Active 20-30 Club

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Founded1922
FoundersActive International: Ernest Axland, Paul Arthand, Carl Morck, Carl Springer, Carl Teman, Edgar Jones and Pat McNamara 20-30 International: Paul Clairborne
TypeService
FocusLeadership Development / Disadvantaged Youth
Active 20-30 Club Logo
Founded1922
FoundersActive International: Ernest Axland, Paul Arthand, Carl Morck, Carl Springer, Carl Teman, Edgar Jones and Pat McNamara 20-30 International: Paul Clairborne
TypeService
FocusLeadership Development / Disadvantaged Youth
Location
OriginsSacramento, California and Aberdeen, Washington, United States
Region served
North, South and Central America
MethodCommunity service
Websitehttp://www.active20-30.org/

Active 20-30 International is an international service club focused on helping children and developing leadership skills in younger adults ages 20–39. In the United States and Canada, the organization is called the Active 20-30 Club and has over 28 local chapters. In Latin America, the group is called Activo 20-30 Internacional (for its name in Spanish) and has over 60 chapters.

Active International

Active 20-30 International is the result of the fusion of two Clubs, Active International and 20-30 International. Both were created to give younger adults the opportunity to lead, as leadership positions in established service clubs at that time were dominated by older men.

Active International was founded on Aberdeen, Washington February 10, 1922, as The Active Club. A group of young men including Ernest Axland, Paul Arthand, Carl Morck, Carl Springer, Carl Teman, Edgar Jones, and Pat McNamara was eager to give the young men a more active part in the affairs of the community. Thus, they formed together to establish a young men's club which they named "Active".[1][2] Active was incorporated under the laws of the State of Washington on August 20, 1924. Before long, Active Clubs were formed in Elma, Hoquiam, Montesano, and Olympia.

In 1925 the first convention was held in Montesano, Washington, with Carl Morck of Aberdeen being elected as president. In the same year, the name of the organization was officially changed from Active Club to Active Club International.[3]

The National Offices of Active International have been located in Aberdeen, Tacoma, Raymond and Spokane, Washington; Portland, Oregon; and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.[4]

20-30 Club

20-30 Club was founded in Sacramento, CA, in the fall of 1922. Paul W. Claiborne was just twenty years of age when he conceived the idea of forming a service club whose members would consist of young men. Together with Earl B. Casey, Alfred B. Franke, Charles G. McBride, and Marshall A. Page, he went with his idea to Mitch Nathan, the president of the Sacramento Chamber of Commerce. Nathan approved of his plan and appointed a committee to foster the formation of a club whose activities would aid the growth and advancement of young men. This committee consisted of F.A.S. "Sandy" Foale, chairman; Charles Hansen, Clinton Harbor, Joseph Quire, and Mrs. Alva Archer. A meeting was held in the Chamber of Commerce building on Tuesday, December 12, 1922, with Judge Peter J. Shields as the speaker. It was decided to proceed with the organization's work immediately. Upon the suggestion of Sandy Foale, the name 20-30 was adopted.[5][6]

An organizational meeting was held on December 19, 1922, and Paul Claiborne was unanimously elected as the first president. Sandy Foale was named chairman of the advisory board. After the Sacramento club had established itself, 20-30 began to expand to new areas.[5][6]

On March 10, 1924, the Stockton, California, club was chartered with the assistance of the Rotary Club in Stockton. G. Lewis Fox was elected president, and Dr. Hall was named chairman of the advisory board. A meeting between Sacramento and Stockton was held on March 5, 1925, and they created the 20-30 Club Executive Council to help with expansion to other cities. In August 1925, the third Club, San Bernardino, California, becomes affiliated with the organization.[5][6]

In 1926, 20-30 Clubs were formed in San Francisco, Hayward, Tracy, and Oakland. Delegates from the seven clubs met in San Francisco on August 21, 1926. This was the first convention of 20–30. A Constitution was adopted and the following officers were elected: Sumner Mering, President; Tom Louttit, Vice President; Ivan Shoemaker, Secretary/Treasurer.[5][6]

Expansion of the Active and 20-30 organizations

In June 1929, Active International became international in fact, as well as in name, with the chartering of the Vancouver International Club in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Active clubs soon spread through Washington, Oregon, California and Montana in the United States and the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta in Canada. Clubs were also located in Idaho, Hawaii, and Washington D.C.

