The second oldest Sertoma Club in the country – the Topeka Evening Sertoma Club - celebrated its 95th anniversary on October 26, 2010, in Topeka, Kansas.  Honored guests at this celebration included: Sertoma President Dennis Lawler; Sertoma Executive Director Stephen Murphy (who also served as the evening’s Master of Ceremonies); Regional Directors John
Cassida of Louisburg, Kansas, and Eddie Dlugapolski
of Chicago; and Kansas District Governor Michelle Wilson-Skinner.  Sertomans from several other clubs joined the celebration, including 97-year-old Don Parrish, a member of the nearby Manhattan Evening Sertoma Club, who gave an amazing history of Sertoma’s beginnings and the beginnings of service clubs in general.

Think back to 1915 when this Club was founded.  The world was in the throes of World War I, Woodrow Wilson was President, our flag had only 48 stars, the country’s population reached 100 million and the U.S. House of Representatives rejected a proposal to give women the right to vote.  Babe Ruth hit his first home run, the Model T and silent movies were the rage and the most popular baby names were John and Mary.  The average life expectancy was just 54 years and only 13% of Americans had a high school diploma. 

It was in this setting that members of the Kansas City “Mother Club”, formed three years earlier in 1912, boarded a train for Topeka, Kansas.  The trip was motivated by their desire to ensure survival of their Co-Operative Club (later to be called Sertoma) and grow their new organization beyond Kansas City.  Arriving in Topeka, they hired a brass band, held a parade and what would eventually become the Topeka Evening Sertoma Club was born. 

The Topeka Evening Club has had great historians and keepers of its original documents, including the original meeting minutes from its beginnings that reflect the Club’s adoption of the Kansas City Club’s Constitution and Bylaws and establishment of the Club’s original dues structure ( membership fee was $10.00 and the dues were $5.00).  The Club also retains a gavel presented to it in January, 1916 when its early members traveled to Kansas City via a “special car” on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad to visit their founders.  The gavel is inscribed, The Co-Operative Club of Kansas City, MO. to The Co-Operative Club of Topeka, KS. January 11, 1916.

Although founded primarily as a social and business/networking club, members of the Topeka Evening Club took an early interest in trying to make their community better by resurfacing some of the downtown streets, providing more “comfort stations” in the downtown area and establishing a park.  The Club supported the war effort by selling Liberty Bonds and began a distinguished history of supporting the growth of Sertoma, first with helping to build new clubs in Wichita and Salina, and later building numerous other new clubs, including two in Topeka. 

When the Co-Operative Club changed its name to Sertoma International in 1950, the Topeka Club followed suit.  And while the Club’s name may have changed, what didn’t change was its commitment to Sertoma.  For 25 years, the Topeka Evening Club owned 14 acres of land located at 37th & Burlingame Road that was used by the Boy Scouts as an overnight camp facility.  When another campground was developed for the Boy Scouts, the property had served its purpose and the Club, with agreement by the Boy Scouts, sold the property to developers in 1955 for $12,500.00 – a steal in today’s market!  The proceeds were divided between the Boy Scouts and the Club.  The Club’s share of the proceeds was invested and eventually donated to the Sertoma Foundation as part of the Club’s endowment.  This endowment continues to provide annual income back to the Club and used to fund scholarships and other sponsorships!

What also didn’t change was the Club’s dedication to serving those in need.  The “mission portion” of the Topeka Evening Sertoma Club has been far-reaching throughout the past 95 years.  The Club has continued its support of the Boy Scouts over the years and just completed a 10-year pledge of financial support to build a permanent facility at Camp Jayhawk.  The Club’s members have also provided generous support to:  4-H; Washburn University (tree-planting efforts after a tornado hit the campus); a junior bowling league; development of a recreation center at a local park; Christmas gifts to residents at a psychiatric hospital; YMCA and YWCA sponsorships; helping needy families at Christmas; Salvation Army bell ringing; a youth baseball program; hearing aids for the needy elderly through the SHARP program; college scholarships to high school seniors; donations to Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and support of the Capper Foundation to provide assistive listening and communication devices to children with disabilities.

While the Club has remained steadfast in its commitment to Sertoma and dedication to serving those in need, it has also adapted and changed with the times.  When Sertoma International opened its ranks to female members in 1985, the Topeka Evening Sertoma Club immediately welcomed women to the Club. 

Change has also been evident in how the Club goes about the business of raising funds to support its many mission activities.  As times and interests have changed over the years, so has the Club’s fundraising strategies.  Fearless in its quest, the Club tried a variety of fundraisers and found a winner with the Sertoma Great Topeka Duck Race.  Over the last 15 years, this joint project of the Topeka Evening Sertoma Club, Topeka Heartland Sertoma Club and the Golden City Sertoma Club has allowed the three Clubs to donate back to the Topeka community over $555,000 raised from this family-friendly rubber duck derby.

Commitment, dedication and the willingness to adapt to change are not the only reasons this Club is still going strong after 95 years.  Another is the Club’s long history of leadership development.  Five Sertoma International Presidents have come from the Topeka Evening Sertoma Club:  Charles A. Moore, A. H. Marshall, Fred J. Kuehne, Mose J. Whitson and, most recently, Dan Hejtmanek, the only remaining living Past International President from the Club.  This achievement is second only to the Kansas City Mother Club which has had six International Presidents as members.  The Topeka Evening Sertoma Club also generated a Foundation President (Terry Beck), three Foundation Vice Presidents, eight District Governors and two International Directors.  And four members of this Club - Clint Hutton, Dan Hejtmanek, Terry Beck and Terry Cuthbertson - have received the Sertoma International President’s Lifetime Service Award.

Anniversaries are times for looking back.  The Topeka Evening Sertoma Club looks back with awe and appreciation at the foresight of its founding fathers who built an organization that still stands strong today.  They also move forward with resolve to honor that legacy in the years to come as the premier community service organization in Topeka, providing service, dollars and passion for the mission of others in need.

Congratulations to the members of the Topeka Evening Sertoma Club and best wishes for another 95 years of distinguished SERvice TO Mankind.