Attempted clubs lacked the vision that is the backbone of our present and only organization K-I-W-A-N-I-S

One George Selig happened in one night and sold Kiwanis to some 30 Norton citizens, and as we are a bunch of joiners, no trouble was experienced in launching the Kiwanis craft, the organization being completed anuary 18, 1921 Governor Hank brought us our charter March 22, 1921, and implanted the germ of Kiwanis into each member This all happened in 1921 and while we are only 2 years old, we are strong and raw for our age We have an active membership of 82 out of a population of only 130 and our attendance ranks with any club We are indebted to the Bristol, Virginia-Tennessee, Club for sponsoring us and starting us out the right way.

To our first President, J L Camblos (present Mayor of Norton) is due much credit for the time and thought, devoted to the Kiwanis Club in its infant days, and our present incumbent, Dr Miles, is keeping the organization in high gear.

The Kiwanis Club was instrumental in securing Billy Sunday for a six weeks' revival and Norton is the smallest town to enjoy this distinction Through the generosity and broad vision of our neighboring towns, Big Stone Gap, Wise, and Coeburn, we built a huge tabernacle for the occasion and later remodeled it into our present town hall and city officials' offices Residents of the towns referred to were really embryonic Kiwanians and it has been the pleasure of the Norton Club to sponsor both Big Stone Gap and Coeburn Kiwanis Clubs.

We have in hand the matter of a National Park on High Knob contiguous to this city, which will be a place of recreation for the whole county and a wonderful view to the ubiquitous tourist A road is included in the plans for the park will tie into the main roads Our Kiwanis Club is also working on this.

We established free mail delivery and are working to have this include parcel post delivery as well We maintained a sum-mer camp for underprivileged boys Contributed to the library for the school, and are now underwriting a football team, securing funds for uniforms, etc We were instrumental in securing the Norton branch of the State Laboratory, which is of pronounced benefit to everyone in the county.

We are working now with a view of having the railroads erect an overhead bridge to take care of vehicle and pedestrian traffic from the north to the south of the city, which will minimize, if not totally eliminate, the danger to school children in crossing the railroad Too, we are giving support to the extension of the city limits to enable children that are now outside the present corporate Imes to attend the very efficient schools we enjoy This would mean a population of five thousand and a possible city government.

Our club is unanimous on the subject of good roads and has passed resolutions in favor of the bond issue and had our committee attend the meetings in Richmond Furthermore, we sent a delegation of 40 to Pikeville, Kentucky, to cooperate with the Kentucky gentlemen who have good roads uppermost in their minds, viz, the Lonesome Pine Trail, with which you are all of course familiar.

Disinterestedness is the chief characteristic of Kiwanis and our club is looked upon in the light of a bank-one does not draw out more than he puts in Prior to the formation of our club it was "every man for himself and the devil take the hindmost", however, there has -been developed a surprising and pleasing amount of consideration for the other fellow We have found out that the fellow who dared engage in the same line of business as ourselves is really a good scout, and have exchanged ideas with him that proved mutually profitable.

Our paramount rule is that one's religion and politics are checked at the door with his hat, this notwithstanding that we are cognizant of the hellish machinations of the Republicans and have told them so.

History suggests past performance so we will modestly refrain from enumerating other good things, some of them tangible, that we have done We are no pecterists, looking to the past, but are imbued with the idea that our history is yet to be made, and that our past efforts are but stepping stones to greater service It is a source of gratification that anything recommended or sponsored by Kiwanis is accepted at face value by the community at large, and we jealously guard this good opinion, and everything that savors of self interest, at might create discord, is carefully' scrutinized by our efficient Public Affairs Committee We opposed to the point of prevention the formation of a Konclave of the Knights of the Komic Konsonants, and steal their thunder by announcing to the cosmos that we are all 100% Americans.

We helped put across the Town Bond Issue of one hundred and ten thousand dollars for street and sewer improvements Some of our members attended the Zone meeting at Marion We joined with the clubs of Big Stone Gap and Coeburn in an eff ort to get additional road mileage taken over by the State Highway Commission We were the host club to these two clubs on Inter-Club Day.

