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The National Exchange Club – a service organization with 700 clubs and more than 21,000 members throughout the United States and Puerto Rico – celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2011. Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Michigan, by businessmen who wanted to “exchange” ideas on making their community better, the Exchange Club moved its headquarters to Toledo in 1917. The name "Exchange" was suggested by Charles A. Berkey, the founder who was also a 33° Mason. For a hundred years, Exchange Club volunteer efforts have supported the needs of the country and of local communities, making it the country's oldest American service organization operating exclusively in the United States. Its second oldest club is the Exchange Club in Toledo, Ohio, formed in 1913.

Service projects and programs

During the 1940s, Exchange had organized its club activities around seven areas of service that included: education; agriculture; aviation; citizenship; commerce and industry; federal youth rehabilitation; youth and geriatrics.

In the mid-1960s, Exchange adopted its present National Programs of Service activities. The National Programs of Service brought into greater focus the most pressing issues of the day and affords local clubs the ability to structure activities according to their specific community. In 1979, Exchange adopted the Prevention of Child Abuse as its national project, today Exchange's programs include three Programs of Service: Americanism, Youth Programs, and Community Service and its National Project—the prevention of child abuse.

Exchange has partnered with Veterans Matter, another national nonprofit. Veterans Matter is dedicated to providing deposits/first month's rents for veterans who can use can use HUD-VASH vouchers to obtain into safe, permanent housing. Veterans Matter has a 100% success rate in getting veterans housed in a government program that has a 91% success rate in keeping veterans housed.

Youth and senior services

The Exchange Club specializes in helping youth and service to senior citizens. The Senior Outreach Program, adopted in the 1980s as a national program, helps senior citizens remain active. For youth, the Exchange Club gives scholarships and awards such as the Accepting the Challenge of Excellence (ACE) Award, Youth of the Month, Youth of the Year, and Citizenship Award. A "Junior Exchange Club" is offered to high school students, called the Excel Club, volunteering the same amount of work as the National Exchange Club.

Awards and honors

The Exchange Club support Teacher Appreciation Day to honor teachers educating youth. The Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award honors a member in law enforcement that has given credit to protecting a community. The Exchange Club also gives out Rookie of the Year and Exchangite of the Year awards to members that succeed in doing a substantial amount of work and contributions for the club.

The Exchange Club's most prestigious award is the Book of Golden Deeds Award given to a special person that has dedicated their time and efforts to strengthen their community. This award may be given to a member of Exchange or a non-member.

National A.C.E. Of The Year Award Recipients

Youth Of The Year Recipients

• 2020 Youth of the Year Winner, Victoria Orcutt

Legacy Of The Year Recipients

• 2020 Legacy of the Year Winner, Baleigh Childress

Organizational structure

The National Exchange Club is organized into 31 districts and 12 regions throughout the United States. The national president presides over every Exchange Club in the entire country. The regions are headed by a vice-president overseeing several districts, each headed by a district president. A local Exchange Club is managed by a president, president-elect, vice president, secretary, treasurer and 6 to 8 members of a board of directors.

References

1. " Prevention of Child Abuse", The National Exchange Club.
2. National Exchange Club: Programs of Service
3. Berkey, Charles A. "National A.C.E. of the Year Award Recipients | National Exchange Club (NEC)". www.nationalexchangeclub.org. Retrieved 2022-08-11.
4. "Student's story highlights community values". Daily Sentinel. 11 August 2018. Retrieved 2022-08-11.
5. "Healing From 5 Years Of Rape, Torture In Mom's Attic, Teen Shines". Detroit, MI Patch. 2017-08-04. Retrieved 2022-08-11.
6. Reporter, David Bitton/A-D. (26 June 2013). "Linda student overcomes adversity to win national scholarship". Appeal-Democrat. Retrieved 2022-08-11.
7. Betances, Yadira (2012-05-09). "2 honored by Exchange Club". Eagle-Tribune. Retrieved 2022-08-11.
8. Online, Tribune (2021-05-28). "Who Is Tyrone Evans Clark from AXS TV's Women of Wrestling?". Tribune Online. Retrieved 2022-08-11.
9. Writer, WILLIAM F. AST III, H.-P. Staff. "Exchange Clubveteran will leadstate organization". The Herald Palladium. Retrieved 2022-08-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
10. "St. Petersburg teen wins national award". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2022-08-11.
11. ^ Berkey, Charles A. "Scholarships | National Exchange Club (NEC)". www.nationalexchangeclub.org. Retrieved 2022-08-11.

External links

• National Exchange Club Website
• National Exchange Club Foundation
• National Exchange Club's National Project: Prevent Child Abuse
• Believe in the Blue - America's Child Abuse Prevention Project

• Clubs and societies in the United States
• Service organizations based in the United States