From 20 to 30's inception in 1922 until December 1941, charters were granted to 260 clubs, and a total membership of 4,675 was attained. During the war years, approximately 65 percent of the membership served in the armed forces. This compelled 68 clubs to disband and decreased the number of active clubs to 122 with an active membership of 1,800. In many cases, the clubs were kept on active status by one or two members who maintained the charter.[6][7]

The official start of international expansion into Latin countries started is up for debate. It was widely believed that the chartering of the Juarez Club on February 16, 1944, so started the movement of 20–30 in Mexico and Latin America. However, new evidence points to the first real international presence beginning in 1933 when the El Paso, Texas, the club was chartered and possibly the Juarez, Mexico Club as well. It was a result of the Juarez charter and that of other Mexican clubs that the name of the association was changed to 20-30 International at the 1946 Victory Convention.[8]

Merger

Both 20-30 International and Active International were chartered members of the World Council of Young Men's Service Clubs. John Armenia, Joe Crowe and Arnie Scheldt of Active and Dr. James Vernetti, Henry Heyl, and Ray Fletcher of 20-30 were among those who fostered the World Council movement up to its formal beginning in 1945.[9][10]

In 1959 President Norm Morrison of 20-30[11] and President Ken Helling of Active[12] exchanged a letter and renewed the long-standing proposal that these two almost identical young men's service clubs should merge.[13] Throughout 1959 and 1960 meetings were held between the two groups, culminating in the proposed Constitution, and resolution to be presented to the 1960 conventions of each organization.[11]

At the 20-30 International Convention held in Santa Cruz, CA in 1960,[14] the delegates unanimously adopted the merger proposal and the Constitution. One month later, the delegates at the Active International Convention in Calgary, Alberta, also unanimously adopted the propositions. Therefore, on August 1, 1960, Active International and 20-30 International became Active 20-30 International.[14]

The first convention of Active 20-30 International was held in Tucson, AZ, July 10–14, 1961,[15] where the Constitution and By-Laws were officially adopted. Jack Kummert was elected president; Federico G. Lugo as First Vice-president; James Robertson as Second Vice-president. Clint McClure and Owen Barnes, the last presidents of 20-30 and Active respectively, stayed as members of the International Directors Council as Immediate Past Presidents.

Other members of the First Council of Directors of Active 20-30 International were: Ray Manges, Area 1; Norm Jensen, Area 2; Skeet Glidewell, Area 3; Forrest K. Stewart, Area 4; Roy Stype, Area 5; Emilio Pérez-Banuet, Area 6; Joaquin Bours, associate director of Area 6; Angel Moreno, Area 7 and Bob Baumgartner, Area 8.

Its presence became so large, that the State of California and Governor Ronald Reagan declared February 20–26, 1967 "Active 20-30 Week" [2]

Active 20-30 International

Philosophy

The original Active International and 20-30 International clubs started as a result of younger members of other service organizations finding that most leadership positions in those organizations were held and reserved for, the older and more senior members. The idea of a time limit for membership was intended to help build leadership and responsibility. The club as a whole focuses on helping children, specifically those that have special needs or are disadvantaged. Local clubs apply that focus to their specific cities and towns.[16][17][18][19]

Symbols and sayings

The symbols and sayings of the organization are typically adaptations of those of Active International and 20-30 International or a confluence of both.

Emblem

The Active 20-30 International emblem is a buzz saw encircling an hourglass and inscribed "Active 20-30 International."

The emblem selected for Active International was the buzz saw; it was considered to represent intense activity, which the club sought to identify with. The buzz saw was also said to serve as a symbol for the community, with Aberdeen being a center in the lumber industry.[11]

The emblem of 20-30 International was an hourglass, symbolizing the passage of time and the need for young men to take advantage of their time and energy for useful activities. Around this hourglass, there were four letter S's. The four S's also were said to have the significance of representing the first four 20-30 Clubs (Sacramento, Stockton, San Bernardino, and San Francisco); they also were used to form the original slogan "Sincerity in Service, our Slogan for Success".[11]

Upon the merger, a new emblem was developed incorporating both symbols. The 4 "S" were removed and the hourglass was placed within a 23-tooth buzzsaw.

Mission statement

The mission statement is "Providing young adults with an opportunity for personal growth, friendship, and leadership development while improving the quality of life for the underserved children in our community."

Motto

The club's motto is "Youth, to be served, must serve" and the club slogan is "One never stands so tall as when kneeling to help a child.”

Colors

The club's colors are red, blue, and gold.

Membership

Local clubs include women's chapters, men's chapters, and co-ed chapters. The age requirement to be a member is 20–39 to allow for youth leadership training. Honorary members can be of any age. Many Active 20-30 Clubs partner with other service clubs, such as Kiwanis, Rotary, Lions Club, and Soroptimist, and Active 20-30 Club members often join these groups later on in life.[20][21]

Notable members and alumni

Organizational structure

Sexual misconduct and assault allegations

References

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