We sent a committee to Richmond to appear before the State Highway Commission Sponsored the Boys' Y M C A Camp and sent fifteen boys to the camp Had a leading part in the opening of a new concrete road which our club had sponsored, leading west out of Norton.

45 of our members attended a meeting of the Bristol Club The Public Affairs Committee arranged for the entertainment of guests from New England who were looking over certain sections of Virginia in order to form better business acquaintance We spent two days with these guests Our members helped the Y M C A to raise its budget for 1925.

We took part in the Inter-Club Day Meeting at Big Stone Gap on May 14 Fortyfour representatives of the various welfare organizations of Virginia were our guests on May 26 Thirty-five of our members visited the Bristol, Tennessee, Club We assisted in financing and managing the Sunday School Baseball League Entertained the public school teachers at luncheon.

We observed All-Kiwanis Night Entertained the high school graduates and teachers Sponsored a bond issue for the purchase of the water system by the city.

On the night of August 30, we met at Camp Kiwanis, about 25 miles from Norton, where the club was assisting in the preliminary training of the high school football squad.

We helped celebrate the opening of the new passenger station which the club was instrumental in securing for the town.

We joined with other towns in the Cumberlands in plans to advertise these mountains as a worth while vacationing section For this purpose we sent representatives to a meeting of Cumberlands Association, Incorporated.

We were hosts to Coeburn and Big Stone Gap on Inter-Club Day, when the District Governor was the speaker We helped to arrange a publicity motorcade The merchants of the town were our guests at a meeting.

In October, delegates from our club and from Jenkins, Kentucky, Club exchanged visits in the matter of planning for a celebration of the opening of a highway between these two towns The celebration, in which the Norton Chamber of Commerce also participated, was held on November 19 A large motorcade from Norton went to Jenkins where the high school football team furnished entertainment This was followed by exercises on the top of the mountain at the State line and a banquet and dance in Norton at which Ex-Governor E Lee Trinkle was the principal speaker.

We entertained twenty-six members of a special School of Safety in Mining.

Our members appeared before the County Board in the interest of public welfare work and health work in Wise County Later we held a meeting in the interest of this work A meeting was also held in the interest of national forest preservation and development.

In May, we took part in an inter-club meeting with Big Stone Gap and Coeburn The matter of Kiwanis education received proper attention with one meeting each month devoted to this important subject October, assisted by our wives, we entertained the faculty of the Norton School at an evening meeting There were present 30 Kiwanians, 24 wives, 27 teachers, and thirteen other guests.

We worked on getting new town industry Conferences were held with representatives of several manufacturing plants thinking of locating in the South.

President Thorn died in October and was succeeded by George W Botts, who had been Vice-President.

Efforts were made to assist in getting a new industry for Norton Our community is in the coal mining district and owing to the slump in that industry the town needed to have established different forms of industry A committee was sent to New York for that purpose and held two mass meetings of citizens.

In compliance with orders of the health officials, we were compelled to omit two of our meetings because of the flue epidemic Anniversary week was observed.

We aided in an effort to secure a State Industrial or Trade School for underprivileged children Programs were given celebrating the completion of a municipal storage dam, and fostering school debating We interested ourselves in helping to have made an industrial survey of the county in securing improvements in the enforcement of traffic laws, in financing a chautauqua and in a First Aid Contest which was given by the Virginia Coal Operators Association and the U S Bureau of Mines This contest, participated in by nearly three hundred trained people, is one of the big events of this section.

We sponsored the organization of a Boy Scout troop; celebrated the Edison Jubilee with the light and power company co-operating; entertained the public school teachers and were entertained at luncheon by Kentucky Utilities Company During Inter-Club Week we were host to Coeburn and Big Stone Gap, at which time Governor Kimball and Eugene Woodson of Washington, were the speakers.

We entertained the high school football team Also appointed a committee to cooperate with the Town Council in the matter of public auditorium.

