The Nursery Capital was represented well in the capital of Ohio as McMinnville’s Exchange Clubs both returned from National Exchange Convention in Columbus last weekend with numerous national awards for service.
In the area of individual awards, Ken Roberts was named Volunteer Representative of the Year for the nation. Roberts, a former National Exchange president and member of the evening club here, was conferred the award for his work in assisting clubs in his district.
McMinnville Evening Exchange past president Randy England was named a Distinguished Club President for his work in coordinating the activities of his club, activities that include but are not limited to putting up the flags around town during holidays, providing scholarships to students, and holding a Christmas dinner for senior citizens.
Both Evening and Noon Exchange of McMinnville were awarded the National Service Award for their work in the community. The evening club meets the first and third Tuesdays at 6 p.m. at the Country Club. The noon club meets the second and fourth Tuesdays at the TSU Nursery Research Center.
The noon club was one of eight clubs in the country to win the Hat Trick Award which combined club growth, member retention and forming a new club. The local clubs combined to charter the Warren County High School Excel Club this year. The noon club also won the Club Excellence Award, the Club Membership Achievement Award and the Superior Club Membership Award. The noon club grew by nearly 50 percent this past year.
The annual gathering at the national convention welcomed delegates from across the United States and Puerto Rico, including representatives of the organization’s Exchange Club CAP (child abuse prevention) Centers, supported under Exchange’s national project, the prevention of child abuse. The three-day convention allowed Exchangites and CAP Center directors to network, train, and learn, as well as to celebrate the accomplishments of nearly 20,000 members belonging to more than 650 clubs.
Founded in 1911, Exchange celebrated its 104th anniversary in March 2015. For additional information about The National Exchange Club, please visit NationalExchangeClub.org. For additional information about the organization’s child abuse prevention efforts, please visit PreventChildAbuse.com.