Find out what’s inside “A Century of Service,” the new book celebrating Key Club’s 100th anniversary.
By Erin Chandler
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Key Club in 2025, we decided to create something big: a hardcover “coffee-table” book full of pictures and fun facts spanning Key Club’s entire first century! “A Century of Service” is available for purchase now in the Kiwanis Family Store.
Here are five things you can look forward to seeing in the Key Club centennial book:
- Key Club history. Have you ever wondered exactly when and how Key Club got started? Who the Nininger Award was named for? When women first joined Key Club — and how they participated in service projects and conventions before that? All those answers and more can be found in the book’s timeline, profiles of Key Club heroes, lists of award recipients and tons of photos that give glimpses into Key Club history.
- Evolving fashion. You only have to look at the gallery of past Key Club presidents to see how trends have come and gone. Behold how the excessive use of hair products in the 1940s gives way to the crew cuts of the 1950s, only to return in the first decade of the 2000s. Judge which era boasted the snazziest neckties. Compare the style of a 1978 dance marathon to one in 2012. Photos of vintage Key Club pins, sweaters and hats also appear throughout the book. In Chapter 4, you can even count the cowboy hats that have appeared at Key Club conventions — the one accessory that spans the decades!
- Interesting service projects. In our collection of photographs, you’ll see which Key Club projects are truly timeless — clothing, food and book drives, for example — and which are rooted in a specific time and place — like participating in telethons. You’ll even find some unusual projects, such as cleaning a decommissioned battleship or dressing like superheroes for a holiday party. Maybe you’ll get inspiration for your next big Key Club or Kiwanis family project!
- Celebrity cameos. Key Club’s dedication to service has drawn its share of celebrity attention over the years. In addition to notable Key Club alumni, including two U.S. Senators and current “Today” cohost Craig Melvin, the eagle-eyed reader will spot photos of comedians Soupy Sales and Jerry Lewis, actresses Kim Novak and Ginny Sims, First Lady Nancy Reagan, singer Pat Boone, astronaut John Glenn, boxer Jack Dempsey and gymnast Laurie Hernandez. See if you can find them all!
- YOU? Paging through photos from 100 years of service, conventions, chartering ceremonies and more, it’s just possible that you might see yourself, a friend or a family member! There’s only one way to find out: Purchase your copy of “A Century of Service.”