Objectives selected for the year included the repairing and furnishing of the public auditorium, the securing of an industrial or trade school for the county, interest in agricultural problems, the securing of a public park, work with the Boy Scouts, and vocational guidance work

A meeting was devoted to an inspirational address on Lincoln and Washington Committees worked in the matter of securing a county farm agent The operation of a telephone exchange was shown by an expert demonstrator A play was sponsored for the benefit of our under-privileged child work We aided in securing for another year an athletic park

Norton was host to Coeburn and Big Stone Gap during Inter-Club Week

Secured funds for the continuation of the work of the Farm demonstration Agent

The matter of securing a Veteran’s Hospital received our attention and support

Land for small parks for the city was secured by lease from the railroad Practically the whole club took part in the work of clearing off the rubbish, laying out and grading walks and doing general construction work on this new park project

We assisted in the investigation of light and power rates and of the possibilities of a county-owned power plant

We took part in an inter-club meeting at Big Stone Gap

A delegation attended the celebration of the opening of a road from Virginia to Tennessee

We worked in cooperation with the high school athletic association in providing football entertainment, transportation to games, etc

(No report since September)

The Norton club increased its membership from 25 to 40 during the year (60%)

The club assisted the Red Cross in its annual roll call, and all during the year in its relief work for the under-privileged

In Public Affairs it worked for the completion of a small public park, made efforts to have the U S Veterans Hospital located in the neighborhood, and joined the Wise County Tax Payers League, in an effort to help out county finances

Attended inter-club meetings at Big Stone Gap at one of which it put on the program, was host to Pikesville, Kentucky, had Bluefield, West Virginia, was host to Coeburn and Big Stone Gap, and visited Coeburn

Active in work for relief of unemployment, helped send boys to C C C Camp, joined with the county board in fostering and suggesting C W A projects, and put on a Jinks Movie at which packages were used for tickets and the things collected were distributed to the under-privileged

Each Kiwanian undertook to act as advisor to one particular school boy,

The club took as an outstanding objective the beautification of Norton Every member of the club worked on some part of the plan, which called for planting trees flowers and shrubs as well as a genera; cleaning up of the town

The club had programs on County Finance, with the idea of working out a plan for a balanced budget, and on Reform in County Government Entertained school teachers, had a program on School Affairs with an address by the Division Superintendent and helped entertain the Virginia Press Association

The club attended inter-club meetings at Big Stone Gap, Pikesville, Kentucky, and held an inter-club picnic with Big Stone Gap at which more than a hundred Kiwanians and their families were present

A St Patrick's Day program was given

Representatives were sent to the Mid Winter Conference, and the club entertained the Governor, the LTG, the LTG-elect and the District Secretary

Gave a dance for the benefit of under-privileged child fund and sponsored a lecture by Lowell Thomas for the same purpose The clinic gave 86 tonsil operation and it had a Theatre Party and distributed 70 baskets at Christmas,

The club sponsored the formation of a Scout Area with Norton as a central point It had a program on Scouting in the interest of this movement and had later a program put on entirely by Boy Scouts It helped the Scout Campaign and aided in sponsoring the playground hall games

The club inaugurated a movement for beautification of the community and as a part of this attempted to organize a Garden Club The club had a joint meeting with the Lions Club of Pennington Gap, and assisted the Business Men’s Club of Appalachia in putting on the Passion Play Home survey made in the interest of the FHA had a program on the T V A, studied the town manager form of government, tried to secure a Public Health Unit and to have the bacteriological laboratory re-opened It boosted a movement for a new playground and park including a municipal swimming pool

The club attended an inter-club meeting at Big Stone Gap It put on a Ladies Night

Celebrated Kiwanis Anniversary, entertained the LTG and sent delegates to the Mid-Winter Conference, the District and International Convention and to the LTG's Club Officers training

The club sponsored the President's Ball for its under-privileged child work, put on the first annual Rhodedendron Festival and gave benefit pictures It furnished six children with glasses, spent $30 on braces and $132 on Christmas baskets for 67 families, and aided in building a camp on High Knob

Sponsored Boy Scouts Succeeded in forming a new Scout Area with a paid executive, aided in arranging Scout Camp for this for this area in Kentucky, surveyed the community for Scout Material and leadership Planned and supervised recreation, sponsored a basketball team, and operated with the National Youth Administration in finding work for boys and girls after school hours

