Organized on June 30, 1917 with 125 members, our official birth date, the Kiwanis Club of Wilkes-Barre received its charter from future District Governor James G. Sanderson of the Kiwanis Club of Scranton on March 27, 1918. At that time there were 61 charter members. Our first officers were President, Gilbert S. McClintock; Vice President, Charles Tretaway; Secretary, Edgar A. Newberry; Treasurer, Walter E. Lewis; First Permanent Secretary, James Gibbon; and Directors, F.E. Parkhurst, William D. Morris, Harry L. Sutherland, Herbert S. Sage, and E.T. Weekesser.

"Kiwanis, It's A Wonderful Life". What would our community be like had there been no Kiwanis club? Maybe something else would have come along. However, I prefer to think Kiwanis is something so special that we can be proud of our efforts to make a better and happier community.