennium arrived and we continued to accept new ideas and projects and still worked diligently in all of the previously mentioned programs. In September 2001 extreme Islamic terrorists commandeered commercial air planes and obliterated the World Trade Twin Towers in Manhattan and struck the Pentagon; only heroic actions by patriots aboard a fourth flight thwarted an attack on the White House. These actions increased Exchanges patriotic enthusiasm by supporting annual Commemoratives in Rogers Park for the Korean Conflict, the Vietnam War, Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. Exchange continues to provide personal supplies for Danbury area troops being deployed to the Middle East. From this somber start in the early 21st Century, Exchange expanded its community service in several areas. The Carmen A. Melillo Memorial Scholarship program continued to rotate annually amongst the four local high schools. In 2010 the Charles and Rose Guarino Family Memorial Scholarship was initiated to award a military veteran/WCSU student a $2,000 scholarship each year. In 2006, when “The Friends of the Danbury Library” needed to support their Labor Day Book Sale program with nourishment for patrons and volunteers Exchange, under chef Jim Ogden, provided early morning coffee, continental breakfast and light lunch for the three day project. Exchange expanded its patriotic footprint by conducting annual Veterans Day presentations, including distribution of small US Flags, to students at Broadview and Hayestown Schools. What started out as an ad booklet to support the many Exchange activities evolved into an ad/history booklet of Exchange’s activities for the year, updating each year. The booklet is distributed to honorees and guests at every Exchange Club meeting. In 2006 an energetic group of Exchangites met at Dr. Gene’s home every week for a year to create a keepsake commemorative 60 year anniversary “History of Danbury Exchange (1947-2007)” which will be cherished by Danbury Exchangite heirs for generations. All of the members played a significant role in completing the book, each in his own way. The Exchange Club is indebted to Gene J. McNamara of Dactyl Technologies, LLC (Dr. Gene’s son) for his expertise, talent and generosity in formatting the yearly ad/history booklet and the commemorative book. To increase funding for the Prevention of Child Abuse Program, Exchangites Joe Pepin and Bill Morlock began an Exchange Club Raffle with March Madness Women’s Final Four tickets as the grand prize. Since 2006 the Raffle has garnered handsome annual donations to Family and Children’s Aid (FCA) of Danbury. In 2009 Exchange began a “Christmas Gift Card Program” to brighten the holiday for children within the FCA Program. In 2015 DHS Girls Basketball Coach Jackie DiNardo had a need for a bus to transport her Alternative Education Program students. Exchange stepped up and participated in the effort to acquire the bus. Exchange also stepped up in 2015 to contribute to the Bluebonnet Memorial garden for the Gold Star Mothers in Bethel. The Garden remains prominently displayed on Greenwood Avenue in Bethel. In 2016, under the leadership of President William Murphy, the “Speaker Program” was revitalized with great success. Speakers addressing the Exchange Club in 2016 were: Danbury Museum and Historical Society Executive Director, Brigid Guertin; WCSU President John Clark; New Danbury Police Chief Patrick A. Ridenour; Danbury Fire Chief T. J. Wiedl and retiring Police Chief Alan Baker; Director City Center/Downtown Danbury, Mr. P. J. Prunty; and Planning Director City of Danbury Ms.