Charlotte Civitan Club records

The Civitan Club in Charlotte was founded in 1924 by a group of 73 young Charlotte business and professional men. They had decided that the time was ripe for the younger men to have a civic club of their own. Civitan was chosen because of its Southern beginnings (Birmingham, Ala.); because of its motto, "Builders of Good Citizenship," and because the organization's philosophy is based on the Golden Rule. The Charlotte Club's charter was presented by Civitan International on July 27, 1921. Governor Cameron Morrison was the principal speaker. The charter members included Basil Boyd, Henry Harper, Claude B. Squires, M. D., A. L. Faul, Randolph Scott, "Dick" Young, Frank O. Sherrill, and Henry Benoit, Sr. Over the years, in order to meet its service mission, the club helped to provide school lunches and free medical care to needy children, supported the Salavation Army, sponsored Little League baseball teams and Boy Scout troops, and contributed to Boys Home of North Carolina, the North Carolina Special Olympics, and similar charities. The club also sponsored the organization of new Civitan clubs in the greater Charlotte area and Junior Civinette clubs in high schools. The parent Civitan Club sponsored formation of the Myers Park Club in 1951. Other local Civitan Clubs include: Providence Civitan Club (1958), Sharon Civitan Club (1957), West Mecklenburg Civitan Club (1951), Moore's Park Civitan Club (1956). Initially all male, the organization began admitting women in 1983. Notably successful among the long list of good deeds performed by the Civitan Club was the sponsorship of the Lakewood School for mentally retarded children. The Civitan Club has also been largely responsible for the annual Youth Converence on Human Relations at Wildacres; for operation of the Little League Baseball program; for donation of Good Citizenship awards to high school students; for providing an assembly hall and huts for the Boy Scout camp.