In an industrial rural community where coal Mining is tile chief industry, the club is striving to develop farming and as an aid to this succeeded in having a county farm agent employed

Worked for road improvement and town beautification, cooperated with the PWA projects, attempted to get the state to help the under-privileged and unemployed, tried to bring a new factory to the town to employ 200 workers, aided in town "Clean Up" and planned a Labor Day celebration It continued its work for a public park with athletic grounds and a swimming pool and succeeded in having it opened and dedicated during the summer It had programs on The City Manager Plan, Athletics, Red Cross, First Aid, two on Local Government, Tuberculosis, The State Chamber of Commerce, Town Taxation, Public Welfare, The National Forests, The National Youth Administration and Business Conditions

The club attempted to revive the club at Coeburn and to build a new one at Lebanon

Host to Big Stone Gap

The club held a Ladies Night and a picnic and celebrated Thanksgiving It held six Education Meetings, entertained the Governor and LTG, was represented at the Mid-Winter Conference, the District and International Conventions, the Division Meeting and the Training School for Club Officers and the new president trained the new officers and committee chairmen

The club increased its membership during the year by more than 30%

The club sponsored the President's Ball, and put on the second annual Rhodedendron Festival for the under-privileged child fund It furnished a boy with glasses, donated $12250 for Boy Scout work with under-privileged boys, gave $60 for hot lunches and milk for school children, sent out 74 Christmas baskets reaching 285 children, sponsored a tonsil clinic operating on 53 children and started an orthopedic clinic

The club put on a training school for Scout leaders, formed a Scout troop of under-privileged boys and furnished a leader, and put on a program on Boy Scout Work in Norton and one on P T A Work It sponsored a basketball team which won a trophy It made a survey of the high school athletic needs, especially a ball field with lights, and it entertained the football squad

Partly due to the activity of the club in 1935 an election was field, as a result of which the town goes to a city manager form of government This year the club urged good men to come out for the new council This year saw the completion of the storage dam and chlorination plant for the swimming pool and it and the park were opened May Ist The club tried to bring a new industry to tile town and continued its efforts towards the improvement of the roads in the county It had programs on Adult Education, Good Roads, Lighting, Norton's Needs Today, Town Improvement, and County Manager Form of Government The club was host to Big Stone Gap and visited Big Stone Gap and Pennington Gap

The club celebrated Lincoln's Birthday, had a Ladies Night, and promoted two dinners and a (lance in connection with the Rhodedendron Festival

The club had two programs on Kiwanis Education, celebrated Kiwanis Anniversary and was represented at the Mid-Winter Conference, the International and the District Conventions and the Division Meeting

The President's Ball this year netted $215 for under-privileged child work, part to 90 to the Warm Springs Foundation Furnished 8 children with glasses at a cost of $36 It put on a tonsil clinic for 36 children, the surgeons and nurses giving their services, the other cost being $1980 Plan a permanent underprivileged child camp The Rhodedendron Festival was a success again A Christmas Party was given to children, $9023 as donated to the Empty Stocking Fund, and 46 Christmas baskets were sent out benefiting 192 people

The club put on a campaign to raise money for Scouting, formed a new troop, helped put on three camporees attended by 450 Scouts, sent three Scouts to the National jamboree and had a program put on by them on their return It helped raise money for the high school football team and entertained the team at luncheon, continued to sponsor a basketball team and gave $14 for books, in order to start a high school library

The club entertained at luncheon guests from the neighboring rural community who put on a program

A program on Vocational Guidance was put on, and later speakers presented various vocations to the high school students

Continued work on city beautification, organized a Spring Clean Up campaign and made a study of the advantages of a change from "Town" to "City" campaign, particularly in regard to having a separate school district

Programs of interest were on Flood Control, Spiritual Trends, Public Libraries, Red Cross Work, Folk Music, Work for the Blind, The National Forests, Fruit and Berry Farming, and Public Health

The club carried the Log to Big Stone Gap, attended a big meeting at Johnson City, Tennessee, and later was host to Big Stone Gap and several clubs from the Kentucky-Tennessee District

The club had a Ladies Night and put on two dances in connection with the Rhotodendron Festival